PETOSKEY — It’s not quite high school, it’s not quite college. The post-grad limbo of fifth-year hoops so popular on the East Coast now has an entry from Michigan, located in, of all places, Petoskey.

Eldon Academy, but an idea this summer, has become a reality, as the players arrived Up North this week for intense basketball schooling and academic preparation. On Wednesday the team was through conditioning and informal work on the court, getting to know each other and allowing coach Jerry Ernst to figure out just with just what he’s working.

“This team has more talent than the one I had at Walter French that won 22 games,” Ernst said. “But the schedule is tougher.”

That schedule includes prep school powers such as Brewster (NH), Bridgton (ME), Hargrave (VA), IMG (Florida), Laurinburg (NC), Maine Central Institute, Notre Dame (MA), Oak Hill (VA), St. Benedict’s (NJ) and Troy Redemption (NY). Oak Hill no longer has a post-grade team, so Eldon will play Eric Devendorf and company in a scrimmage rather than official game. Eldon’s first scrimmage, on November 23, is a homecoming of sorts for its best player, 5’9” Nick Nickerson, who starred last year for the Indians now Tigers. Nickerson looks ready to go head-to-head with America’s best.

“These prep schools like to play man-to-man, and I don’t know how they’re going to do that with Nick,” Ernst said. “He’s faster with the ball than any player I’ve ever coached.”

Nickerson is quick enough to get into the lane when he chooses, then has the strength and passing/scoring repertoire to operate once he gets there. His outside shot needs work, as he shoots from the chin instead of over his head.

“Eric Haut was the same way,” Ernst said, before later exhorting his charges to do like Jud Heathcote used to say, shoot up-and-out. Haut was a Walter French phenom who then found his high school career mired in an MHSAA-imposed exile before playing college ball at Kent State.

Nickerson is as good, if not better, on the defensive end as he is with the ball. He goes hard all the time and is able to harass his man and play the lanes at the same time.

Pont guard is Eldon’s strength. In addition to Nickerson there is 5’10” Marcus Lancaster, the Class C all-stater from Wyoming Lee. He was slowed Wednesday with a knee injury, but still showed flashes of the explosive scoring arsenal that almost single-handedly knocked out Drew Neitzel in the Mustangs during the 2003 Grand Rapids Storm tournament.

Other Michiganders who will suit up for Eldon are 6’2” Jason Haskin (Redford Bishop Borgess), who his a lot of outside shots in five-on-five play but needs to diversify his offense’ 6’1” Terrence Moore (Mount Clemens), a long-armed high riser whose vertical wasn’t at full capacity as he and everyone else was recovering from the first day of plyometrics (Moore had to have put down one of the top five dunks in the state last year, a reverse number against Grand Rapids Christian at Christmas); 5’6” Rashuard Harris (Wyoming Godwin Heights), one of the team’s better fundamental players and star of the shooting drills; and 6’3” Albert Reed (Ann Arbor Huron), who graduated from Huron in 2003. He’s strong and mean enough to give some minutes inside, but can also hit from deep.

Eldon has a Canadian contingent up front in 6’5” Iffy Chirim and 6’7” Vitas Naudziunas. Iffy has athleticism and moves. Vitas is a typically skilled, finesse foreigner. The could be in for a rude awakening early, going against grown men-types, if they don’t’ get more forceful in there. Help is on the way Thursday with the arrival of a 6’10” Nigerian. Another possible addition to the roster is 6’2” Michael Cage from Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills.

As the season nears we’ll keep you updated on the Eldon Academy team, an intriguing addition to the Michigan prep basketball scene.