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Owens Community College Jamboree Recap

20 Oct
Isaiah Leads a Standout of Performers at Owens Jamboree

Isaiah Leads a Standout of Performers at Owens Jamboree

Another strong Jamboree at Owens C.C. as the Express hosted a quality field of teams with high-level players in an environment with a plethora of coaches to view and evaluate.

Isaiah Green 6’7″ sophomore forward (Lansing C.C.)- Even back to his days at Southfield High, Green is a monster on the offensive and defensive glass.  Isaiah finished with huge rebounding numbers in all three games.  Now Green has a few nice back-to-basket moves.  But he was also highly effective playing in the high-post and draining consistently mid-range jumpers with an effortless form.  Would be a steal in the GLIAC but could play in the MAC or Horizon due to mobility and skill-set.

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James Mann

James Mann 6’7″ Post-grad forward (Kingston Prep)- Arguably the best player at the Jamboree, Mann was a man all day.  He used his frame to beat defenders off post-catches and off the dribble using his quickness.  MAC and Horizon coaches better start calling otherwise you will see him on the scouting report soon.

Nikos Okekvoven 2018 6’11 forward (Spire Institute)- Great footwork for the big guy from overseas.  Good touch in the mid-range jumper.  Needs to work on slimming down and getting his conditioning in order to work effectively in any match-up.

Jordan Kenning 2017 6’9″ center (3Kings Prep)- Kenning is a thick 6’9″ with a wide body.  Crashes the offensive glass with reckless abandon.  A bit raw in the post but still has some upside.  3.06 GPA makes him a solid recruit in the GLIAC but could also see some high-academic schools getting involved as well.

D'Angelo Hansbro

D’Angelo Hansbro

D’Angelo (Delo) Hansbro freshman 6’1″ combo guard (Schoolcraft)- Knockdown shooter that looks to have brought his potent offensive ability to the junior college level as he set the in-game three-point record with 10 at Romulus.  Will pair well with a other Ocelot guards that will look to make each game a track-meet.

Derrik Jamerson sophomore 6’5″ shooting guard (Owens C.C.)- Michigan knows Jamerson can shoot the rock with unlimited range and quick trigger.  But what stood out about Jamerson was that his foot-speed has improved on the defensive end to where he is no longer a liability there.  Derrik still has one more year to grow with ball skills and individual offense, but colleges coaches have and should take notice of this budding star.

Antwan Johnson 6’5″ Post-grad forward (Kingston Prep)- Johnson’s name is familiar in the Detroit-area because he played his first three years at Detroit Henry Ford before transferring to Cincinnati Taft for his senior campaign.  An undersized combo forward, Johnson looks to have improved upon his upper-body, looking slimmer and more muscular.  Antwan is known as a high-flyer, but his ball skills have greatly improved, and his spin move is deadly on helpless defenders.  Has one thing players just have that is difficult to coach, is always around the ball on both ends.

Dwight Burton 6’2″ freshman guard (Macomb C.C.)- Instant offense with this wing guard.  Great isolation scorer with an impeccable first step when driving the lane as he uses pump-fakes to draw separation on the perimeter to get into the paint.  Should be in-store for a monster year at Macomb.

 

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Bankhoops Camp Highlights

8 Oct

The 12th annual Banks Hoops All-State camp featured about 160 campers and about 20 college coaches in attendance. The event event draws top talent from all around the state.
Two campers had their way in team play:
2018 6-8 forward Trevion Williams /Henry Ford Academy- Holds aboutseven  division one offers.   William’s offensive skill-set was extremely polished on this day.  He decided to show of his passing ability mostly.  Set up his teammate Gabe Brown for dunks all day long.

2018 Gabe Brown 6-7 Wing /Belleville- Brown holds five division one offers now and you can see why.  With a 7-1 wingspan, Brown runs the floor like a deer and the camp was a personal dunk contest.
A few noteworthy bigs:

2018 Cass Phillips 6-9 Lakeland- Good foot-work and soild frame.  Phillips cleaned the glass and didn’t shy away from contact.  Phillips considered himself baseball prospect first (pitcher).

