Prep Spotlight Spectacular Saturday Game Notes

Michigan's best take to the floor in Highland Park 

 

By Josh Glitz

14 April 2007

greatlakeshoops.com

 

Team Mello vs. Team Lebron

 

The first game featured some of the top unsigned seniors in the state as Team Mello played Team Lebron. The best thing that could be taken away from this game was the jerseys, which were two of my all-time favorites--the orange throwback Cavaliers and the baby blue Nuggets.

 

The play was sloppy and with the exception of a few dunks by DeJuan Wright of Detroit Henry Ford; without Wright, this game would have been largely unspectacular. A few players did play well, namely DeJuan Plummer of Detroit Osborn, Chris Stanley of Detroit Central and L.J. Frazier of Ypsilanti.

 

Though no one really stood out, a few big names turned in sub par performances. Darryl Nobles of Detroit Country Day did not have his best day, and the exhibition style of play simply does not suit the game of Toreau Brown, who also struggled for most of the game. Team Mello won the game when Brandon Nealey hit a 3-pointer with two seconds left to put them up one.

 

Stanley finished with 18 points, Frazier 15 and Plummer 14. Toreau Brown, a 6-5 power forward from Detroit Renny, also added 14.

 

Team Kobe vs. Team Jordan

 

The library-quiet gym at Highland Park turned raucous in the first half of this game. All of the big names were on the court--Manny, Dar, Durrell, Kalin and LLP to name a few. While the first game was sloppy and poorly played, both teams in this contest played a good game considering the exhibition setup. This game allowed many players whose names may not have been known to the casual fan to show their chops. In the end the star power of Team Jordan was overcome and the underdog on paper, Team Kobe, came out on top, 111-108.

 

Player Notes

    -Kalin Lucas – He is what we thought he was--good. Kalin scored 19 points and dished out numerous assists to earn co-MVP honors with Dar Tucker. Lucas' court speed is unparalleled at the high school level and he no longer has any trouble taking care of the ball. He showed his range, his athleticism and his ability to get his teammates involved--who knew that was even possible in an All-Star game? Many of Lucas' assists went to his future teammate, Durrell Summers, on alley-oops and dishes in the lane.

           

    -Peter Bunn – Going into the game I did not know what to expect from Bunn. I knew that he was top level talent and possessed great skill, but wondered if he was athletic enough to have success in this type of game. I walked away impressed. He did not see the floor much, but when he was in, he was effective. Oakland is getting one talented and gritty player in Bunn. The surprise of the game for me was when Bunn converted a windmill dunk off a bounce during warm-ups. He finished with six points on the night.

 

    -Jon Tassin – Unlike his Eaglet teammate, Kalin Lucas, and future teammate Peter Bunn, Tassin did not have a good game. He appeared soft and was a non-factor the entire game. He has appeared to grow, however as he looks somewhat taller than I remember him being. If he is going to succeed at Oakland he better get tough fast. While he has a good jumper, he tends to be streaky at times. If he is hitting he is a great asset to have. However when he is not hitting, his relative lack of toughness can be detrimental to the team. He needs to develop the rest of his game if he is going to have consistent success at the collegiate level.

 

    -Damon Franklin – This game probably helped Damon more than any other player. DFrank has yet to get a scholarship, something I view as a crime. Tonight he went out and showed that he can hang with the big boys. In warm-ups he was going tit for tat with the top dunkers in the state, Dar and Durrell. His athleticism does not merely transfer to dunk contests, however. He was able to finish around the rim and pull down boards. He also showed a reliable jump shot. On one play he caught an alley-oop with one hand, cocked it back and threw it down hard. There is no doubt that Damon has high major potential. Give him two years of JUCO ball at a good program, and I have no doubt that Damon will be getting offers from major conference schools. Currently, he is in the low to mid division one conversation. Damon finished with 15 points on the night.

 

    -Durrell Summers – Durrell showed what gives him such a high ceiling. His was the best athlete on the floor tonight, which is certainly saying something. He was not only able to finish in transition, but he also hit open and contested jumpers and finished in the lane. He is not as powerful of a jumper as Dar, but he has more body control and longer arms. At times the only way to describe his game is graceful. Durrell finished with 23 points.

 

    -Dar Tucker – Dar had a great game tonight, which is no surprise, as a game like this perfectly fits his talents. He was his usual self, pulling down boards and constantly smiling, though he got to finish a few more dunks in transition.  Dar had a couple of real nice alley oops, and also had one ridiculous dunk in transition when he took off from well outside the paint. He also hit a good percentage from behind the ark. It is always a pleasure to watch him play, and tonight was no exception.  He also starred in the warm-up dunk-off with DFrank and Durrell, coming closest to putting down a dunk between the legs off a bounce. There was no doubt in my mind that Dar was the best player on the court tonight. He had 26 on the night.

 

    -Tyler Laser - Possibly the most maligned player in Michigan, Laser held his own tonight. This was my first opportunity to see him, and he left quite the first impression. It is easy to see how he scored 50 on multiple occasions over the season. He is quick by any standard, and has a good jumper. He also was great at finishing around the basket. Laser came out tonight to prove all his doubters that he belonged in this game. I was one of those doubters, and he certainly proved me wrong. Tyler finished with 11 points and several nice assists.

 

    -Manny Harris – Mr. Basketball played like it tonight, but only from time-to-time. He certainly played a good game, but was not as impressive as he is capable of being. He seemed to call his number a bit too much, and was not taking it to the rim consistently. Instead, he was settling for long outside 3-pointers. I did not see the toughness that I saw both last year and this year at the Breslin. That should be expected considering that this was just an exhibition game, but I wish that Manny would have played a little harder and taken it a little more seriously. I see Manny having a successful career at Michigan, if he decides to stick to his commitment.  Manny had 23 in the contest.

 

    -Laval Lucas Perry – Playing with a sprained ankle LLP turned in a good performance tonight. His three pointer was on, as he hit five on the night. Unfortunately he was not as successful taking it to the rim, as the five three pointers accounted for all 15 of his points. Lucas-Perry, despite the injury, put a lot of care into actually playing defense tonight. Imagine that, defense in an All-Star game.

 

    -Deandre Nealey – Deandre deserves a mention because of his tough defense tonight. He is an absolute bull down low, and was the toughest player I saw. He had one sequence in which he blocked shots on three consecutive trips down the court. Nealey may need two years at a JUCO before he's ready for D-1.

 

    -Lamarcus Lowe – After not playing high school this year it was good to see how he matched up with other top talent. Tonight’s game merely affirmed what I have felt all along about Lamarcus; he is a project offensively but can supply immediate help on defense and the boards. He flashed his athleticism with a sick put-bank dunk early in the second half. Other than that he did not make much noise, but pulled down numerous boards and scared away a few shot attempts, and blocked a few others. When he was in the game, Team Jordan tended to stay away from the rim.