The talk of the day was the play of the 2013 trio of 6-8 Leo Edwards, 6-0 Monte Morris, and 6-0 Denzel Watts who all played up and paced the Team Detroit 16’s.  The trio helped Team D pull off two playoff wins.   Team D was tied up against Parallel 45 in a semi-final game but the group of youngsters went on an 11-2 run at the five minute mark to seal the win.  Also playing well for Team D was Beecher 2012 combo guard Antuan Burks.  Burks was able to split Parallel’s 2-3 zone to rack up a game high 17 points.

Team Detroit will now play Dorian’s Pride 16-u team in the Championship Thursday morning at 11:15.

Ann Arbor Huron guard’s AJ Mathew and Dante Williams both played well on day 2, Mathew for Team D and Williams for Pride- McCormick.  Mathew shot the ball well and paced his team with a game high 27 points vs. Americana All-Stars.  Williams raised his stock with a strong performance vs. JJKN Prospects.

The 17-u semis are set with Team Detroit playing OAA Select and Pride-McCormick matched up against Michigan BBC Select at 10:00 a.m. Thursday.

In the quarter finals Flint All-Stars pushed Pride- McCormick to the edge.  Flint All-Stars has a handful of unsigned seniors most notably Joemar Black who threw down four crowd pleasing dunks.  Flint’s Shawn Nunn also gave Pride problems with his speed as the teams were knotted up at 31-31 at the half.  In the second half Matt Costello and Avondale’s Tony Harris picked it up and started knocking down shots as Pride pulled away late for a seven point win.

Michigan Select once again got strong play out of Traye Williams, Austin Shell, and Ethan Blackwell.  All 3 players are very underrated and play with a chip on their shoulder.  They will have their hands full with Pride but don’t expect to see them just bow down.

The 17-u game was almost the same story line as Pride-McCormick jumped out 13-2 and held a 12 point half time lead.  Javontae Hawkins carried Team D early while Brandan Kearney and Percy Gibson took over late and in overtime.  Gibson’s 6 OT points delivered the win.  Gibson outplayed the younger Matt Costello who struggled to get position against a much stronger Gibson.  Hawkins finished with a game high 28 points, including a handful of monstrous dunks.

The top performances of the day came from teammates Kearney and Hawkins.  Kearney just seems to do everything right on the floor.  His basketball I.Q. is remarkable and unmatchable.  He logged a triple-double vs. Pride-McCormick then turned in a game high 23 points in his second game.  Hawkins put together a highlight film with a plethora of 3-pointers and dunks.

Kellen McCormick also raised a few eye brows with his performance in day 1.  He was a match-up problem for anyone who guarded him.  He dragged bigs outside and knocked down 3-pointer after 3-pointer.  He finished with 16 points against Team D, and was the reason his team jumped out to the big lead.

The surprise team of the day was ACB/Bankhoops who knocked off both Dorian’s Pride and Team Detroit.  ACB/Bankhoops started the day hot from beyond the arc and never cooled down.  They showed resilience by trailing by 5 points in the final minute against Team D and still managed to pull off the 1 point win.

Anton Wilson played well on both Pride 16’s and 17’s.  At times I’ve questioned his desire to be more than a spot up shooter but he has proven me wrong.  He ran the floor well and took it to the rack strong continuously.

Wilson’s Carman teammate Denzel Watts also had a strong performance in day 1 of the G.L.C.   He scored 22, 17, and 14 points in 3 pool games starting at the point for the Team D 16’s.  His highlight of the day came when his team was tied with 5 seconds left against Parallel 45, Watts took the ball the length of the court and knocked down a game winning 3-pointer.

Team D 15’s played up in the 16’s and held their own with a 2-1 pool play record.  Monte “Man-Man” Morris and 6-8 Leo Edwards were the reason why.  Morris scored at will and surpassed the 20 point mark each game while his boy Edwards is turning into a “Mr. Do it all”. We know he can block shots and score around the basket but yesterday he was knocking down shots from 14-16 feet out.  The pair is fresh off phenomenal performances at the ESPN Super Soph Camp and are playing with a ton of confidence.