2019 Nate Talbot 6-8 Lake Orion- Talbot showed good touch around the rim.  At 6-8 with a 3.1 GPA, Talbot will be getting some attention.

On the way:

2020 William Dunn 6-6 Quincy- Nice touch offensively.

2021 William Brooks 6-3 (8th grade)- Just a beast in the making.

Much improved:

2018 Daniel Everhart 6-0 Marine City- Look out Catholic League kid can really score now.

2017 Charles Jones 6-5 Birmingham Groves- Just received an Adrian (MI) offer.

2017 A J Crawford 6-0 New Haven- tough gritty guard that can finish.

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Mayor’s Notebook: A Look at Toledo Elite Camp

6 Jul

The Toledo Elite Camp bought out top talent from several states and Canada. The theme was talented bigs.

20160626_145124Blake Verbeek 2018 6-10 Calvin Christian- 6-10 shooters do not grow on trees. With the ability of a shooting guard, Blake stepped out and knocked-down three pointers across the perimeter while also mixing in a few mid-range jumpers.  Polishing out a complete arsenal of skills and finding ways to impact games without just shooting will make Verbeek much more appealing to high-majors.  Recently visited Creighton.

20160626_151821Marcus Bingham 2018 6-8 Grand Rapids Ottawa Hills- I would like to see Bingham’s wing-span, at-least 7-3.  His shot wasn’t particularly falling on the day, but the ability to post-up and shoot over defenders while also creating with a decent handle allowed Bingham to earn an offer.  Bingham is a type of player college coaches want to get a hand on because his talent is translatable to fit various styles of play.

20160626_144824Mark Mayle 2018 6-8 Malvern Ohio- The King James 16U big man put on a pick-and-roll clinic.  Mayle’s high basketball IQ gave him open look after open look which most of the time he converted with ease.  Then he had some electric dunks right on top of his defender’s head.

Julian Savoury 2018 6-5 Belleville- Savory has a motor that won’t quit.  Pulling rebound after rebound.  He displayed a nice touch finishing around the hoop.  There is definitely a lot of upside to like in this prospect.

Duane Washington 2018 6-1 Grand Rapids Christian- Has really grown as a player this past Spring and should translate into a big July.  If it was not for the numbers on the back of his shirt, Washington would’ve been mistaken for a Toledo player, as he was not flustered in any way while scrimmaging the college team. Has a nice feel for balancing when to score off the bounce with counter moves and when to distribute.  Earned an offer immediately following conclusion of the camp.

Now for a quick look into the future. Rising ninth grader Antwan Ficklen is a name to remember. He made good decisions with the rock against peers, and handled the pressure well against the college team. Anthony had a great Spring for the Michigan Warrior eighth grade team.

Contributed by Al Troia

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Mayor’s Notebook: U of D Mercy Highlights

24 Jun
Rising sophomore guard Mark Watts has established himself in the 2019 class.

Rising sophomore guard Mark Watts has established himself in the 2019 class.

University of Detroit Mercy held their annual elite camp last week. It was the first under new head coach Bacari Alexander.  Coach Alexander is optimistic for what the future holds at UDM.  And while on the job for the past two months, Coach Alexander has devised a strategic, multi-phase step plan organized to the very last detail on how to reach the ambitions he has for the program.

“Well we’re on day seventy-one here,” said Bacari, “we used the first thirty days to get the roster in-order.  The second thirty days will be used to get the right staff in here and hopefully we use the last thirty days to get a strength and player development routines established. We got the corner of McNichols and Livernois jumping again. Remember the Titans.”

Standout Performers

2019 Allen Academy Mark “Rocket” Watts guard- Rocket had his improved offensive game on display.  He has clearly established himself as one of the top players in the 2019 class.  He holds an offer from Oakland while receiving interest from Xavier, Michigan State and Detroit.

