This West Bloomfield transfer is helping North Farmington's pursuit of a state title

North Farmington coach Todd Negoshian shook his head and had a somewhat worried look on his face. 

This was back on Dec. 18 following a blowout victory over Westland John Glenn during River Rouge's annual season tip-off showcase. 

His concern? The Raiders were in the midst of battling COVID-19 protocols. Players were missing. Assistants were out. The team chemistry wasn't exactly where he wanted it yet. Especially with the team adding West Bloomfield transfer Ryan Hurst, one of the top scorers in metro Detroit. There was still work to be done, and Negoshian knew it as he walked the halls near the ROTC room at River Rouge. 

Fast forward to Jan 15. on that same River Rouge court. The Raiders had just blown out Davison, and, this time, Negoshian wore a big smile as he wrapped an arm around Hurst and posed for a picture in the corner of the arena. Hurst was being recognized as the game's MVP after posting 26 points during the MLK Jr. Freedom Classic showcase game.

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"He's fitting in pretty well," Todd Negoshian said of his new junior small forward. "I think it's a testament to the kid. He's fitting in well with the guys we've got, and nobody is over-worried about (not sharing the ball). It's a selfless group of guys. They just want to win games, and they don't care who scores. There's zero selfishness. They've become such a close-knit group that it's really fun and special to watch."

Yes, the Raiders (10-2) certainly have been fun and special to watch. 

They've been a step ahead of the competition all season long, earning big win after big win. They picked up a two-point close-call victory at Clarkston to kickoff Oakland Activities Association-Red play on Jan. 4, and then they followed it up with a huge 22-point victory against West Bloomfield, Hurst's old school, two days later. 

Yeah, they have two blemishes on their record. But those are explainable. 

They suffered a non-conference loss to a solid Williamston team because half of their roster was battling COVID-19 issues. 

And then they fell just short in a 56-49 loss at home to Ferndale. Several media members predicted the OAA-Red winner to be either North or Ferndale. That game was essentially a coin flip. The rematch is Feb. 17. They'll get another shot at the Eagles. 

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So how are the Raiders getting it done? Well, their roster, when healthy, is fantastic. Two or three of their rotational players would start on most of the other teams in the OAA. 

There are the guys down low in starter Aaron Rice and sixth man Lee Hardy, while guards Landon Williams, Tyler Spratt and Jared Frazier are each capable of handling the ball, creating shots for their teammates and scoring themselves. Plus, there's Amari Lee helping out defensively off the bench. 

But the glue guy making this thing all work has been Hurst. 

The 6-foot-3 junior, who already holds an offer from Miami (Ohio), is just a scoring machine. 

It doesn't matter who has the height advantage in the paint, Hurst is using his big frame to out-rebound the opponents to get put-back attempts, and about 1/3 of his scoring comes from doing clean-up work. 

More:Meet North Farmington basketball's new secret weapon. No, it's not Ryan Hurst either.

He tremendous off the dribble. Whether it's in transition or from just outside the arc, when he starts dribbling to the hoop with a full head of steam, look out! He's about to run someone over for two points. 

Plus, he can shoot. He's a great mid-range shooter, but he can also stroke it from outside. 

Right now, he's the total package. And he's been the perfect complement to the rest of the Raiders. 

"For sure, this summer I've been in the gym working countless hours," said Hurst, a two-star recruit who plays for The Family AAU program. "The last few months, me and my guys have been working hard. We want the state title. The transition has been pretty straight. Coach keeps me accountable. Everything I do, every mistake I make, he corrects me, and they all just hold me accountable."

There wasn't any funny business with Hurst's transfer. Simply put, his family moved homes. Though it is interesting to see a player change schools to one only a few miles away. 

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"He transferred in the second week of school," Negoshian added. "About a week later, he reached out to me and let me know he was enrolled. I called the school to verify it and make sure it was all legit. Once we got the OK, we started working with him for our four-player workouts. It's just been history from there.

"From Day 1, it's just been a pleasure to be with all of them together with the way they pick each other up and make each other better. You could tell by the way we practice and how we have fun and joke around that they're (all laid back). Their basketball IQ is so high. There's no selfishness. They only care about winning. They all focus on the little things: Passing it ahead, getting one extra pass to get a teammate a better shot, and everything else."

Hurst said he started training with his new teammates as soon as he could. 

Their goal is to win a state championship, and they have a solid chance to do so. They have a tough conference to navigate through first, with rematches against Clarkston, West Bloomfield and Ferndale ahead. 

So far, though, Hurst is enjoying his new home gymnasium. 

"It's pretty straight. North Farmington is a cool environment," he said. "More chill. Coach keeps me focused. I've got my guys and new teammates, and they keep me focused, pretty much."

The Raiders return to action Tuesday at Oak Park for another OAA-Red game. 

Brandon Folsom covers high school sports in metro Detroit for Hometown Life. Follow him on Twitter @folsombrandonj.