Pierre Bracket had a strong day for Pride-McCormick.  Every time I turned around he was making a play.  He’s active and loves to get his hands dirty.  He can defend the post and he knows how to run the floor.

One of my favorite players in the state, Tommie McCune, started the day strong but sat out the final game with a minor injury.  I’m hoping McCune is rested and ready for day 2.  McCune showed off his 15 foot jump shot through out the first game and continues to improve as a wing.  Team D’s AJ Mathew and James McDougle also missed Team D’s final game vs. ACB/Bankhoops and their presence was missed.  Mathew has been a man on a mission in July and his scoring was missed in the loss.

Top 3 performances (in order):

1. Javontae Hawkins, Flint Powers, 6-5, 2012- Michigan is making it very clear that Hawkins is their #1 target for the 2012 class and his play Thursday showed why.  He got to the basket at will while still showing off that high percentage jump shot.  He made just as many plays on the defensive end as he did offensively by using his length and athleticism to knock balls loose or go up and challenge shots.  He showed great leadership in the 5-on-5 games when playing with younger guys by directing traffic and vocally leading the way.

2. Denzel Valentine, Lansing Sexton, 6-5, 2012- Valentine made his presence felt by dominating the 3-on-3 games.  With space to work with, he constantly and easily got to the basket.  I keep hearing whispers of Valentine’s lack of speed and athleticism…but I constantly watch him produce and put up big numbers.

3. Matt Costello, Bay City Western, 6-9, 2012- Costello is the true definition of a “Beilein big man, he can really mix it up inside and out and does all the perimeter things that Beilein wants out of his “bigs”.  He used his high-energetic motor to out play the competition all day.

The best of the rest (alphabetical order):

Damon Bozeman, Madison Heights Madison, 6-2, 2012- a year ago he was a forward but it seems as if his transition to a guard is complete.  He shot the ball well (from deep) in both games and camps and was of the few campers who really got after it defensively.

Sharon Dorsey-Walker, Pershing, 6-4, 2012- Got out shined a little by Hawkins and Valentine but played consistently well through out the day.  Mixed it up on the wing and even played a little at the point. Played with a nice edge of confidence.

Leo Edwards, Cass Tech, 6-8, 2013- May have walked away as the most intriguing prospect at the camp. At times it’s unbelievable what this 14 year old is doing against kids three and four years older.  Logged minutes at the wing to show some versatility, and spent time defending all three of the top performers.

Dylan Hickoff, Fenton, 6-4, 2012- His 5-on-5 team lacked a point guard that could handle ball pressure so Dylan took it upon himself to handle the ball.  Competed all day and just battled against everyone he matched-up against.

Ryan Hickoff, Fenton, 6-4, 2012- Opposite of his brother, Ryan was needed to rebound and play inside for his team and he did just that showing toughness.  Was an aggressive scorer through out the day and did a good job showing a soft touch around the basket.

Dre Johnson, Cass Tech, 6-0, 2013- Had a big week and is starting to make a name for himself.  Dre played big as he helped Cass win the U of D team camp and then turned around and showed some skills at Michigan’s elite camp.

E.C. Matthews, Romulus, 6-3, 2013- Big physical player, and smart enough to control the tempo of the game.  This smooth lefty showed he can do a little of everything and has a chance to be real good. 

Kellen McCormick, Notre Dame Prep, 6-7, 2012- He’s a gamer but his unselfishness kept him quiet through out the camp.  He was solid in drills and showed some shooting range in both drills and live games.

Monte Morris, Flint Beecher, 5-11, 2013- “Man-Man” may have led all campers in steals and assist.  “Man-Man” turned into a true playmaker, and did it on both ends.  His teammates loved playing with him as he constantly broke things down and generated open shots for them.

