Senior guard Richaud Pack and junior forward Shawn Conway have shown this season that they are possibly the most explosive pair in the entire OAA.
And living under the same roof, the cousins may just be the best family tandem in the state.
Pack has averaged 34.8 points per game while Conway has added 17.3, accounting for 72 percent of the team’s points this season.
“I love playing with Richaud,” said Conway. “We play well together.”
Conway transferred from Cass Tech to live with Richaud and the Packs last year.
Sharing the house with Conway are Pack’s siblings Raynard, twins Kendall and Rowland, mom Kaija, and Simba, the family’s lab.
In fact, Pack’s big brother Raynard, who played point guard for the Maples in 2006- 2007, was the reason Pack ended up at Seaholm in the first place. And after Pack came Conway.
Family seems to play a large role in supporting these two. Anyone who has attended a Seaholm basketball game has seen the abundance of Pack family members, hanging on every shot and cheering proudly for their two favorite players.
“I love cheering on Richaud and Shawn,” said Kaija Pack. “I’m just so proud of them."
The pair of 6’3’’ cousins have been playing together since they could walk, creating a mix of talent and chemistry that is nearly impossible to stop.
“Richaud and I have been playing basketball together for our whole lives,” said Conway. “[We] were playing basketball when we were little kids.
“We know each others’ games and we try to make each other better. Richaud always checks me in practice and I check him.”
Pack couldn’t agree more.
“We push each other all the time,” said Pack. “We have been playing together for a long time. Basically we’ve been playing forever.”
Pack’s mom marvels at how well the two get along.
“You know, Richaud and Shawn spend so much time together,” Kaija said, “and for them to get along as well as they do is remarkable.”
Pack has a 3.9 GPA and takes honors courses, most notably the Seaholm flexible scheduling program (Flex).
“Richaud gets such good grades,” Kaija said, “and that’s the thing it’s not just about basketball he does so well in school.”
The success on and off the court that Pack has shown has given him the opportunity to play Division one basketball. He signed a national letter of intent to play basketball for Isiah Thomas at Florida International University.
Pack and Conway are relentlessly competitive, on and off the basketball court.
“Shawn and I are competitive all the time,” said Pack.
“I mean, I always want to win and so does he. Whether it’s practice or a game, we’re both pretty competitive.”
Pack’s mom said the two make each other better.
“Shawn doesn’t mind that Richaud scores most of the points, and Richaud tries to help get Shawn baskets,” Kaija said. “One thing they both do though, is they both feed [Seaholm forward Jack] Quigley.”
Kaija feels that the pair’s contrasting games and personalities are great for improvement.
“Richaud and Shawn have very different styles and very different personalities,” said Kaija. “They push each other, they always have, and they feed off each other’s energy and motivation.”
This burning competitive desire plays a large role in the pair’s success on the court, as exhibited in the West Bloomfield game when the two flat-out refused to give the Lakers an inch as the Maple’s gutted out the overtime victory.
“I hate losing,” said Conway. “And so does Richaud.”
Playing with his cousin is something that Pack does not take for granted.
“I love playing with Shawn,” said Pack. “We have a connection from our years of growing up together and playing basketball,” said Pack. “We know each other so well, and it translates to wins.”
The family tandem often scores the vast majority of points, carrying most of the scoring load for the Maples.
Against Berkley, Seaholm had a new leading scorer for the first time all season, as Conway scored 30, edging his cousin by two points. However, points are not the only stat.
“Shawn had more points, but Richaud had a triple double,” said senior Buddy Ellis. “They both had good games.”
While 58 combined points seems like a lot, it is not remotely unusual for these two.
A perfect example of this was when the Maples hosted Troy. Pack scored a staggering 56 points, while Conway added a quiet 27.
There aren’t many nights where one can be under the radar on a particular night and score 27 points, but this was one of them. While Pack had a night that made history, many were so engrossed in this that they didn’t notice Conway having a dynamite all-around game. Conway piled up 27 points, 19 rebounds, six steals and four blocked shots.
Scoring aside, Conway is crucial to the Maples rebounding and defense, as few players can match up with his athleticism and elevator-shaft jumping ability.
Senior Bill Getschman believes that the play of Maple basketball’s first family has a huge impact on the rest of the team.
“When Richaud and Shawn are playing well, the whole team plays well,” said Getshman. “We sort of go as they go.”
Conway recognizes the responsibility bestowed upon the two of them.
“The rest of the team definitely looks up to Richaud and me,” said Conway. “We always stay positive no matter what because the team has to be positive for us to win.”
Pack’s leadership ability is impressive, as he is much younger than most high school seniors.
“Richaud started his senior year as a 16 year old,” said Kaija Pack. “He turned 17 in October, so he should really be compared to high school juniors. Some families hold their kids back for basketball but Richaud is actually ahead a grade, because the Pack family is always moving forward.”
As for goals, Pack and Conway are setting the bar high.
“We want to go 20-0,” said Pack.
“Another goal is that we want to win Regionals,” said Pack.
Conway has similar ideas about where he would like to see this team late in the season.
“We’re just taking it one game at a time,” said Conway. “We want to go undefeated. Richaud and me always set the bar high in everything, so we want to win every game.”
These cousins, who live together, seem to have a natural chemistry on the court. This is particularly noticeable when executing every fan’s favorite play.
“When Richaud and I are going to do an alleyoop, I can tell,” said Conway. “I look over at him and then we both know.”
While an alley-oop may only count for two points on the scoreboard, in reality it means much more due to the energy that it creates.
“When Shawn throws down an oop it energizes the team,” said Getschmen. “It gives us all the momentum and we usually go on a run.”
Pack and Conway have led the Maples to a 9-0 start. The next team on the schedule that might have an answer for Pack, Conway, and the Maples is Avondale. The Maples travel to Avondale on February 9th for a game that is sure to be played at a high level.
Seaholm basketball has had its star players over the years. Steve Sheckell (Pack broke his career scoring mark earlier this season), Jon Borovich, and Matt Ishbia are some of the star players who played on the Seaholm court.
However, never has one household provided two impact players of this magnitude simultaneously. They push each other, athletically and mentally, to their greatest possible heights.
The sky is the limit for these cousins and the team that they lead. The journey is just beginning.
