Hoskins to become a Titan!

Warren Conner Creek's John Hoskins verbably committed last night to play basketball for Coach Ray McCallum and the University of Detroit. The 6-8 wing forward is McCallum's second instate commit, with junior college trasfer Thomas Kennedy being the first via Mott CC/ Detroit Southeastern.

However Hoskins is Detroit's first commitment from the class of 2009. McCallum has has a successful past with getting the recruits he wants and Hoskins is a solid start for the new era of basketball in Detroit. Hoskins is one of Michigan's best kept secrets due to the fact he plays class D basketball. He has spent the summer playing AAU ball with the Detroit Fire.

The 6-8 wing forward will new to put some hours in the weight room to handle the physical pounding that he will need to be successful in the paint at the next level. Hoskins does have a polished game from 15-feet out and has no problem hitting the mid-range jump shot, as well as putting the ball on the floor, or scoring with either hand.

VEGAS: Team Detroit

Team Detroit managed to find some help for Mr. Trey Zeigler in Las Vegas. Most notably in point guards Vonn Jones and Dedo Jackson and rebounders Will Overton and Demetrius Butler. With Jones and Jackson able to help take some of the ball handling duties off of Zeigler's shoulders it allowed the 6-4 phenom to put his focus on scoring....and boy oh boy did Trey score!

Team Detroit played in four tough games while in the Nevada desert and fought there way to a 2-2 record. Every game could have turned out differently because all of the outcomes were in single digits.

The team's first game was a 69-63 win over Midwest Mission from Missouri. A pair of free throws from both Zeigler and Jackson gave Team Detroit a 35-31 lead at halftime, after trailing for a majority of the first half. In the second half both Zeigler and Martell Anderson were able to find some easy baskets as the Michigan fellas built a lead that got to as high as 17 points. Team Detroit took the foot off the gas pedal too early as Midwest Mission fought back to get within single digits. Clutch free throws down the stretch kept Midwest at a distance allowing Team Detroit to start off 1-0.

In the second game of pool play, Team Detroit saw their first loss as they let one slip away against the Carolina Raptors 68-60. The game was tied going into the final five minutes but some bad shot selections and unforced errors allowed the Raptors to get the win. The Raptors went on to win the pool.

Team Detroit was able to bounce back in the final pool game against Team Blue Chip out of California. The 70-64 win allowed Detroit to finish 2nd in their pool and advance to the Adidas Super 64 Championship Bracket (top division).

In the first round of bracket play they quickly became the underdog as they drew Team Philly. Philly jumped out quick but could never get any kind of separation, as Team Detroit hung tough. A pair of Vonn Jones 3-pointers in the first half kept the lead around 5 points.

Although Philly had the lead, they had no answer for Zeigler! Trey scored every way imaginable, as he put on a show in front of the 30 some college coaches in attendance that included schools like Duke, Kansas, Michigan State, Michigan, and UCLA.

A second half Jackson drive and kick-out resulted in a Zeigler 3-pointer from the corner and also tied the game with seven minutes to go. The following trip down the floor Zeigler got a 15-footer to fall giving Team Detroit their first lead of the game. Team Philly fired back with a 6-0 run that turned out to be good enough to secure the win. Zeigler finished the game with 44 points.

In the four games in Vegas Zeigler finished with a 30.5 scoring average.

VEGAS: Mustangs 17's

You can look at the Mustangs performance in Vegas and some might consider it a let down but if you take a closer look it isn't as bad as their 1-3 record states. The 17-u squad played up in one of the Adidas Super 64 super pools. Too many times over the AAU season teams shy away from the super pools just to get easy wins, but that has never been the case for the tough and scrappy Mustangs.

Only this time the lack of having a high major player caught up with the Stangs, Drew Valentine and Duke Mondy are as close as a high major recruit that the Mustangs can showcase, but even they weren't enough. The wing duo did their best to carry the load but in the end the talent factor was too much to overcome.

Coach Rod Watt's team started the week with a 82-72 loss to Team Philly and point guard Maalik Wayns, a Villanova commit.

The Mustangs then bounced back the following morning with a 81-73 win over Texas Select. Doug Anderson helped the Mustangs jump out to an early double digit lead with a pair of dunks that caught everyone's attention. Texas was able to rally back and even take the lead midway through the second half thanks to the play of Shawn Williams. The 6-7 wing has offers from Florida, Kentucky, Texas, UCLA, and Louisville among others. Valentine drew the defensive assignment and was able to shut down Williams down the stretch enabling the Stangs to get the win.

In their final pool play game the Mustangs faced one of the nation's top players in Lance Stephenson. The 6-6 guard is considered one of the nation's top 5 players with his physical style of play. Even though it would take a complete team effort to contain Stephenson, it was Mondy who drew the match-up every time down the floor. Mondy was able to play Stephenson tight knowing 6-9 Matt Balkema had his back in the paint. The Stangs held onto a 4 point lead late in the second half, but then their shooting went cold allowing Raising Champions to rally back for a 80-75 win.