Sean Sheldon, T.C. St. Francis, 6-9, 2012- If he lived in Saginaw, Flint, or Detroit he would be a house hold name.  One of those players who just loves to compete and does anything needed.  He has a blue collar attitude and can score with a variety of moves.

Khaliq Spicer, Dearborn Heights Robichaud, 6-9, 2012- He has improved so much over the last six months.  If he continues at this pace you better watch out.  I love his mentality of trying to throw it down two handed every time he touches the ball.

Dante Williams, AA Huron, 6-6, 2011- I was expecting to see a little more out of Dante but he was still one of the top players on the floor.  He did some nice things around the basket and finished strong after drawing contact.

Anton Wilson, Carman-Ainsworth, 6-4, 2012- He put the ball on the floor and was able to make good things happen.  His greatest attribute is still shooting but now he’s showing some versatility.

Southeastern’s Brandan Kearney and Southfield’s Carlton Brundidge are currently down in Virginia participating in the NBA Top 100 Camp.  The camp is an invite only camp primarily for the nation’s top 100 prospects.

June 15^th was also the first day colleges were allowed to contact members of the 2012 class and extend official offers.  Both 6-8 Matt Costello (Bay City Western) and 6-5 Javontae Hawkins (Flint Powers) picked up Michigan offers.  Hawkins also received offers from Dayton and Central Michigan.

The 2013 class in Michigan has a chance to be well represented nationally.  Five players from Michigan were invited to the ESPN Super Soph Camp that will be held at Cleveland State July 9-11.  The camp is expected to feature the top 100 players nationally from the class of 2013.  Michigan players invited were 6-8 Leo Edwards (Cass Tech), 6-0 Monte “Man-Man” Morris (Flint Beecher), 5-11 Charles “Cha-Cha” Tucker (Lansing Eastern), 6-0 Denzel Watts (Carman-Ainsworth), and 6-4 Bo Zeigler (Detroit Community).

However TD fell just short of a sweep as their 14-u team fell in the championship by two points to the Michigan Warriors.  TD’s 14-u squad was paced by their 3-guard line-up of Nelson Cagle at the point and 6-1 Justin Kearney and 6-3 Richie Gold at the wings.  TD had a chance to win the game, trailing two points, with six seconds left but Gold’s 3-pointer fell short.

AJ Mathew stole the show in the 17-u championship game.  With five minutes remaining in a back and forth game, the 6-3 Huron guard made a steal which turned into a fast break, and in stride he elevated and threw down a sick two hand dunk over a defender. The dunk rocked the gym and Team Detroit cruised the rest of the way.

Critics are requesting to see an aggressive Brandan Kearney and they are getting one on a consistent bases.  Kearney was working his midrange game all weekend with a plethora of jump shots.  He was able to get into the teeth of defenses all weekend long and became a playmaker racking up a bundle of assist and points.  Kearney had his “wow” moments for the crowd by attacking the basket looking to throw down dunks.  In one game “BK” faced a 2-3 zone, he split the guards and bullied his way to the basket attempting to posterize the center.  The dunk rimmed off but Kearney was fouled on the play but it was a glimpse of the aggressiveness Kearney is now playing with.

Kearney’s Southeastern teammate Percy Gibson also played a notch above the competition.  When Gibson gets position over his defender on that block you mine as well mark two points in the books.  But Gibson also showed a different side of his game over the weekend.  He’s starting to play on the perimeter on knock down 3-pointers consistently, and when he’s on the block he’s not just settling for lay-ups, he’s going up strong and trying to dunk the ball every chance he gets, drawing all kinds of contact and we already know the 6-9 forward is a phenomenal free throw shooter.

6-5 Flint Powers wing Javontae Hawkins has drawn rave reviews with his play the last two weekends by leading the TD 16’s to consecutive titles.  He’s taken his game to the next level and is shining with both TD’s 17-u and 16-u squads.  He gets to the basket with ease and his range goes way beyond the NBA arc.  He averaged 30 points in the 16-under semi-final and championship games while putting together a highlight tape of dunks.

