Bloomfield Hills

Andover girls hoops team one of the best in OAA Blue

By Mike Moore
C & G Sports Writer

» Click on image to view full size « Photo by David Schreiber Andover’s offense has been rolling this season, thanks in large part to sophomore Shannon Wilson, who’s averaging 17 points, five assists, five steals and five rebounds per game. Photo by David Schreiber Andover’s offense has been rolling this season, thanks in large part to sophomore Shannon Wilson, who’s averaging 17 points, five assists, five steals and five rebounds per game.

BLOOMFIELD HILLS — They entered the year with elevated expectations, ones heightened with sound reason, and thus far, carried out with prudent execution.

Greatness would come as no surprise. Frankly, anything less would have been disappointing.

So, when asked last week if he was at all stunned at how the winter is going, Bloomfield Hills Andover girls basketball coach Jeff Rubin laughed, and said simply, “no.”

It’s an understandable response, really.

After all, the Barons, 13-8 a year ago, brought back a host of players this season, including four from the starting lineup.

Sophomore Shannon Wilson picked up right where she left off after a brilliant rookie year, and is averaging 17 points, five assists, five steals and five rebounds per game.

Junior Rachel Rea has been the perfect complement, averaging 14 points a night.

And when either or both of those two scorers takes a break, the team’s vast depth provides a suitable replacement on the scoresheet.

Put all that together and you have an Andover team that, at press time, was 11-1 overall and sitting atop the Oakland Activities Association Blue Division with a 9-1 mark.

“There’s a desire to win here,” senior guard Kiki Van Acker said. “We’re a team that enjoys getting better. We play very well together, and I think we’ve done a good job taking things one game at a time.”

The approach has worked.

The Barons started the season with six consecutive victories, and following a 47-38 loss at Southfield High Jan. 5, were riding a five-game winning streak at press time.

The offense has been on fire, averaging nearly 60 points per game, while the defense is giving up roughly 42.

The schedule lines up nicely too as far as the race for the league title is concerned.

Andover plays host to the two teams it’s attempting to fend off, welcoming Royal Oak High (8-1) to town Feb. 7, and Southfield (7-1) Feb. 16.

“That’s where our focus is right now,” Rubin said of a possible division title. “We’re hosting both of those teams, which is a huge advantage for us.”

That same advantage may help the Barons do something else they haven’t done in decades.

When the playoffs begin Feb. 27, Andover is hosting a Class A district. For a program that hasn’t seen the regional round since the 1970s, Rubin feels it’s long overdue.

“We’ll expect to contend for a title,” he said. “We’re not going to worry too much about that until we take care of business in the regular season, but we fully expect to be a team battling for that crown. It’s be something pretty special around here.”

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mike Moore at mmoore@candgnews.com or at (586)498-1038.