Even with a 1-2 pool play record the Mustangs were awarded a spot in Adidas' Championship bracket (top division), since they participated in the super pool. In the first round they drew the North Carolina Fire, who were 3-0 and won their pool.

LaDonte "Buckets" Henton had been quiet for most of the Vegas trip as he was forced to sit with an ankle sprain. In the playoff game he sucked it up and paced the Mustangs with 24 points. Also leading the way was Mondy who couldn't miss from downtown.

The game stayed tight for two whole halves. Late in the game the Mustangs found their selves trailing by 3 points with time running out. N. Carolina had seen enough of Mondy and decided to double team him. That left point guard Jalen Jarrett open to nail a 3-pointer at the buzzer forcing the game into overtime. Unfortunately the Mustangs had trouble finding stops in overtime as they fell 85-82.

Even though the OT loss was a tough pill to swallow, the Mustangs had a solid Vegas trip as they showed they can play with the nation's elite. In the end players like Valentine, Mondy, Balkema, and Anderson might not get that high major offer BUT they certainly have no problem matching up with those guys, and that credit has to be given to the heart and character those young men boast.

U of M: Elite Camp

(Elite campers at work )

(Jones was at his best during the elite camp)

Coach John Beilein and his staff invited 60 campers to participate in Michigan's first elite camp late last week. The two day camp was a total success as campers participated in intense and hard fought drills. Of the 60 campers, 33 were Michigan players. Below is a breakdown of most of the campers and a quick breakdown of their performance at the camp. Players listed in alphabetical order.

Lee Bailey, Country Day, 2011- Bailey used the camp to prove he's one of the top players in Michigan's 2011 class. His fundamentals were way above average and there was nothing he couldn't do.

Pierre Bracket, Lansing Eastern, 2011- Pierre was the one player in camp that didn't forget about hustling and playing defense. He was good in every drill no matter if it was post work or guard work.

Carlton Brundidge, Southfield, 2011- Brundidge was great in the ball handling drills as well as the shooting drills, but I was more surprised with how well he handled the ball.

DeAndray Buckley, Romulus, 2010- proved to have more offensive skills than just slashing. He got after it on both ends and played hard through out the camp.

Dan Chilcote, Jackson Lumen Christi, 2011- Chilcote showed some point guard skills in the games and faired well. He was also solid in the drills with his fundamentals.

Brian Coleman, Southfield Lathrup, 2010- Coleman might have been the biggest surprise of the camp, he can really stroke it from deep. Games, drills, it didn't matter- he was filling it up.

Mohamed Conde, Belleville, 2010- Conde went with the guards when they separated and he struggled. He's a gamer but struggled trying to defend on the perimeter.

Anthony Fields, Det. Southeastern, 2010- Fields was solid in the drills but looked good in the games. He did an impressive job of pushing the ball up the floor.

Alex Gauna, Eaton Rapids, 2010- had to miss Saturday due to a cut that resulted in stitches but he was dominating the bigs in the camp up to that point. He was phenomenal in the drills Friday night.

Percy Gibson, Det. Southeastern, 2011- the 6-8 horse did a heck of a job battling on the block against older players, he even got the better of Jordan Morgan when they matched up in a game.

LaDonte Henton, Lansing Eastern, 2011- "Buckets" was average in the guard drills but did extremely well in the games.

Josh Herbeck, A.A. Gabriel Richard, 2010- another player that looked good in the drills but average in the games. He shot well but struggled defensively.

Dedo Jackson, Buena Vista, 2010- played well and made Coach Beilein a fan of his game with his heady play and ability to get to the basket and make a play.

Maurice Jones, Arthur Hill, 2010- Jones had a good showing in the individual drills by finishing third in the 3-point drills. He was a tough cover for any of the other guards to handle in the games.

Vonn Jones, Hartland, 2009- if there was a camp MVP it would of went to Jones. Jones won the 3-on-3 tourney Friday night. Through out the camp he did a beautiful job of setting up the big fellas.

Matt Kaminecki, Clarkston, 2010- like his teammate Stanton, he proved his value as one of the top players in his class. looked good on the wing and the block.

Brandan Kearney, Det. Southeastern, 2011- BK is starting to look healthy from his hip injury , now he just needs to get back his explosion. Still did a nice job running the point and was impressive in drills.

Kevonte Martin, Brother Rice, 2010- has really put on some muscle. He handled his own at the camp but I think he just needs to focus on playing football.

Jordan Morgan, U of D Jesuit, 2009- has really slimmed down and it shows as he gets up and down the court better but he did struggled against some of the other bigs.

Sultan Muhammad, Grand Rapids C.C., 2010- looked better in the games than the drills. He needs to focus on some fundamentals but at the end of the day he's a D-1 player.

Matt Poches, Hartland, 2011- had to shut it down Friday morning after reinjuring a bad ankle sprain. On Friday he player like a high major prospect and was solid in every drill.