In the 16-under semi-final game against a tough Parallel 45, Team Detroit fell behind 14-4 but that’s when Hawkins got hot and took over with his ability to drive through Parallel’s 2-3 zone.  The Italian Stallions Dylan Hickoff and Ryan Hickoff were also at it again.  The 6-4 twins play so hard and so smart on both ends and just overwhelm their opponents with their athleticism and toughness.  Their ability to find each other and know where the other twin is makes it seem unfair for other teams.  Donald Fisher also came up big for TD.  The 6-9 center has a chance to be real good once he gets his feet under him and fully grows into his body.  He showed an array of post moves and scored consistently with his up and under move.

Parallel 45 16’s have their own set of 6-4 wings that can play in Jared Holmquist and Lucas Landis. Like their teammates, they are tough and both wings can mix it up in the paint and perimeter.  What I like about the Parallel 45 team is the players know they can play and they don’t back down from anyone.  They’re physical and play with confidence.

Team Detroit’s 15-u team was led by the play of 6-0 point guard Monte “Man-Man” Morris and 6-8 post Leo Edwards.  Morris can pretty much do as he pleases on the 15-u level and he also contributed to the TD 17’s on Sunday.  At 6-8 Edwards runs the floor like a guard and is becoming one of the more dominate big man in the Midwest.  Kenmar “Shaq” Benson carried most of the scoring load for the 15’s.  He’s active and knows how to move without the ball.  His shot is unorthodox but he shoots a high percentage.  Also standing out over the weekend was the play of Sam McClendon.  The 5-8 point guard played varsity for O-Lake St. Mary’s his freshman year.  There’s nothing flashy with his game but he gets the job done and takes care of the ball.  He’s also a good spot up shooter.

Team Detroit and Parallel 45 weren’t the only programs to make noise at the M.M.C.  The Michigan Warriors and All-Michigan are two up and coming programs.  They are made up of players with a chip on their shoulders and are out to prove they have what it takes to be division 1 players.

The Warriors won the 14-u crown and also took second place in the 17-u division.  I didn’t catch his name but the Warriors have a franchise player in a 6-8 8^th grader who played on the 14-u and 16-u team.  He has a wide frame and a soft touch.  The big fella carried his 14-u team and had no problem contributing on the 16-u level.

Also giving the Warriors strong play were Huron forwards 6-5 Kyle Baker and 6-4 Mike Lewis.  Baker is long and active around the basket while Lewis uses his craftiness to excel around the basket.  Romulus’6-6 Stephon Edwards also gives the Warriors another body upfront.  2012 guard Aveon Simmons (Romulus) is another standout for the Warriors.  He’s physical and gets after, pretty much like were accustomed to seeing from a Romulus guard.

All-Michigan took second place in the 15-u division and advanced to two other final fours.  They got some real nice talent at their younger age groups with a bundle of players that play up.  Most notably 2012 center Khaliq Spicer, at 6-8 he’s active and bouncy around the basket.  Lansing Waverly’s Skylar Moore is another 2012 guard who plays up for All-Michigan.  There’s something about his game that just intrigues me.  Nothing flashy but he’s just a tough fundamentally sound basketball player.

Team Detroit finished 6-0, by winning their super pool and collecting four victories through out the bracket.  In the team’s first pool play game, verse Wisconsin Playground Warriors Elite, Team D fell behind 11-2 in the game’s opening minutes.  Coming out of a time out, the team picked it up and responded with a 15-2 run to take control of the lead.  Team Detroit stayed hot for the remainder of the tournament.

The Championship was quite an accomplishment considering the team played shorthand due to injuries and prom.  The eight man roster was a collection of all guards and wings and did not have a single forward or center playing over the weekend.  With eight guards the team used their speed and ability to run the floor to wear down their opponents as well as create mismatches.

