Update- 4/18/10

-6'6 Javontae Hawkins, one of the top sophomore wing players in America, out of Flint, MI/Powers was on campus today at Michigan. A offer was extended, and an official offer will be granted July 15. Hawkins was told by the UM staff he is their "#1 sophomore wing recruit". Hawkins definitely has outstanding upside and potential. Baylor, South Carolina, Notre Dame are the newest schools to his recruitment.

-Matt Poches, the 6'4 Jr Wing from Hartland, MI/High has committed to Oakland University. He is also a top wide receiver prospect. Poches runs on the grassroots circuit with Norm Oden's Michigan Mustangs.

-Tommie McCune's recruitment is going to get ugly. The 6'7 Wing out of Saginaw,MI/High is becoming the next Wilson Chandler (in terms of game) and ranks amongst the elite in Michigan's 2011 class. Missouri will make an official offer very soon. Baylor, South Carolina, Maryland, are turning up the heat hard! Frank Haith and Jorge Fernandez are flying in to see him today in open gym, as well as Georgetown, South Florida, Michigan St., and others. Stay tuned for more.

-Dane Fife, head coach of IPFW is considered by some to be the front-runner for the vacant assistant coach position at Michigan. Saddi Washington from Oakland University, Bakari Alexander from Western Michigan University, Oronde Taliaferro, who most recently was a Oklahoma assistant, and is a Michigan native, are also believed to be candidates.

-Now is the perfect time to subscribe to the BOTB newsletter for the top scouting reports, player rankings, and recruiting news on Michigan and players from across America. Subscribe on the links to the right! Thanks in advance.

-A Motown Showdown report will be published soon.

Recruiting Update

-Four top prospects are expected to announce their decisions tomorrow on ESPNU and from all of the information I have gathered, the prospects below should commit to the schools listed below. If another school is to gain their commitment/signature, I'd truly be surprised.

Class of 2010
* Brandon Knight, 6'3, PG, Ft. Lauderdale, FL/Pinecrest (Top 5 player in America) KENTUCKY
* Ray McCallum, Jr. , 6'0, PG, Detroit, MI/Country Day (Top 20 player in America) DETROIT-MERCY
* Trey Zeigler, 6'4, SG, Mt. Pleasant, MI/High (Top 30 player in America) CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Class of 2011
* Michael Gilchrist, 6'7, Wing, Somerdale, NJ/St. Patrick's (#1 Jr in America) KENTUCKY

Motown Showdown Preview

-Norm Oden, director of the Michigan Mustangs is a vet on the Michigan grassroots basketball scene and he's put together a very good field in his annual Motown Showdown event. Below are some of the top players and teams expected to be in attendance.

17s

Michigan Mustangs (Coach Rod Watts)

-Patrick Lucas-Perry, 5'10, PG, Flint Powers
-Trey McDonald, 6'9, PF, Battle Creek Central
-Dwaun Anderson, 6'4, Wing, Suttons Bay
-Ladontae Henton, 6'6, Wing, Lansing Eastern (may be injured)

DWade Heat (Coach Sean Bledsoe)

-Gary Harris, 6'3, Wing, Soph, Hamilton Southeastern
-RJ Hunter, 6'4, Wing, Soph, Indianapolis Pike
-Jacobby Bledsoe, 5'10, PG, Soph, Hamilton Southeastern

Dorian's Pride (Coach Tim McCormick)

-Tommie McCune, 6'7, F, Saginaw High
-Justin Moss, 6'7, PF, Romulus
-Ray Lee, 6'2, PG, Soph, Romulus
-Shaquille Smith, 5'10, PG, Flint Northern
-Trey Babers, 6'6, Wing, Saginaw High
-Dan Chilcote, 6'8, F, Jackson Lumen Christi

Chicago Express/DRose (Coach Reggie Rose)

-Ryan Boatright, 5'10, PG, Aurora East

ACB/Bank Hoops (Coach Dave Jones)

-Justin Klein, 6'2. PG, Soph, Ostego
-Sean Sheldon, 6'9, PF, Soph, Traverse City St. Francis

Team Detroit

-Brandan Kearney, 6'6, Wing, Detroit Southeastern, MICHIGAN STATE
-Percy Gibson, 6'8, PF, Detroit Southeastern
-AJ Mathew, 6'2, SG, Ann Arbor Huron