2017 Ypsilanti guard Jamezell “Big Game James” Davis guard-  Standing at 5-9 ,Davis used his quickness to get to the rack and set-up his teammates all night.  He’s firmly ready to lead the Ypsi charge for Coach Brooks this upcoming Winter.

2018 Lamar Norman Godwin Heights guard- Norman was unstoppable in transition all day long.  Definitely can go get a bucket when needed.  Offers from Toledo and Ferris State.

2018 DJ Lundy Romulus forward- Playing on the same camp squad as his former Belleville teammates Davion Williams and Gabe Brown, Lundy cleaned up miss after miss and was hitting open jumpers.  It’s clear Lundy has worked on his game this summer.

2018 Jacob Boonyasith Jenison guard- Ability to knock-down the three-ball, especially playing with unfamiliar point guards, stood out. Kid can really shoot it.

2018 Jacob Polakovish forward Grand Rapids Catholic Central forward- He used his 6-7 frame to rebound the glass on both ends of the floor.  Ran the floor really well for a big.

Contributed by Al Troia

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Mayor’s Notebook: Top 16u Teams

20 May

The 16U division has several teams capable of picking up hardware every weekend. Rosters remain subject to change.  This is Summer ball after all.

In no particular order.

Mustangs-Faletti- Things start-up front with Trevion “Tractor Trailer” Williams, a dominating 6-7 wide-body from Dearborn Henry Ford Academy. They also feature the 3D, DeWitt’s dynamic duo in 6-6 Luke Hyde and 6-4 Tanner Reha.  Add Danny Kolp 6-8 from Petoskey and this team definitely packs a punch inside.

Reach Legends- Nice front-court tandem between 6-7 Quinn Blair (Dearborn Divine Child) at one forward and Tray Jackson 6-7 Detroit Western at other the forward to cause match-up problems.  Rashad Williams has had a pleasant Spring scoring the ball, and Matthew Richmond is a steady extension of a coach on the floor.

1 Nation- This team can really run.  Godwin Heights guard Lamar Norman is a deadly scorer.  Markeese Hastings, also from Godwin Heights, adds length inside.  Jalen Tobias is tough to keep off the glass to go along with an improving skill-set, and P.J. Mitchell from Detroit Loyola is really coming into his own shooting the ball and has improved defensively.

FAMILY- This team is led by David DeJulius, he is a great floor general and has the ability to take over a game.  Add 6-4 Bryce Washington from Southfield Christian and 2019 diminutive but skilled guard Julian Dozier from U of D Jesuit to bolster up the back-court.  Up front is Deante “Spider” Johnson 6-8 from Detroit Edison holding down the paint.

Michigan Gators- The Gators are an old school type team that rely on yet again a good backcourt.  Brandon Wade does it all and is a top five player in the ’18 class.  His splash brother, Skyline teammate Jack Ammerman, can shoot it from anywhere.  Ann Arbor Huron forward Avery Lewis has a high-motor and is an inside threat for the Gators.

Michigan Warriors- The warriors have a deep line-up.  Their back-court has Belleville’s speedy grid-iron guard Karme Carey and Milan sharpshooter Trevor Ballard.  Walled lake Northern’s Huston Tucker, DJ Lundy from Romulus and Devin Alverson from Belleville command respect in the paint.  This team already took gold at the Chicago Jamfest

TEAM BASKETBALL- Team Basketball is well coached and they come at you with a pair of talented and high IQ guards in Nate Davis 6-2 (Rochester Stoney Creek) and Justin Fischer 6-2 (Warren De La Salle) . This team makes few mistakes on the offensive end, especially in the half-court.

North Oakland Wolfpack- The Wolfpack are led by Clarkston guard C.J. Robinson.  Robinson a plus scorer and loves to get to the rack. Tristen Mysen, a teammate of Robinson at Clarkston, is a presence on the glass at 6-6.  The Wolfpack captured gold at the Warrior tournament.

