Here are some pre-game notes for the Whiteford-Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard game:

Game notes:

Whiteford (21-3) vs. Ann Arbor Gabriel Richard (19-5)

6:30 p.m.

Class C Regional final

At Adrian Madison High School

 

WIN STREAK: Whiteford enters Wednesday’s game on a five-game win streak. … Richard has won its past nine games, including the Catholic League playoff tournament.

 

COACHES: Brad Stevens is 60-48 and is in his 5th season at Whiteford. … Pete Schoch is in his third year and is 51-18 for Ann Arbor Richard.

 

BACK-TO-BACK: Richard is in the Regional final for the second consecutive year. It also has won three consecutive Catholic League tournament championships.

 

ALL-STATE: The Michigan High School Basketball Bulletin (formerly www.bankhoops.com) has released its Class C All-State team. Tonight’s game features several players from that list, including a pair of first-teamers:

First Team: Eso Akunne (AA Richard)

First Team: Josh DuPree (Whiteford)

Eighth Team: Dave Gust (Whiteford)

Ninth Team: Josh Herbeck (AA Richard)

 

MORE POST-SEASON HONORS: Josh DuPree was named one of the Top 25 players in the area by The (Toledo) Blade.

 

TOP SCORERS: Josh DuPree and Dave Gust finished 1-2 in the TCC scoring race. It is the first time in TCC history that two players from the same team finished 1-2 in scoring. It is also the first time in Whiteford history that two Bobcats have scored more than 400 points (all games) in the same season. Gust enters the game with 470 points while DuPree has 497.

 

20 WINS: Whiteford has reached 20 wins for just the third time in school history. The 1982-83 team, which current Bobcat coach Brad Stevens played on, went 20-2. The 2002-03 Whiteford team went 23-1.

 

POINTS: Whiteford enters tonight’s game averaging 72.0 points a game. The Bobcats have scored 1,729 points – 24 off the team’s single season record.

 

POLL: Whiteford appeared in all eight Class C Associated Press polls this season, including a high of No. 6 on Jan. 22. They were ranked No. 17 – the lowest of the season – in the final poll on Feb. 26.

 

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Dave Gust leads Whiteford in double-doubles this season with 12. Cody McCartney has five.

 

TOP SCORER: Only three different players have led Whiteford in scoring this year: Josh DuPree (13), Dave Gust (10) and Jake DuPree (1). Jake’s 18 point effort was in the District semifinal. For Richard, only Josh Herbeck (13) and Eso Akunne (12 – they tied once) have led the team in scoring in an individual game.

 

REGIONAL FINALS: Whiteford is appearing in just its second Regional final ever. The previous final was in 1986 when the Bobcats were beaten by 24-0 Concord, 66-55. The Bobcats entered that game 10-13, fresh off beating 20-2 Camden Frontier.

 

REGIONAL FINALS II: Richard has won six Regional championships in its history – all Class D. They were in 1997, 1991, 1990, 1988, 1974 and 1924. The 1974 and 1991 teams won state championships. Last season, Richard lost in the Regional finals to Detroit Community.

 

1,000 POINTS: Whiteford’s Josh DuPree has 1,231 career points. That ranks him second on the all-time school scoring list behind Eddie Sharpe (1,693) and ahead of Brad Nieman (1,208). He ranks ahead of his father, Everett, who scored 1,072 points in his career. Josh’s career high is 40 points (vs. Whitmore Lake).

 

1,000 POINTS: Irish junior Eso Akunne has 992 career points entering tonight’s game for Richard. He is trying to become the sixth Richard player (including Ann Arbor St. Thomas) player to reach that level. The list includes Len Lillard (1,442 career points), Rex Stanczak (1,289 points), Bull Lucas, Carl Pickett and Michael Wagner.

 

800 POINTS: Irish sophomore Josh Herbeck has 807 career points in his 49 career games.

 

700 POINTS: Dave Gust has 765 career points, ranking him No. 16 on the school’s all-time scoring list – one place behind Bobcat coach Brad Stevens on the school scoring list. His career high is 33 (vs. Britton). … Gust has averaged 22 points a game over the last 12 games and missed double figures once this year – when he scored 9 points vs. Deerfield.

 

ALL-TIME SERIES: Richard and Whiteford have met five times in school history, including once in a Regional. Richard (then Ann Arbor St. Thomas) beat Whiteford three times during the 1973-74 season, including 77-62 in the Regional semifinals. The Bobcats beat the Irish in 1979 and the Irish beat Whiteford in the first regular season game of the 2003-04 season.

 

FORMER CONFERENCE FOES: When Richard was Ann Arbor St. Thomas (the switch was made in 1977-78), it was in the Tri-County Conference (TCC). Whiteford has been in the TCC since 1975. The teams were only in the league one year together. St. Thomas went 33-1 in its three seasons, winning three league titles.

 

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