Great Lakes Hoops was first published in November 2005 as an independent voice for basketball in Mid-Michigan. Since then, we’ve grown into one of the most popular basketball publications in Michigan. In 2009, we changed our look and expanded the scope of our coverage. Great Lakes Hoops is now a one-stop news source for high school and college basketball in the state of Michigan.
We’re staffed by an all-volunteer army of hoops junkies including our two editors, Jared Field and Gavin Raath, and columnist Marcellus Miller. Field, a journalist for many years, was formerly a staff writer at the Flint Journal covering local news and, of course, basketball. He spent four years as the beat writer for Mott Community College and currently works as a PR manager in Flint, Michigan.
Raath is a financial adviser with AXA Equitable in Troy. He is also a combat writer for Mlive.com. Every season, Raath writes conference previews and reviews for mid-Michigan conferences from Imlay City to Ovid-Elsie. Raath resides in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Miller is an assistant coach at Flint Northern High School and works in Lansing for Ryder International. He has a master’s degree from the University of Michigan in Flint and coaches AAU basketball for the Mid-Michigan Lakers.
In 2010, Patrick Hayes, former basketball beat writer at the Flint Journal, joined the staff. Hayes is among the most knowledgeable basketball writers in Michigan. He has covered basketball at all levels during his career as a journalist. Hayes lives in Flint and works in public relations for a local university.