Contributed by Adam “Mayor” Troia

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Mayor’s Notebook: Fastbreak Invitational Recap

23 Dec

Special thanks to T.J. Kelley and Belleville High School.  They combined to host Saturday’s Fastbreak Invitational which was a feast for basketball lovers from around the area.

Game 1 Lenawee Christian 47 Armada 42

Game 2 Arbor Prep 70 Melvindale ABT 49

Arbor Prep came out firing and built a 46-20 halftime lead.  Unsigned 6’7″ senior big man Kyle Hayes scored 20 en route to AP’s fourth win on the young season.  It was a good win with Milan transfer Garrett Gardette still ineligible for a couple of more games.

Game 3 Onsted 65 Riverview Gabriel Richard 32

When 6-11 Austin “Big Country” Davis comes down on the Onsted’s first possession and makes a three from the top of the key, it means that the opponent is in for a long day.  The Michigan commit had 24 points, 15 rebounds, and five blocks while junior front-court mate Skyler Lipinski added 16 points.  Riverview Richard was led by Tim Augustyniak with 11 points, while Anthony “Flo” Brown chipped in with 9.
Game 4 Ann Arbor Huron 68 Southfield Lathrup 44

It was a close game until Huron went on a 23-8 run to close the game helping the River Rats get the victory.  The Rats are not as individually talented as in years past, but play hard, and are well coached.
Game 5 Belleville 70 Oak park 57

Belleville opened up a 16-4 lead to end the first quarter then went into the half up 12.  The Tiger attack was led by Calvin Blaydes.  He displayed an improved touch from the perimeter as he hit four three pointers on his way to 21 points.  Oak Park made a run late behind point guard Trevon Gardner’s 18 points.  However, Belleville’s depth was too much for the Knights to withstand in the end. Super sophomore guard Davion Williams added 17 points and 8 rebounds, and Karme Carey added 11 for the Tigers.

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Mayor’s Notebook: Breaking Down the Winter Breakout

16 Dec

T.J. Kelley recently hosted the fourth annual Winter Breakout.  As usual at a IPS event, there was plenty of talent on display.

Game One Wayne Memorial 57 Howell 47

Game Two Grand Rapids Union 53 Detroit Loyola 52

This was a quality game.  Union jumped out early behind senior Bruce Burstra (11pts) and junior Jared Sietsema.  However, the Bulldogs came back to take a one point lead at the end of the third, behind senior combo guard Dequan Powell’s 11 points.  Down one, Loyola’s sophomore point guard and CMU commit Perrie Mitchell  missed a driving lay-up attempt with time expiring to give Union the win.

Game Three New Haven 64 Yspilanti Lincoln 46.

This was New Haven’s freshman Romero Weems’ coming out party.  As New Haven showed they will be a top contender in Class B.  Weems had 17 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks in New Haven’s dominating win.

Ty Groce paced the Rail Splitters with 15 points, 5 assists, and 6 rebounds.

Game Four Ann Arbor Pioneer 72 Conerstone 57

This game was nip-and-tuck through three quarters.  Then the Pioneers pulled away late.  Cedric Benton had 19 points, fellow junior guard Deric Murray also played solid for the Pioneers.  Freshman Drew Louder was impressive as well.  Pioneer moved to 2-0 on the season as they defeated Ann Arbor Skyline in overtime the night before.

Conerstone’s junior Jamal Cain showed why he is a top three prospect in the 2017 class by putting up 16 points, and 13 rebounds for the Wolves.

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Mayor’s Pre-season Class B Rankings

7 Dec

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Class B is wide-open for the taking this year.

1. Wyoming Godwin Heights- The champs will be favored once again to repeat with a mixture of veterans and talented youth.

