East English Village took an 9-0 lead within the first three minutes of the game, and never looked back beating Westland John Glenn 72-35 for an opening night victory giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 record. The score even got so bad for John Glenn that a running clock started early in the fourth quarter when the Bulldogs built a commanding 40 point lead.
The key to the EEVP win was defense. The Bulldogs did a fantastic job all night using their length and quickness on their half court traps not allowing Glenn to set up any form of offense, which led to steals and easy buckets on the other end. Senior Marq’ywell Jackson led East English in scoring with a game high 25. The state’s top uncommitted senior and heart and soul of EEVP, showed that he can score from anywhere on the floor. He took defenders from the high-key to the basket, consistently made one-on-one three pointers, and even scored down low against taller defenders. He is quick and nimble for his size and always seems to be one play ahead of the defense. Jackson rebounded well offensively and defensively, and was at the top of the EEVP trap that caused turnovers for Glenn.
Jackson was assisted in scoring from rising sophomore Kamari Newman. The long and lanky lefty scored seven of the Bulldogs’ first nine points, coming on two three pointers, with one of them being an and-one. When Newman is not forcing his shot over the defense he can be very effective. Newman does a nice job of coming off-downscreens and getting his feet set and releasing a nice fluid jumper. Kamari also has a nice little cross-over that got him open in transition for pull-up jump shots . He is deceptively quick and one of the best guards in 2016.
Down low for EEVP, Southfield-Lathrup transfer Dietrich Cole held his own against the Rockets all night. Cole is a hidden gem in 2014. He has the type of length and the willingness to go up for a block the college coaches love. He wasn’t involved much on offense, but when he did get opportunities to score, he used his long frame to shield defenders from the ball and finished through contact. Rebounded extremely well for EEVP that led to second and sometimes even third chances on the offensive side of the floor. Cole will be the key for the Bulldogs moving forward into PSL play.
The Bulldogs have no doubt improved from a season ago. EEVP last year only started one senior. With more than half of their starting lineup coming back, the Bulldogs will not only be the dark horse in the PSL , but also the state. Their depth at the guard spot is hard to match with any other team. Two other players that were not mentioned above, sophomore Cedric Lattimore and junior Fred Jones, had their moments in the game, and will be the x-factors for EEVP moving forward.
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