16s

Dorian's Pride (Coach Jerry Brackett/DeAndre Clement)

-Matt Costello, 6'9, PF, Bay City Western
-Javontae Hawkins, 6'6, Wing, Flint Powers
-Anton Wilson, 6'6, SG, Flint Carman-Ainsworth
-Donald Fisher, 6'8, PF, Flint Northern
-Davario Gaines, 6'7, PF, Saginaw High
-Kevin Marshall, 6'7, PF, Saginaw High

Michigan Mustangs (Coach Van Mayfield)

-Denzel Valentine, 6'5, Wing, Lansing Sexton
-Marquise Mondy, 6'4, Wing, Grand Rapids Catholic Central
-Anthony Clemmons, 5'10, PG, Lansing Sexton

Ohio Basketball Club (Coach Winston Grays)

-Malik London, 6'9, PF, Chillicothe
-Lorenzo Cugini, 6'5, Wing, Akron St. Vincent St. Mary

Chicago Express/DRose

-Tim Williams, 6'7, Wing, Homewood-Floosmoor
-Delvon Rencher, 6'6, Wing, Homewood-Floosmoor

Team Detroit

-Monte Morris, 6'0, PG, Fresh, Flint Beecher

15s

Dorian's Pride (Coach Steven Haney, Sr.)

-Steven Haney, Jr. 6'5, Wing, East Lansing
-Jalen Hayes, 6'6, F, Lansing Sexton
-Dominic Jackson, 6'3, Wing, Saginaw Buena Vista
-JD Tisdale, 6'3, Wing, Flint Northern
-Richie Lewis, 5'10, PG, Flint Northern
-Cliff Kelley, 6'6, PF, Jackson
-Brian Morton, 6'2, SG, Lansing Eastern

Superfriends (Coach Curtis Hervey)

-Derrick Walton, 5'10, PG, Chandler Park Academy
-Dre Johnson, 5'10, PG, Detroit Cass Tech

14s

The Family (Coach Marvin Conway)

-Mory Diane, Jr. , 6'2, G, Detroit Country Day Middle School
-Issac Bowles, 6'6, C, Detroit

Team Detroit (Coach Chris Cagle)

-Edmond Sumner, 5'10, PG, Detroit Country Day Middle School
-Richard Gold, 6'4, F, Inkster
-Tyler Johnson, 6'0, SG, Detroit
-Nelson Cagle, 5'10. PG, Detroit

Dorian's Pride (Coach Ralph Arnett)

-Keon Addison, 5'10, PG, Saginaw
-Joe Powell, 6'6, F, Saginaw
-Trevor Manuel, 6'4, Wing, Holt
-DeAndre Parker, 6'7, PF, Jackson
-Jayln Jackson, 6'3, Wing, Saginaw

State Championships Player Recaps

As many know the Kalamazoo Central was the 2009-2010 Class A Boys State Champ, Country Day was the 2009-2010 Class B Boys State Champ, Melvindale Business & Technology was the Class C State Champ, and West Michigan Christian was the 2009-2010 Class D State Champ. Below are evaluations on some of the impressive players from the semis and finals of all classes.

Class A

Devin Oliver, 6'7, Wing, Kalamazoo Central, DAYTON : Devin had a big weekend for the Maroon Giants. As one of the senior leaders and a Division One recruit, Oliver is expected to step up, and that he did. Extremely versatile and best in the open court, Oliver flourished getting numerous fast break points, easy put backs, and short jumpers. Blessed with great vision, he is also a willing passer and showed that during the Finals weekend. Good rebounder, that needs to become a better rebounder in traffic and rebounding out of his area. A legit 6'7, and a legit wing. Would be shocked to see him not develop into a very solid A-10 player at Dayton.

TJ Buchanan, 6'4, Wing, Kalamazoo Central, JR : TJ was my MVP for the Class A Finals Weekend, simply because he did it all. If he continues to improve his jump shot, he will be recruited at the high major level. Guards like Carlton Brundidge, one of the most touted 2011 recruits in Michigan, weren't as good as TJ this weekend, and don't appear to be better prospects. Buchanan is a very good passer, as is most of the Maroon Giants team, and he also has improved leaps and bounds from a physical standpoint this year. Going forward, developing a respectable outside shot is key.

