It's that wonderful time of the year.

No, not the holidays, and if you had any question you probably are not the type of sports fan that waits all year for the month of March.

While the college version of March Madness is just heating up, the high school version in Michigan boils over this week with district tournaments being held in all four classes across the state. This week Great Lakes Prep Hoops Digest takes a look at the action in all four classes across the state.

FOUR FAVORITES FOR FINALS:

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Monday (Portage Northern district): Mattawan vs. Kalamazoo Central

Tuesday (Romulus district): Romulus vs. Ypsilanti 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday (Caledonia district): A doubleheader with Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills squaring off against Grand Rapids Central or East Kentwood at 6 p.m. and Grand Rapids Christian against Forest Hills Central or Caledonia in the 7:30 game.

Friday (Saginaw Heritage district): Possible title game between Saginaw and Arthur Hill.

Saturday (Lansing Sexton district): District title game. Look for Okemos or Lansing Everett coming out of one side of the bracket against Sexton or East Lansing from the other side of the bracket.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN:

Last year, Arthur Hill defeated the Trojans in a classic semifinal game. Arthur Hill parlayed that game into the Class A championship. This year, the two teams are set to collide in the district title game that will take place Friday.

The two teams split their two regular-season games with Saginaw winning the most recent contest. The Trojans are on a roll and have a trio of D1 players leading the way in senior center Josh Southern (6-10, Boston College), junior forward Draymond Green (6-7, Kentucky) and junior guard Daniel West (6-1, Bradley).

Arthur Hill counters with Mr. Basketball candidate Dar Tucker, who is headed to DePaul and underrated junior shooting guard Latreze Muschatt. The Lumber Jacks' second leading scorer, Mushatt was the player of the game against Saginaw in district play last year.

On that night, Tucker was held to just six points. But Tucker's supporting cast, led by Mushatt picked up the slack in a dramatic victory.

U-D Jesuit, one of the most talented, young teams in the state, closed out the regular season in a big way by reaching the finals of the Catholic League tournament. Pershing, led by center Marvin Skipper has been one of the top teams in the Detroit Public School League this season.

Dell is averaging more than 21 points for Harrison this winter and should his Hawks get past rival North Farmington on Monday and the winner of Walled Lake Northern/Bloomfield Hills Andover Wednesday, Friday's district championship game could feature two Spartans.

A Harrison path to the district final is not a sure bet, but it is a possibility. Lucas and St. Mary's are a good bet to make the finals with a pre-district game against district host West Bloomfield and mid-week opponent Birmingham Groves.

FOUR FAVORITES FOR FINALS:

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH:

Monday (Muskegon Orchard View district): Muskegon Heights vs. Spring Lake.

Tuesday (Goodrich district): Flint Northwestern vs. Flint Southwestern Academy 5:30 p.m.

Wednesday (Pontiac Notre Dame Prep): If Detroit Country Day gets past Livonia Clarenceville on Monday, the Yellowjackets will meet up with PSL runner-up Detroit Murray-Wright in what should be a strong district match-up.

Friday (Bridgeport district): Possible title game between once-beaten Bridgeport and Alma, the team that handed Bridgeport its lone loss.

Saturday (Goodrich district: District title game. The game that all of the Flint area has been waiting for. If all goes as planned, Flint Southwestern Academy and super junior point guard Noopy Crater will tangle with senior point guard

Laval Lucas-Perry and his Flint Powers Catholic teammates at 1 p.m.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

The host Shamrocks of Berrien Springs tip the district off Monday against Dowagiac in what should be a slugfest that may go down to the buzzer. The winner of that game gets the unenviable task of taking on unbeaten Stevensville-Lakeshore in Wednesday's district semifinal.

Flint Southwestern Academy, led by Ohio State commitment Noopy Crater has been at or near the top of the polls all season. To come away with a district title, SWA has to defeat Flint Powers Catholic.

The Chargers, led by senior guard and Arizona signee Laval Lucas-Perry, have been one of the hottest teams in Class B down the stretch.

Watch out for Flint Northwestern, which has the talent to play the spoiler in this loaded

district.

FOUR FAVORITES FOR THE FINALS:

FOUR PLAYERS TO WATCH:

GAMES OF THE DAY:

Monday (Grandville Calvin Christian district): Wyoming Lee vs. Calvin Christian.

Tuesday (Breckenridge district): Ithaca vs. New Lothrop. New Lothrop is beginning a quest that has not been accomplished since 1939-40 season. That was when Flint Northern completed both unbeaten football and basketball seasons along with winning state titles in both sports. The Hornets have already completed a perfect football season last fall and with a 20-0 record, the basketball team begins is post-season quest against a rugged Ithaca team.

Wednesday (Springport district): Leslie vs Olivet. The Blackhawks may be a year away from a really deep tournament run but they are more than capable of making serious noise this year.

Thursday (Breckenridge district): One of the premier Class C match-ups of the districts will take place provided New Lothrop and Carson City-Crystal get past their opening round games. Carson City counters undefeated New Lothrop with one of the most intriguing junior prospects in the state.

Sean Jones is a 6-foot-10 junior big man who has been showing steady progress throughout the season and is developing into a prospect that D1 schools need to know about.

Friday (Lawton district): Look for a match-up between Kalamazoo Christian and Schoolcraft in this district title game.

The Comets have been atop the polls for much of the year and will be tough to beat led by senior standout Kelvin DeVries. The Comets are tough, but not unbeatable, as Grandville Calvin Christian can attest to.

Calvin took K-Christian down to the wire last month and is one of several teams capable of pulling an upset.

Nouvel stood toe-to-toe with Flint Powers Catholic a few weeks ago and the tough schedule has made this team tournament ready.

Gobles and Bangor are a pair of 14-6 teams that open by facing each other in a district opener Monday. The winner of that game with get a 15-5 Saugatuck team in Wednesday's semifinal while Fennville, another 14-6 team, comes from the other side of the bracket.

GAMES OF THE DAY:

Monday (Jackson Christian district): Jackson Christian vs North Adams.

Tuesday (Redford Covenant district): Redford Covenant Christian vs. Canton Plymouth Christian Academy.

Wednesday (DeTour district): Cedarville vs winner of Brimley/Mackinac Island.

Friday (Bear Lake district): Possible title game between Bear Lake and Frankfort.

DISTRICT BREAKDOWN

Questions abound in Class D. Can Michigan State-bound Durrell Summers put Redford Covenant Christian on his back and carry them to the Breslin Center?

If any one man can take a team all the way in class D it is the multi-dimensional Summers.

Can defending champion Tri-unity Christian do it again?

Sure, they have an 11-9 record, but that mark is very deceiving. The Defenders have played a number of Class A (Jenison, Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills) and B teams to prepare for the tournament. Don't overlook this team despite its record.

Will Cedarville have the fans in the Breslin hearing chants of "UP Power" again?

Cedarville picked up where is left off last season. The Trojans play an exciting brand of basketball and get up and down the floor as well as anyone in the state.

Senior point guard D.J. Baisden is an excellent floor general and his has plenty of talent to work with.