Key players- 6’2″ senior guard Richard Major, 6’0″ senior guard Leon Redd, 5’10” junior point guard Christian Rodriguez, 6’5″ sophomore forward Markeese Hastings, 5’10” sophomore point guard Susu Davenport, 5’11” sophomore point guard Peyton Harley, 6’1″ sophomore guard Lamar Norman.

2. New Haven- Lost just one game a season ago, and return the two tallest players in the class.

Key Players- 6’10” senior forward Innocent Nwyoko, 6’10” senior forward Jerry Ben, 6’3″ junior guard Eric Williams, 6’5″ freshman wing Romeo Weems.

3. River Rouge- The Panthers returned to prominence last season, but lose four starters from a 19 win team a year ago.

Key players- 6’6″ senior forward Javon Lawrence, 6’2″ senior guard Dorian Watson, 6’0″ junior point Darian Owens-White, 6’3″ junior wing Delonte Peterson

4. Benton Harbor- This will be the last go-around for one of the best backcourt combinations in the state.

Key players- 6’3″ senior guard Jaton Gunn, 6’0″ senior guard Curtis Dawson, 6’1″ junior guard Roy Anderson.

5. Detroit Consortium- The Cougars are always a tough out regardless of who is on their roster.

Key players- 6’1″ senior guard Luster Johnson, 6’5″ senior forward Jaylen Moore, 6’4″ senior forward Jaylen Sykes, 5’10” senior guard C.J. Figueroa.

6. Onsted- Game plan for the Bulldogs all year should be feed the post.

Key players- 6’10” senior forward Austin Davis, 6’7″ junior forward Sylar Lipinski.

7. Detroit Osborn- Osborn has dominated the division II portion of the PSL in recent years, the Knights make the jump to division I this year to see how good they really are.

Key players- 6’7″ senior forward Devin Dubois, 6’0″ junior guard Armonee Felder, 5’11” sophomore guard Jamarria Hall

8. Hazel Park- Talented youth make the Vikings a player in Class B.

Key players- 6’7″ senior forward James Jenkins, 5’11” junior guard Cam Boatman, 6’1″ sophomore guard Carl Bow, 6’0″ sophomore guard Dave Hearns

9. Alma- Feed the big!

Key players- 6’9″ senior guard Dylan Carl

10. Stevenvsille-Lakeshore- Feed the big!

Key players- 6’10” senior forward Braden Burke.

11. Detroit Northwestern- A productive month of June team camps should propel the Colts to take their play a level higher.

Key played- 6’2″ senior guard Terrance Sewell, 5’10” junior guard Kylard Ship

12. Detroit Henry Ford- After a historic run to the Breslin Center, the Trojans must replace four starters and a healthy amount of role players.  Hustle and grit will be the formula for Ford to win games.

Key players- 6’0″ senior guard James Towns, 6’3″ senior forward Alston Hunter, 6’2″ senior guard Jeremy Crawley, 5’10” senior guard Angelo Walker, 6’0″ sophomore guard Damon Gilmore.

13. Wayland Union- An inside and outside presence will be tough for opponents to stop this season.

Key players- 6’0″ senior guard Avery Hudson, 6’7″ junior forward Zack Nieukwoop

14. Flint Southwestern– Michigan is eagerly awaiting for a Flint team from Michigan to return to respectability.  Will the Knights be this year’s team?

Key players- 6’1″ senior guard Tevin Taylor, 5’7″ senior guard DeShaun Pride.

15. Williamston- Return six seniors from a 17 win team and gain a top freshman in the state.

Key players- 6’0″ senior guard Riley Lewis, 6’5″ freshman forward Sean Cobb.

 

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Mayor’s Pre-season Class C Rankings

1 Dec

Beecher reigned supreme in 2015.

Beecher reigned supreme in 2015.

Will Beecher make it four in five years?  Or will the Bucs be de-throned from Class C supremacy?

1. Beecher– By far Class C’s most dominant team in the past four years with three state crowns.  Despite the Bucs’ dominance in Class C, Beecher has proved able to take-down larger schools.  Only preparing them for the real season of March.