Dante Williams, 6'5, SG, Ann Arbor Huron, JR : Shot the blood out the ball in the Class A title game. Very good player. Major sleeper who should see his recruitment land at the mid major plus level at the very least. Long and athletic, and seems to be putting his game together at the right time, excellent spot up shooter, and also a capable shot blocker because of his length. Interesting prospect, and one to definitely track down the line.

Isaiah Sykes, 6'6, Wing, Detroit Denby : Leading the Denby squad to the semis was no easy task, and big props should be given to him for his accomplishments. He doesn't have a jump shot to save his life, but you'd be hard pressed to find a better finisher and slasher in the 2010 class statewide. Also drop dimes like a 5'9 PG. Terrific rebounder, and is great at getting the defensive board and starting the fast break and making something positive happen with the basketball. High majors are recruiting him, and it's warranted, would be a good late pick up for any up-tempo college team.

Derrick Barden, 6'4, Wing, Detroit Denby : Outside of Keith Appling, I think Derrick Barden is the best Sr in the Detroit PSL. Barden is very well rounded and is a phenomenal athlete. He's good now, but his potential is even better, with proper skill development at the next level. Excellent body, is basically a man amongst boys at this level. Adequate jump shot, that needs to improve, but serviceable, nonetheless. Mid Majors would do themselves a absolute favor by signing him, and in my opinion, high majors may look smart in the end by signing him.

Carlton Brundidge, 6'0, SG, Southfield, JR : Brundidge is a very good high school basketball player, that can't be argued. He's already committed to Michigan, but I don't know if he'll be successful in that system. In order to succeed at the highest level, picking the right system will be a absolute necessity for him. At the end of the day, he's a SG, and that's the bottom line. He produces and gets the job done, at that's what every team needs. He's a very good finisher for his size at the high school level and he can score in bunches when he gets rolling. All in all, his upside is limited in my opinion.

Class B

Ray McCallum, Jr. , 6'2, PG, Detroit Country Day : Let's keep this short and sweet, after his performance in the Finals and Semi's, if you don't agree with me that McCallum, Jr. is the best player in Michigan, bar none, well; you're blind. Future pro.

Amir Williams, 6'10, C, Detroit Country Day : Earlier in the year, Williams participated in my Show Your Heart Classic against Detroit Southeastern, and he showed his full package. When he does that, his game is very effective at this level. A defensive phenom no matter the game because of his length, size, and timing, his effect on the game will be felt no matter what. He is also a hungry rebounder, who attacks the glass. Those are two big positives that you'd like every big man to have in their game, once the offensive part of his game becomes more consistent, we could be looking at another McDonald's All American out of the Country Day program.

Denzel Valentine, 6'5, Wing, Lansing Sexton, SOPH : He's apart of a very strong nucleus of Sexton sophomores, and he's a player. He is the best passer in the 2012 class, and he sees the court better than most anyone in Michigan. He's not very quick or fast and that will hurt his potential, as he can't guard a perimeter prospect of high major ability at this time. He's not the biggest scorer in the world, but his production is definitely felt in other areas. One to watch down the road.

Anthony Clemmons, Jr. , 6'1, PG, Lansing Sexton, SOPH : He really has big time potential, and could end up being the best one out of Sexton's loaded 2012 class. Clemmons is a very capable scorer and is dynamite in the open floor and transition. He has a nice floater shot that he uses to his advantage. Willing passer, but could do a better job setting up his teammates and distributing the basketball. Looks the part of a future Division One guard.

Class C & D

Michael Talley, Jr. , 5'9, PG, Melvindale Business & Technology, DUQUESNE : He's a bad, bad boy. Electric scorer, is a blur with the ball, and is a knockdown shooter from deep. Will be effective from day one at the college level, picked the perfect level for his abilities. Was the best player on the best team in Class C. Next step to improving his game, is getting his teammates involved more.

Dwaun Anderson, 6'4, Wing, Suttons Bay, JR : He's definitely a very good player. His athleticism is through the roof. Not too many players statewide, regardless of class have the natural attributes that he possesses. With that being said, his skill level isn't there yet. He has virtually no right hand and doesn't have a steady jumper at this point. It is very hard to properly evaluate him because of the lack of talent around him and defenses key in on him. This summer will play a major role in the level he's recruited at.

