Tag Archives: Coaches Against Violence Invitational

Another Step in the Right Direction

23 Jan

The third edition of the Coaches Against Violence Invitational was yet another building block is the ascension of this event as a premier showcase in Michigan.

This year, the brand was elevated with the prominent media coverage of Branden Hunter of Michigan Preps and Rico Beard of Spartan Mag.

Also, it would be remiss if the one-and-only Chicken King was not mentioned for providing quality meals and discussion worthy cornbread.  Check them out at their Farmington location on Grand River.  Tell them the Coaches Against Violence Invitational sent you.

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DeMario Turner leads Community to win.

Game One: Detroit Community (5-5) 66 Detroit Westside Christian (9-4) 32

 

This game featured a battle between quality senior wings DeMario Turner of Community and James Jordan of Westside, both of whom should be on the radar for college coaches.  The two finished in double-digits scoring wise, but the Hurricane depth and strong defensive game-plan were enough to overpower the Warriors and cruise to a sold victory.  Outside of Turner, many of Community’s key players are either sophomores or juniors.  Meaning the future is bright for head coach Damon Porter’s group.

MVP- 6’4″ senior wing DeMario Turner 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks

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Vince McKinney is the heart for DPSA.

Game Two: Detroit Public Safety (7-4) Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (6-5)

 

These two teams met last year with Arbor Prep defeating DPSA by twenty at home.  This year on a neutral court, DPSA left little doubt about who the better team was.  Simply put, DPSA could have named the score after the first quarter.  After losing their first four games of the year, DPSA has won the next seven in a row, including a quality road victory at Waterford Out Lady of the Lakes.  It has been interesting to watch the progression of DPSA as a program the past three Coaches Against Violence Invitationals from a team with promise to a program that expects to win games each night.  The Eagles have the talent, athleticism, and size to match with any Class D team in Metro-Detroit this year.  The Breslin Center is a realistic expectation for this group.

MVP- 6’3″ senior forward Vincent McKinney 19 points and 16 rebounds.

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Farmington’s Jordan Graham can fill the basket.

Game Three: Farmington (8-3) 58 Detroit Voyageur 40 (2-5)

 

It is truly astonishing to realize how much high school basketball can change in the course of three years. These two teams squared off at the inaugural Coaches Against Violence Invitational in 2015, Voyageur (former Consortium) had just come off a Class C state championship, while Farmington was slowly but surely developing a quality program in Oakland County.

Now fast-forward to 2017, the experience laden Falcons dominated the Cougars, holding a commanding double-digit lead throughout most of the second-half.  Voyaguer is a relatively young team, sophomore point guard Elijah Belle is the building-block going forward for the Cougars.  However, Belle and his teammates had no answer for 6-5″ swingman Jordan Graham, arguably the top unsigned senior talent remaining in Michigan.  Farmington will go as far as Graham takes them, but he has capable guards in Ray Bryant and Jay Kirby to aid the way as the Falcons are in prime position to make a deep playoff journey through Oakland County this year.

MVP- 6’5″ senior wing Jordan Graham 28 points and eight rebounds.

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Marquette bound Jamal Cain brought his A game for the event.

Game Four: Detroit Cornerstone (7-2) 82 Detroit Henry Ford Academy: School for Creative Studies (4-3) 44

 

As far as overall team-play is concerned, Cornerstone did win convincingly against the Mustangs.  However, this game drew a solid following due to the match-up of skilled big men in senior Jamal Cain (Marquette) and junior Trevion Williams.

Williams had three fouls before intermission, and Cornerstone took advantage of that time frame to build a lead to put the game out of reach for SCS.  But for the limited time Cain and Williams guarded one-another, it was a compelling battle with the contrasting styles the two feature, the finesse and smooth game Cain processes and the rugged throwback game Williams highlights.  These two are amongst the top in their classes and the state overall, and challenged themselves against a player with equally comparable talent, an act the two deserve to be exalted for.

MVP- 6’7″ senior forward Jamal Cain with 22 points and 12 rebounds.

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It will be hard to keep Kelly Broadus out the paint this year.

Game Five: Detroit Frederick Douglass 81 (9-3) Detroit Old Redford 62 (5-5)

 

Last year, the second annual Coaches Against Violence Invitational had a team in Detroit Northwestern that flew under the radar in the Public School League, then in the city playoffs stunned one of the larger schools.

This year, Douglass fits that narrative.  The Hurricanes deploy a three-headed monster senior guard attack with 5’7″ speed-demon Kelly Broadus, 6’1″ cerebral Jarnard Smith, and 6’4″ marksman Carlos Walker-Byars.  The trio combined for 70 of Douglass’ total points.  The recipe for success come March is guards and seniors, Douglass happens to have both.

MVP- 5’7″ senior guard Kelly Broadus 32 points and four steals.

All-Invitational First Team

Douglass senior guard Kelly Broadus  32 points and four steals

Old Redford sophomore guard Mark Watts 32 points

Farmington senior wing Jordan Graham 28 points and eight rebounds

Public Safety senior forward Vince McKinney 19 points and 16 rebounds

Cornerstone senior forwardJamal Cain 22 points and 12 rebounds

All-Invitational Second Team

Douglass senior guard Jarnard Smith 18 points

Douglass senior guard Carlos Walker 20 points and eight rebounds

Public safety sophomore guard Thomas Henderson 16 points

Farmington junior guard Jay Kirby 15 points

Community senior wing DeMario Turner 17 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.

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A Day to Remember

26 Jan

IMG_1856Year one laid the foundation, and year two raised the standard for all future Coaches Against Violence Invitational events to follow.  The Coaches Against Violence Invitational, founded by Steven Manrique of the Prep Ball Report and Dearborn ATA boys basketball coach Greg Boler, strives not only to provide a competitive high-level basketball event, but as the name says form a collaboration of coaches from across the Metro-Detroit community to address the issue of youth violence.  Specifically held at the end of the Martin Luther King Jr. week, the 2016 event saw growth in terms attention surrounding the games, community support, and diversity among the teams.