Ben Simons, Cadillac, 2009- Simons only participated on Friday and he struggled to get shots to fall but he did look good handling the ball in the open floor.

Tom Staton, Clarkston, 2009- during the camp he proved he is a top 10 player in Michigan's class of 2009. He knocked down shots all over the place and proved to be tough enough to play some defense.

Booker Stoudmire, Belleville, 2009- I guess I was wrong- Booker is a D-1 player. He stole the show Friday night with an electrifying tip dunk.

Michael Talley, Melvindale B.A.T., 2010- Talley is a player, no doubt about that but at times he gets carried away in trying to score himself. I would like to see him become a complete point guard. He was still one of the players at the camp.

Darren Washington, Det. Southeastern, 2011- nobody in the camp worked harder than the 6-9 15 year old did. During breaks he still worked in drills with Michigan's staff.

Shannon Williams, Det. Cass Tech, 2010- more polished than I thought he was. Has a good feel for things near the basket. Was able to get out and run the floor as well. Great attitude kid that seems to have a love for the game.

Washington's a Jungaleer

Darren Washington has taken his game to Detroit Southeastern and will be eligible to play for the Jungaleers immediately. The 6-9 center from Sterling Heights was expected to play at Stevenson High School but Washington and his family decided Southeastern would be the best choice for his development as a player.

"I was real excited when I find out that Darren was going to attend our school," mentioned Head Coach Mark White of Southeastern, "I had heard of him better I had never seen him play. He has a ton of potential and already has laid the foundation to be a really good player. He has good right and left balance and his skill set is solid. The sky is the limit for Darren."

Washington spent his freshman year at Heritage Middle school in Sterling Heights. Even though Heritage has freshman enrollment they are considered a middle school, which allowed Washington's enrollment at Southeastern to not be considered a transfer. Washington had his choice to attend any high school with open enrollment and he picked the Jungaleers.

"Big D" has exploded onto the basketball this world. He has spent his weekends playing with the 15-u Michigan Mustangs. Washington has rare characteristics for a 15 year old of his size. "He has a huge upside and can really run the floor for a player of size," states Coach Mike Faletti of the Michigan Mustangs, "He has great timing blocking shots and rebounding plus he has a passion for the game and he's a real tough kid."

Washington now gives Coach White three high major prospects from the class of 2011 with Washington joining 6-4 Brandan Kearney (PG) and 6-8 Percy Gibson (PF). "All three guys learn quickly and they have a chance to be really, really good." says Coach White, "We have talent and potential but now we need to develop those skills. We are working hard in individual drills and in the weight room."

Washington already has a 7-foot wingspan and with a size 18 shoe the writing is on the wall that he will soon be a 7-footer. But being a seven footer isn't Darren goal, he wants to be a skilled basketball player when it is all said and done, and right now he is on the right road.

CMU Team Camp: Top 10 Performances

(Is there anything Pookie can't do on the hardwood?)

(Trey Zeigler pushes the ball up the court while at CMU)

(Just one of the times Kallante Miller exploded to the basket at CMU)

(at 6-7 Dan Chilcote can do anything a guard can do)

Mt. Pleasant- Below are a listing of the top individual performances from CMU's team camp this past weekend. Players are listed in ranked order.

1. Maurice Jones, Arthur Hill- "Pookie" controlled every game he played by being a playmaker on both ends of the floor.

2. Trey Zeigler, Mt. Pleasant- Zeigs was deserving of the #1 spot but the difference was Pookie won the championship game. Zeigler showed off his ability to run the point as well as dominate on the block.

3. Sammy Burton, Oak Park- did a terrific job of controlling the tempo and looking for his teammates. He knew when to push it and when to pull it out.

4. Omari Humes, Arthur Hill- Humes time in the weight room is starting to pay off.

5. Kallante Miller, Oak Park- attacked the basket well but just ran out of gas as the day went on.

6. Andrew VanDierendonck, Wyandott Roosevelt- I loved his ability to handle the ball and get to the basket at his height.

7. Dan Chilcote, Lumen Christi- hit jumpers from all over the court, impressive for a 6-7 sophomore.

8. Joey Saladino, Forest Hills Central- hit 11 3-pointers against Lumen Christi in the quarter finals, enough said!

9. Jimmy Davis, Saginaw- carried the load for a Trojan team that was missing plenty of players.

10. Korey VanDussen, Zeeland East- played well but struggled against some of the better players.

Dumars To Head South

Jordan Dumars has taken his name off of the board by giving a verbal commitment to the University of South Florida. The 6-5 wing will finish up his last season at Country Day before becoming a Bull and taking his game to the Big East.

"I'm a Michigan kid, so it's not like I grew up rooting for USF,'' Dumars said. "But Coach Heath knows my Dad pretty well and he knows a lot of the Pistons' people. He came and saw me at the beginning of the fall and he really liked me. We have stayed in contact since then. And me being so comfortable with him, that's what really helped me make the decision.''