Monte Morris, 6'0, PG, Flint Beecher, FRESHMAN : Outside of Steven Haney, there isn't a better freshman prospect in Michigan, that I've seen. Very heady player and a great distributor. Very good leader even at such a young age, he put his team on his back and carried them to the state semifinals. Can score right now with the best of them. Strength is a factor, but at 14 and still physically maturing that will come in time. If he keeps growing, which I full expect, it's all over.

Dorians Pride Tryouts!!

Michigan's only Under Armour sponsored team-Dorian's Pride wants you to come tryout this Sunday, March 28th, at Saginaw High School. We will participate in tournaments in Ohio, Indiana, Kansas City, Phoenix, Myrtle Beach, Detroit, and other places. Lamarr Woodley from the Pittsburgh Steelers is our other sponsor.

Benefits to playing for Pride:

-Get exposure! We will travel all of July and be seen by the top programs in the country. Participants in our program last year received offers from Michigan St, Ohio St, Indiana, Providence, Xavier, Oakland (MI), Cleveland St, and other D1 schools as well as D2, D3, and Juco schools because of the exposure that Pride provided.

-Great coaches-Tim McCormick our 17s Red Coach is a former NBA Player, McDonalds All American, and College All American at Michigan. Our 17s White Coaches, Al Pipkins, Sr is the former head coach at Carrolton High School and Andy Erlwein is an assistant at Rochester Adams. Our 16s coach, DeAndre Clement, led his 15u team last year to many Championships, Final 4, and Elite 8 appearances, as well as the a win over the #1 nationally ranked Spiece Indy Heat 15s. Our 15s coach, Steven Haney, SR is a former D1 player himself, an assistant coach at East Lansing. No other program in Michigan have the coaches that we have... you will develop and get better with us!

-Play with some of the best talent in the state... We fully expect Michigan's top talent to participate in the program this spring/summer.

-Opportunity to get invited to the Under Armour Best of the Best Top 70 Skills Academy, in Atlanta, GA, June 4-6. Which will be the top invite only, free of charge event in America this year!

17s Tryouts (2 Teams-Up to 24 Players Can Make Teams) - 2:30-4:30
16s Tryouts (1 Team-Up to 12 Players Can Make Teams) 4:30-6:00
15s Tryouts (1 Team- Up to 12 Players Can Make Teams) 6:00-7:30

Tryouts will start on time and end promptly. Please get to tryouts early in time to register and to be ready to play! There will be a $20 non-refundable tryout fee!

If you have any other questions or concerns please call, Dorian's Pride Director of Operations Christian Vaughn-Dawkins at 989.493.4317 or email at LOYDEnterprises@hotmail.com

THE SUMMER IS OURS!

Arthur Hill v. Mt. Pleseant Class A Regional Final Recap

SAGINAW -- Arthur Hill’s boy’s basketball team is looking very good right now, and it’s for one reason -- and that reason isn’t star PG Maurice Jones. The Arthur Hill team’s complementary players accept their roles and don’t try to play outside of their boundaries. It’s a trait most high school teams, as well as college and pro teams lack. The Lumberjacks get it, and now they are in Class A's final eight teams.

You could tell the Lumberjacks were ready for action by the way they came out of the gates last Wednesday against Mt. Pleasant. Kwincy Tucker, an athletic 6’4 wing, who is also the younger brother of former Arthur Hill All-American Darquavis Tucker, scored 7 of The Hill’s first 9 points. He capped it off with a big time alley-oop, and also had two long jumpers from both wings. Arthur Hill’s pressure also had the Oilers intimidated. It seemed as they picked up two 10-second violations and struggled to get the ball over half-court, when they did, 6’9 Soph Jordan Hare was there to block their shots. On the good side, the Oilers were only down 15-9 after one quarter, mainly because of Trey Zeigler attacking the basket and scoring.

To start the second, Trey threw down a downright nasty slam over the top of Hare, cutting the lead to 15-11 for the Lumberjacks. Once again the little things came back to bite the Lumbjeracks as they didn’t box Jordan Hare out, and he scored 4 of the next 6 points, one off a slam. After that kids like Dell Simon, Tyler Dwyer, Chandler Young, and Wesley Wilson, all contributed. To end the half the score was 32-21.