Thank you to all schools, coaches, players, parents, and media involved throughout the course of the day.  Your support does not go unnoticed.

A special mention goes out to both Macomb Community College and Marygrove College for their support of the 2016 Coaches Against Violence Invitational, as both school had representatives in the stands searching for prospective players.  Both aiding in another goal of the invitational, to provide exposure and platforms for these student-athletes to continue their careers both academically and athletically following 12th grade.

We would also like to recognize the first ever sponsor in Coaches Against Violence Invitational history, La Carreta Market.  La Carreta has three locations located throughout Southwest Detroit’s Mexicantown.

Mumford sophomore guard Brandon Green leads the Mustang youth movement.

Mumford sophomore guard Brandon Green leads the Mustang youth movement.

Game One: Detroit Mumford (3-6) 61  Melvindale (6-4) 50

Less than 14 hours following an epic game-winner at the buzzer the night before at Gibralter Carlson, Melvindale was unable to continue the momentum going against Detroit Mumford.  With aggressive guard play, particularly on the defensive end of the floor, and timely shots, the Mustangs held off a late Cardinal surge in the fourth quarter.

With a strong nucleus of underclassmen, the Mustangs will be a team to watch in the coming years once individual talent starts to mesh with team concepts.

MVP: Mumford sophomore guard Brandon Green with 20 points.

Game Two: Detroit Chavez 59 Taylor Prep 51

With no seniors on the roster and only one junior in the starting lineup, Chavez jumped on the young Tigers early and held an 8-12 advantage throughout the course of the game.

MVP: Chavez junior wing Teddy Frazier with 16 points.

Game Three: Detroit Public Safety (5-6) 45 Detroit Southeastern (3-9) 43

Buckets were few and far in-between for these two teams.  However, the game was well worth the struggle in the concluding seconds.  Southeastern connected on a three and then stole the ensuing DPSA throw-in to cut the lead to one possession.  With one second remaining on the clock, DPSA missed the front-end of one-and-one giving the Jungaleers a chance.  However, Southeastern was unable to heave a shot off, giving the Eagles a victory.

MVP: DPSA junior guard Michael Smith with 16 points.

Junior guard Kylen Shipp is enjoying a productive year in the Colt backcourt.

Junior guard Kylen Shipp is a key piece in the Colt backcourt.

Game Four: Detroit Northwestern (6-3) 71 Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (6-3) 60

Rebounding, points in the paint, and transition offense were keys for Northwestern on the night.  The starting backcourt combined for more than half their total points, and several role players came up with stops on defense, hustle plays, and 50-50 balls.  Northwestern is starting to place themselves as a potential dark horse in a wide-open Class B, perhaps even a deep city title run if one of the teams from the larger division doesn’t arrive for 32 minutes with the Colts.

MVP: Northwestern junior point guard Kylen Shipp with 20 points.

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Senior guard Luster Johnson aims to conclude prep career strong.

Game Five: Detroit Consortium (5-5) 57 Ypsilanti Lincoln (4-5) 39

Consortium is known for the historic 2013-2014 season which culminated in a Class C state crown, however, over the past decade the Cougars have been one of the state’s most winningest teams.  Since the 2007-08 campaign, Consortium has won at least 15 games.  It will take a strong finish this year to accomplish such a goal, but when a team can compete on both ends of the floor, odds will more often be in their favor than not.  Consortium’s pressure-defense prevented any continuity in Lincoln’s attack, and their efficiently structured offensive sets both took time off the clock, and morale from the RailSplitters.  Coach Tuomi is among the state’s top coaches and seizes the most out of the players he has to work with, and would be no surprise to see the Cougars end their season for the second time in three years at the Breslin Center.

MVP: Consortium senior guard Luster Johnson with 21 points, four rebounds, and four assists.

Game Six: Detroit Allen Academy (9-2) 61 Detroit Cornerstone (3-5) 59

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It was a slugfest in the paint all night between Jamal Cain of Cornerstone and Danny Pippen from Allen Academy.

This game was not a game, it was a war.  These two programs are under the direction by brothers who in their short coaching careers in Michigan have done far more winning than losing.  This was the definition of a high school basketball game.  Players who have known each other since grade school competing, boisterous cheerleaders, and a crowd summoned to their feet throughout the game.  And thankfully all in attendance were treated to an extra four minutes of action.  A four minutes which saw Allen do just enough to squeak past Cornerstone.  This could only be round one between these two, a potential rematch is on the horizon if both teams reach the Breslin Center come March.  Regardless, the fervor felt throughout the gym for those two hours will be difficult to duplicate, and no one summarized the game better than Allen Academy’s Danny Pippen who said after the game “That was probably the best game I ever played in.”

MVP: Allen Academy senior forward Danny Pippen with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

Coaches Against Violence All-Invitational Team

First Team

5’9″ Detroit Northwestern junior point guard Kylen Shipp

6’3″ Detroit Northwestern senior wing guard Terrance Sewell

6’0″ Detroit Consortium senior combo guard Luster Johnson

6’7″ Detroit Cornerstone junior wing Jamal Cain

6’8″ Detroit Allen Academy senior forward Danny Pippen

Second Team

5’11” Detroit Allen Academy senior point guard Jason Williams

6’2″ Detroit Mumford sophomore combo guard Brandon Green

6’0″ Melvindale junior combo guard Montrez Fuster

6’5″ Detroit Consortium senior forward Jaylen Sykes

6’7″ Arbor Prep senior forward Kyle Hayes

 

 

 

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