Motor City Roundball Classic Notes

The High keeps rolling, even without Green

By Jared Field

29 December 2007

greatlakeshoops.com

Venue: The O’Rena at Oakland University

Final: Saginaw Buena Vista 59, Hartland 56

A Joe Bond 3-pointer from the left corner with 4.1 seconds left broke a 56-56 tie. On the ensuing possession, Buena Vista’s Torian Oglesby swatted away Hartland’s 3-point attempt to seal the win.

The Knights led by one after each of the first two quarters before taking a slim four-point lead into the final frame. Hartland earned their first lead of the second half on consecutive 3-pointers from Chris Cagle. From there, two seniors, Oglesby and Bond, took the game over on both ends of the floor.

Oglesby earned game MVP honors with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Joe Bond, a transfer from Carrolton, added 14 points.

Hartland was led by Vonn Jones, the most intriguing guard prospect on the floor, who scored 20 points. Cagle and Jon Stevens added 13 points apiece for Hartland.

--Vonn Jones continues to impress with every passing game. The junior is multi-talented, lightning quick and cerebral. The oft-traveled Jones made a lot of noise this summer playing alongside Flint Northern’s Da’Chawn Glover and Flint Northwestern’s DeAndre Upchurch with the Michigan Select. Jones was the best guard on his summer team, in my humble opinion, and that’s saying something.

--Sophomore Devonte Jackson continues to improve as a lead guard. He is not his brother just yet, but the bar in the Jackson family is set very high. Jackson is slippery with the ball and a very capable distributor.

--6-5 senior forward Torian Oglesby was a terror in the first quarter. He scored nine points in the frame including a nice two-handed slam in transition. He is a very good weak side defender in the post, but still needs to fill out his body to be a bolder post presence. Oglesby’s bounce and length make him a pretty intriguing prospect at the JUCO level. Don’t be surprised to see him at Mott or another high-profile JUCO.

--Joe Bond, a 6-1 guard transfer, is a solid all-around player. He should be able to fill the David Richmond role for a Knights squad with similar aspirations of making it to the Breslin Center. Bond can both score and stop and his outside shot is very smooth.

Venue: The O’Rena at Oakland University

Final: Detroit Southeastern 56, Flint Powers 50

--Powers led after the first quarter, but simply could not overcome Southeastern’s size advantage at nearly every position. The Chargers simply could not rebound and, as a result, had limited opportunities for second chance points.

--Shane Moreland, Powers’ junior shooting guard, never got into the flow of the game. He struggled mightily from the field, finishing with 12 points—well below his season average. Shane has a tendency to overanalyze his own play, and that appears to be a major issue right now. When he is on his game, coming off of screens and running the floor in transition, he is a dynamic scorer. Basketball fans at Oakland didn't see the real Shane Moreland tonight.

--Southeastern’s Fred Smith, a MSU football recruit, led his team with 15 points. He’s a better athlete than basketball player, but he’s good enough to have his coach, Mark White, draw up plays to exploit his athleticism.

--Tyler Moreland (right) played the entire game for the Chargers, finishing with a team-high 15 points. Tyler makes this team go. He is his team’s best all-around player and in a game against a big and physical team like Southeastern, he is indispensable. He practically wills the ball into the basket at times, and is a steadying influence for his team in close games.

--Freshman Patrick Lucas-Perry shook off a first half injury and played very well for Coach Herman (right). PLP rushes shots at times, but his newfound status as starter is already paying dividends. The 5-9 guard has a tendency to make shots that no freshman should be making. He has a very high ceiling thanks, at least in part, to his coach's confidence in his ability.

--Sophomore Patrick O’Brien (left) finished with 11 points, but still seems uncomfortable playing with his back to the basket. At this point, however, Powers has to have the 6-3 swingman in the post. Without him, they would have almost no production down low. He is too skilled on the perimeter to be banging around with the big boys, but it is a necessity at this point.

--The game, which was tight for a full 32 minutes, may have turned late in the fourth when Powers’ undersized senior center, Andy Herman, put up an ill-advised shot from 15 feet that hit nothing but air. It was Herman’s only shot of the game, if memory serves, and one that he should never take--not with the Morelands and Patrick O’Brien on the floor with him. Southeastern scored on the ensuing possession and the Chargers were forced to foul on the next several trips down the floor.

Venue: The O’Rena at Oakland University

Final: Saginaw 66, Saint John’s Jesuit 52

--Saginaw made a statement with their defense in the first five minutes, holding SJ Jesuit (Toledo, OH) to only four points. The vaunted Saginaw press was a nightmare for SJJ. Saginaw never trailed and, in fact, was never even challenged by a much bigger SJJ squad. Coach Dawkins employs the best full-court press in Michigan, and it is all about effort. His players absolutely fly to the ball.

--The scariest part of the High’s performance is that they did it without their best player, Draymond Green, who sat out after being ejected in the Trojans’ last game. Green, a tremendous talent, took two steps back in his bid to become Michigan's Mr. Basketball. With Frankenmuth's Brad Redford averaging nearly 40 points per game, Green cannot afford another gaffe.

--There is something special about just being a member of the team at Saginaw High--that much is obvious. No team can match the Trojans’ effort, game in and game out. Who starts is really of no consequence (though, for the record, Saginaw’s starters were Daniel West, Mike Green, Mario Robinson, Will Marlow and Courtney Washington) because Coach Dawkins has the utmost confidence in all his guys—and they all play. It's not "system ball", either. His best players play the most minutes, but everyone who gives maximum effort on defense gets ample floor time.

--Senior guard Will Marlow turned in an outstanding performance, earning game MVP honors. He only scored 12 points, but he played tremendous defense and really set the bar early for effort. Marlow is just one in a stable of guards including senior Daniel West (15 points), and juniors Mike Green and Jimmy Davis (13 points). Davis, for his part, came off the bench and really made a difference with quick hands and outstanding shooting from range.

--One player who continues to catch my eye is 6-2 forward Courtney Washington. The senior is quick up the floor and all over the ball, defensively. He rebounds well for his build, and can stretch a defense from the post to the wing. His release is woefully deliberate, but his overall improvement from last season is evident. He is also an excellent ballhandler and rebounder.

--Senior Daniel West is an incredible talent. He makes shots that most players wouldn't have the guts to take. He plays hard on both ends of the floor and shoots a high percentage from range. My only criticism of West is that he turns the ball over a little too much for a top shelf point guard. Once he starts making better decisions with the ball, the sky is the limit.