During the first half, Maurice Jones, effortlessly created for his teammates, in a way, quite frankly only he can do. In the second half he made it clear he was taking over, and pretty much dominated scoring and dishing throughout the rest of the game. Once Pookie put his mind to taking over the game, he did, and the rest is history. Pookie tossed three straight alley-oops to Jordan Hare to make the Lumberjacks lead 53-36 and the Oilers never threatened again.

GAME SYNOPSIS: Mt. Pleasant had a great season, and Trey Zeigler did all he could, but in the end the Lumberjacks are just more talented, and the Oilers didn’t have the horses to compete. After the first few minutes of the game this was evident.

V.I.P. IN THE HOUSE - Central Michigan head coach Ernie Zeigler was in the house to watch his son, Trey play. Not to be deterred, Providence head assistant coach Chris Davis was also in the house to see Zeigler and Mt. Pleasant point guard Matt Strickland, who Providence has also offered, and according to reports Providence has also offered Jordan Hare. An assistant coach from South Alabama was also there… he was scheduled for a in-home visit Thursday with former Arthur Hill big man Antoine Lundy, who has evolved to a Juco standout, and came to watch the game while in town.

PROSPECTS: Maurice Jones, 5’6, PG, Saginaw Arthur Hill - The USC commit was the top player on the floor all night Wednesday. At 5’6, Pookie is just a flat out warrior. When watching Arthur Hill play his leadership skills and basketball IQ is apparent, and at the end of the day you know the Lumberjacks are his team. He’s a flat out amazing high school player, and there is nothing else to really say about him, he usually dominates every time he hits the floor. He’s one of the best players from Saginaw in the last decade, and finished the night with 16 points and 11 assists unofficially.

Jordan Hare, 6’9, Soph, PF, Saginaw Arthur Hill- He will be in the conversation of the best sophomore in the state and rightfully so, because no player in his class possesses the physical gifts that he does. It’s the skills and mental aspect of the game that right now he is lacking. Right now he scores off of put-backs and alleys, which isn’t a bad thing, but for him to take the next step from prospect to elite player, he will need to establish a back to the basket game as well as a jump-shot. His main positives on the offensive end at this stage are he plays within himself. As I stated earlier, he isn’t the most polished scoring threat on the low block, and he doesn’t try to be, he rebounds, and basically gets hustle baskets right now. From a rebounding and defensive aspect, he’s very good right now, and absolutely ridiculous potential wise, as he is stupid long, and he’s not very strong, so he can get even better in these areas. High majors should definitely recruit him and he’s a Top 5 prospect in 2012 in Michigan, without a doubt.

Trey Zeigler, 6’5, Wing, Mt. Pleasant- The most positive thing I noticed about Trey Wednesday, is he doesn’t give up. In a game where lots of players have immense physical capabilities and talent, the kids with the right mentality are the ones who succeed the highest. Trey could have easily given up on his teammates and quit, but he fought all night long, and kept attacking, albeit sometimes unsuccessful but the effort was there. He also didn’t stop attacking when he was struggling from the free-throw line. He was very good on the glass, and basically unstoppable when he tried to get to the rack. He is a good, not great athlete, and showed this with his second quarter slam on Hare. His jump shot is a bit shaky, but he’s pretty good from mid-range. His ball handling skills are up to par and he is also a willing passer. The only glaring negative from this game was his free-throw shooting, absolutely dreadful, but something I expect to change in time. He finished the night with 20 points and 9 boards. Great career.

Matt Strickland, 6’1, PG, Mt. Pleasant- How important of a recruit is Trey Zeigler to the Providence Friars? The offered Matt Strickland to get him. Strickland is by no means a Big East player, and that’s not a knock on him, as he’s a very good high school point guard who’s extremely poised, and to be honest there are very few players in America every year who have Big East conference ability. Strickland is the cousin of Zeigler. One thing can be said about Strickland, the Oilers don’t go on that 15 game win streak or make it to the regional final without him. Yes, he’s a player. He’s a very good passer, who always keeps his head up, and makes the right plays the majority of the time. He has a decent long ball, and a high bball IQ. He is also pretty long for a PG, and I always like lefty players no matter the position. Great season for the California transfer.

BOTB is Back!

Best of the Best Prep Basketball Scouting returns! We will cover the rest of the Michigan High School Boys Basketball state tournament, and will give you the rundown on the top players in Michigan and beyond! Tune in to the website regularly, as every day you can expect something to be posted!