Key players: 5’7″ junior point guard Malik Ellison, 5’10” junior point guard Jordan Roland, 6’7″ junior forward Levane Blake, 6’4″ senior forward Qua Burks.

2. Monroe St. Mary- St. Mary now transitions to life without Bryce Windham.  The Falcons fell one game short of the Breslin Center appearance one season ago, but have the talent and road map to reach the final weekend of the season.

Key players- 6’4″ senior wing Stephan Umfress, 6’7″ junior forward Nick Welch, 6’6″ sophomore forward Wyatt O’Brian, 6’2″ senior guard Hunter Coombe, 6’1″ senior guard Drew Sconochia, 6’3″ senior guard Bradley Shinnevarre.

3. Detroit Allen Academy- Talent is not the question, but must gel as a cohesive unit, particularly on the defensive end of the floor.  Combination of both size and speed makes the Wildcats tough to contain.

Key players- 6’0″ senior guard Jason Williams, 6’8″ senior forward Danny Pippen, 6’5″ senior forward Jayvaun Flake, 6’2″ junior guard Drequan Bell, 6’3″ junior guard Jawan Snoody, 5’10” freshman point guard Mark Watts.

4. Detroit Loyola- P.J. Mitchell was able to ease into his high school career a season ago behind a solid group of senior leaders.  This year will be the Mitchell show, and the Bulldogs will go as far as the Central Michigan commit takes them.

Key players- 5’10” senior combo guard Dequan Powell, 5’11” senior guard Romari Ennis 6’0″ junior forward Jaylen Hill, 5’8″ sophomore point guard Dequan Powell, 6’2″ sophomore forward Keith Johnson.

5. Southfield Christian- The Eagles adjusted to Class C after a three year reign in Class D.  Backcourt, check.  Bigs, not so much.

Key players- 6’4″ senior wing Marlo Brown, 5’8″ senior guard Jalen Bouldes, 5’11” senior guard Richard Faegin, 6’4″ junior wing Brock Washington, 6’3″ junior wing Trenton Temple, 6’4″ sophomore wing Bryce Washington.

6. Detroit Edison- Edison exceeded expectation one season ago winning a district championship.  Despite just one experienced senior on the roster, the Pioneers are a mixture of talented youth, and accepting role players.

Key players- 5’9″ senior guard KaLeif Gaines, 6’7″ junior forward Will Weems, 6’3″ junior guard Jamal Keese, 6’6″ sophomore forward Deante Johnson, 6’2″ sophomore point guard David DeJulius, 6’5″ freshman forward Dreyon O’Neil..

7. Detroit Cornerstone- The Wolves will be state playoff eligible this season.  Led by a top 100 junior prospect in the nation, Cornerstone is yet another Detroit team with a realistic possibility to play at the Breslin Center.

Key players- 5’10” senior point guard James Burton, 6’3″ senior forward Deijoun Ingram-Lawrence, 6’0″ junior guard Davion Bradford, 6’6″ junior forward Jamal Cain, 6’5″ junior forward Ethan Dixon.

8. Ypsilanti Arbor Prep– New coach Cliff Davis inherits an experienced district championship team.  With size, depth, and transfers on the way, the Gators are a force to be taken seriously this Winter.

Key players- 6’8″ senior forward Kyle Hayes, 6’7″ senior forward David Walker, 6’2″ senior guard Adrian Harrison, 6’0″ junior guard Kody Freeman, 5’10” junior point guard Garrett Gardette.

9. Detroit Pershing– Pershing has five state champions, none of which are from Class C.  The Doughboys will be tested through the gauntlet which is the Detroit Public Schools League, only then readied for a district with four teams in the pre-season top ten.

Key players- 6’6″ senior forward David Syfax, 6’7″ senior forward Charles Manson, 5’10” senior guard Troy Campbell, 6’0″ junior guard Patrick Hatcher, 6’0″ sophomore combo guard Ron Hill.

