The inaugural Prep Ball Classic took place at Voyageur Prep on Sunday, January 28th. The foundation has now been laid for the event to grow upon and continue in a forward trajectory.
Detroit Douglass 66 Ferndale 55
The Hurricanes thoroughly led from start to finish in the opening game of the day. Douglass found most of their success when operating a five guard line-up that controlled both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor. The best freshman in the state, Pierre Brooks II, is a budding star that at times played all five positions on the court. He is definitely the future of the PSL and will be appointment viewing in only a matter of time.
Game MVP: Pierre Brooks II
Voyageur 59 Mt. Clemens 46
Mt. Clemens had the size advantage, but the Voyageur guards were the difference for the Cougars. Voyageur’s Lemuel Holt and Elijah Belle are both effective and efficient two-way players that know what it takes to win and don’t beat themselves. Teams are certainly going to have to earn a victory against Voyageur come playoff time.
Game MVP: Elijah Belle
Detroit Edison defeats Saginaw
Saginaw held tough for about a half of play, but the Edison quartet of division one players Pierre Mitchell, Gary Solomon, Deante Johnson and Brian Taylor wore down the young Trojans over the course of 32 minutes. With size, athleticism and scoring ability, Edison is primed to make a return trip to the Breslin Center, and this time come away with hardware.
Game MVP: Brian Taylor
Detroit Henry Ford 63 Detroit Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies 52
This game might as well have been a game of 21, as it was decided between three players. Ford senior guards Deontae Ulmer and Anthony Robert accounted for 55 of of their team’s 63 points, while HFA’s Purdue bound big-man Trevion Williams scored 20 of his team’s 52 points, grabbed 26 rebounds and dished eight assits. HFA controlled the first quarter of the game, but as Ford has traditionally done over the years as a championship program, executed defensively with surgical precision the remainder of the game. Ford dictates how they want team’s to play, regardless of personnel, as evident against HFA.
Game MVP: Anthony Roberts
Old Redford 61 Loyola 52
If Loyola was going to to win this game, it was going to have to be a low-scoring affair against a team with as explosive an offense as Old Redford. Loyola made it a defensive game, but credit Old Redford for being able to win a game when shots were not falling. Sophomore sensation Isaiah Jackson had only four points, but led the defensive effort with 14 blocked shots.
It also appears as though star guard Mark “Rocket” Watts has found a new friend in the backcourt with junior transfer Troy Lattimore. It wasn’t vintage Watts, finishing with a respectable 18 points, but it was Lattimore that ultimately swung this game in Old Redford’s favor in the second-half. He is another ball handler and playmaker that can take pressure off of Watts to facilitate the offense with the experience that comes with being a third year varsity player. Lattimore buried four crucial triples as Old Redford distanced themselves from Loyola, and handed out a number of assists as well. Old Redford’s ultimate success this season could hinge on how well Watts and Lattimore compliment each other in the backcourt.
Game MVP: Troy Lattimore
All-Classic Teams
First Team
Pierre Brooks II 6’4″ freshman guard Detroit Douglass
Troy Lattimore 6’0″ junior guard Old Redford
Anthony Roberts 6’3″ senior guard Detroit Henry Ford
Brian Taylor 6’5″ junior wing Detroit Edison
Trevion Williams 6’9″ senior center Detroit Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies
Second Team
Elijah Belle 5’10” junior point guard Voyageur
Deontae Ulmer 6’3″ senior guard Detroit Henry Ford
Gary Solomon 6’5″ senior guard Detroit Edison
Tyreke Banach 6’7″ senior forward Mt. Clemens
Myron Gardner 6’6″ junior forward Loyola
Photos courtesy of Paul Snyder
The Prep Ball Report 
Leave a comment