6-5 wing Javontae Hawkins (Flint Powers) and 6-3 point guard Kyle Molock (Dublin, OH) shared MVP honors.  Hawkins and Molock were a level above the competition all weekend.  Hawkins led the way with 24 points in the semi-final game against the Iowa Barnstormers, as well as adding four 3-pointers in the championship game.  But it was 6-2 wing Damon Bozeman (M.H. Madison) who pulled off some much needed heroics in the championship game.  Bozeman connected on five 3-pointers, his fifth tying the game.  Bozeman then went to the line and knocked in a pair of game winning free throws with four seconds remaining to give Team Detroit a two point victory in the title game.

6-3 twins Dylan Hickoff and Ryan Hickoff (Fenton) were phenomenal all weekend.  Even though Hawkins and Molock claimed MVP honors, it was the twin’s versatility that keyed the team’s success.  At 6-3 the twins rebounded and defended in the paint like a pair of 6-8’s.  The twins also paved the way in Team D’s full court pressure- the twins used their length and anticipation skills to force countless turnovers that keyed fast break points.  Both twins easily averaged a double-double in points and rebounds.

Point guards Antuan Burks (Flint Beecher), Markus “Snoop” Franklin (Osborn), and Reid McManus (Country Day) rounded off the team and all produced through out the tourney.  The  three guards compliment each other so well as they each bring a different aspect to the squad.  Burks and Franklin took turns getting hot and scoring while McManus did a great job controlling the tempo and distributing the ball.

Team Detroit’s 15-u squad also had a strong showing in Milwaukee but fell in the final 4 of the platinum division.  The 15’s battled through the super pool and won four games in the age division’s top bracket without starters Denzel Watts (Carman-Ainsworth) and Leo Edwards (Cass Tech) who are both out with injuries.

6-0 point guard Monte “Man-Man” Morris (Flint Beecher) averaged 20+ points through out the tourney.  He went for 26 and 24 points in pool play.  The silky smooth guard is tough defend and can get his shot off at will.  But what makes him so special, despite his high scoring totals is he is a pass first point guard with great vision.

Also playing big for the 15-u team was 6-1 guard Kenyatte Singleton (Southeastern) and 6-4 wing Kenmar “Shaq” Benson (Osborn).  Benson is a match-up problem at 6-4 with his ability to play inside and out.  He scores as easily facing the basket as he does with his back to it.  Singleton excels at either guard position.  He’s strong and aggressive and knows how to attack the basket under control.  He has a strong core that allows him to take bumps and still square up to the basket.  And don’t be surprised to see him get up and throw one down in the face of a defender.

5-10 point guard Sam McClendon (OLSM) has turned heads with his play as of late.  The heady point guard has a high basketball I.Q. and is a consistent shooter from the arc.  He had a huge game with 21 points in an elite 8 win over Wisconsin Swing.

O’Neill is not the only coach who has made their way to take part in Gibson’s work out this week, Providence, Dayton, Duquesne, Temple, and Michigan State have all been in the gym.

Arizona State and Wake Forest have also jumped in the mix and are quickly playing catch up in the 6-8 forward’s recruiting.

Gibson visited Dayton last month and made his way on Duquesne’s campus last weekend.  In May and June Gibson’s schedule is full but he is trying to make time to visit FIU, Minnesota, Providence, Temple, and USC.  Other schools may also be added to his unofficial visit list for the spring.

Gibson’s plans to make a decision after the July period and before his senior year.

Team Detroit made easy work of the Cougars with a 61-28 win.  Team Detroit has a deep bench but 6-2 Tommie Bell Jr. (Warren Mott), 6-4 Milton Cribbs (Inkster), 5-10 Antuan Burks (Flint Beecher), and 6-2 Damon Bozeman (M.H. Madison) stood out in the opening game.

The Renegades got up 25 over the Michigan Warriors and never looked back.  The Renegades have a solid team of up and comers with Ann Huron’s Andre Bond and 6-3 Mike Lewis standing out.

In the 17-u division the host team Michigan Mustangs went 1-1 in two pool games Friday night.  The Mustangs got a strong showing from newly acquired Dwaun Anderson (Suttons Bay).