10. Hanover-Horton- Despite a crushing defeat to eventually champion Beecher in the semi-finals, Horton won 25 games, and will be a force in the southern portion of Michigan.

Key players- 6’5″ senior forward Preston Laketa.

11. NorthPointe Christian- Lost a significant portion of scoring, rebounding, and leadership due to graduation, but someone has to represent the westside of the state.

Key players- 6’5″ senior guard Tyler Baker

12. Muskegon Heights- Overshadowed by the large Class A Muskegon, Muskegon Heights has been a respectable program since the turn of the century.  Although the Tigers failed to capture a district championship last season for the first time since 1999, Heights usually one way or not finds themselves in contention for a spot at the Breslin Center come March.

Key players- 6’5″ sophomore forward Keishon Watson.

13. Ferndale University- The Eagles have no household names, but won 14 games a campaign ago.  Backcourt will be strength led by two veteran guards.

Key players- 6’9″ senior forward Chemar Greenfield, 6’3″ senior point guard Gehringer Ramirez, 6’1″ combo guard Justin Penn.

14. Melvindale ABT- Despite an average record, the Gators still managed a district championship.

Key players- 6’6″ junior forward Elijah Smith.

15. Riverview Gabriel Richard- The Pioneers are favored to win the C-D division in the Catholic League, with the possibility for more in March.

Key players- 6’4″ senior forward Jake Lipetzky, 6’0″ junior point guard Anthony Brown.

 

 

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Mayor’s Notebook: On The Come Up Tigers

30 Nov

 

Davion_WilliamsI stumbled across Davion Williams at a local travel team’s 16u tryout.  Mr. Williams was by far the best player in the gym.  Who was this kid?  Where did he come from?  Word was that he was hailed from McBride.  Knowing there was a McBride, Michigan, I thought that seemed kind of far just to travel for a workout.  But then it struck me, McBride Middle School in Belleville, Michigan.  Davian Williams was an eighth grader holding his own against players two to three years older than him.

That Summer, Williams played up a grade on the Michigan Warriors 15u team.  Williams averaged around 16 points and seven rebounds a contest.  However, it was in July where Davion flourished, leading his team to final four appearances at prestigious tournaments such as the Brawl for the Ball and the Spiece GRBA Nationals.  It was clear this kid had the potential to develop into a standout for an ailing Belleville program.

In his first high school game, Davion poured in 25 points for Belleville in a comeback win against rival Ypsilanti Lincoln.  Williams assumed the role as sixth man for the Tigers, but started on occasion in his first year en route to 10 points, four assists, and four rebounds a night.

Known primarily for his athleticism entering high school, Davion has rounded out a complete skill-set.  He can now take defenders off the dribble, in addition to developing solid form and consistent range with his perimeter game.  However, Williams’ greatest attribute is a desire to compete on the defensive end of the floor, a must in order to play for Belleville head man Adam Trumpour.  A pleasant combination of both strength and agility, the 6’3″ Williams can guard up to three positions on the floor and equally effective at each.

While Davion is a gym rat himself, Coach Trumpour also deserves a tremendous amount of credit for taking the time to work with a young Williams and develop into a bonafide division one college level two guard.  Coach Trump says Mississippi State, Xavier, Michigan, Michigan State and recently Pitt have made repetitive contact with Davion, while Oakland, Eastern Michigan, and U of D Mercy already extended offers.

Davion enters his tenth grade year as the leader for a particularly young but talented Tiger team.  Belleville laid the foundation as a program in 2014-2015.  Besting rival Romulus for the first time in four years, but fell to the Eagles in the opening round of the MHSAA district tournament.  Look for Belleville to continue their upward trajectory as a force in the highly competitive I-94 corridor on the shoulders of Williams, as he certainly has the Tigers on the come up.

Contributed by Adam Troia

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