Chicago Express looked strong and eager to defend their title (played up and won 17-u division last year), in their double digit win over Team Detroit.  Team Detroit struggled to get shots to fall from the field.  6-8 forwards Percy Gibson (Southeastern) and Urb Bingham (North Farmington) led in the scoring department while Brandan Kearney (Southeastern) pulled down a team high 12 rebounds.

Team Detroit’s 15-u team won their first pool game by holding on against Southfield Transition.  Team Detroit jumped out 11-0 but Southfield kept fighting.  Monte “Man-Man” Morris (Beecher) was able to make some big plays down the stretch for Team Detroit.  Man-Man led Team D with 14 points and 8 assist.  Team D also got strong post play from 6-8 Leo Edwards (Cass Tech) and 6-5 Kenmar “Shaq” Benson (Osbron).

The Motown Showdown also featured a 14-u division this year with Team Detroit stealing the spotlight in day 1 with an 86-46 win over the Ohio Gators and a 77-60 win over The Family.  Team Detroit was led in day 1 by 6-4 wing Richie Gold (Loyola), 6-2 wing Grant Smith (Davison), and point guards Nelson Cagle (Hartland) and Edmond Sumner (Country Day).  The Family was carried by the play of wing Mory Diane (Country Day).

Duquesne bound guard Michael Talley III put on a show and was hot from the opening tip.  The Mr. Basketball candidate scored 13 points in the first quarter as ABT took a 24-15 lead.

Beecher cut the lead to 24-17 off of a D’Marius Houston lay-up.  However Talley answered back with back to back 3-pointers, and ABT ended the half on an 11-4 run to take a 38-23 lead into the half.

In the second half Beecher went to their full court press, which has bailed them out through out the tournament, but Talley and backcourt mate Marcel Smith were able to handle the pressure.

Beecher did cut the lead to 14 points late in the third quarter but the Bucs never got closer than that.  ABT moves on to Saturday’s class C state final where they will face Suttons Bay and junior standout Dwaun Anderson.  ABT was led by Talley’s 34 points and 6 assist.  Smith added 13 points and 5 assist.

After a 0-5 start to the season, nobody expected Beecher to be playing so late in March, but Coach Mike Williams and staff did a remarkable job with such a young team, who will only loose three seniors.  Guards Monte “Man-Man” Morris and Antuan Burks will only get better.  Morris finished with 18 points and 4 assist.  Beecher was led by Houston’s 19 points.

The game was much closer than the score indicates as Buena Vista was forced to foul the last four minutes of the game and ABT took advantage by knocking down foul shots.

The game featured two outstanding backcourts in ABT’s Michael Talley III and Marcel Smith going against Devonte “Dedo” Jackson and George Goodman.  Both backcourts played good enough to win but BV got cold at the wrong time as ABT was able to build a cushion in the third quarter.

Buena Vista took a five point lead in the first quarter when Goodman got hot and starting canning shots all over. The second quarter belonged to Jackson.  Jackson connected on two second quarter 3-pointers and finished the half with 10 points and 6 assist.

However it was ABT who controlled 34-33 halftime lead thanks to the play of freshman Terron Ramsey who scored 13 of his 17 points in the first half.  Ramsey wasn’t the only freshman to standout as Jackson’s nephew 6-2 Dominique Jackson also made his presence felt.  Jackson did a solid job of slowing Talley down in the first half and also gave the Knights a third ball handler.

In the third quarter Talley and Smith got it going and BV turnovers led to easy baskets by the ABT duo.  Talley scored 19 of his 27 points in the second half.  Smith connected on 14 of 16 free throws on his way to a 21 point night.  Smith is a scrappy player and also mixed it up inside as he ripped down 9 rebounds.

With four minutes left in the game Dedo fouled out as BV trailed by 9, but without Jackson on the floor the season was over for the Knights who surprised the state with a 22-4 record.  Goodman finished with a game high 27 points.