Boys 1997

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 21st Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

West Bloomfield (18-3) West Bloomfield were going to be good this season whether or not senior guard Trishton Jackson played this season.  The Lakers got a boost when he decided not to forgo basketball as he has signed to play football for the Michigan State Spartans.  Combo guard Kevin McAdoo is one of the state’s top up and coming juniors and senior Gervon Winn adds depth to the back court - IPS Basketball
 

(18-3, Class A): Senior guard Trishton Jackson (22.5 points, four assists, four steals), along with 6-0 junior guard Kevin McAdoo (10 points, three assists) and 6-0 senior Gervon Winn (eight points, four rebounds) are returning starters for the Lakers. "I like our depth and athleticism," Coach Jeremy Denha said.. -  Detroit News

Outlook: With high-scoring Trishton Jackson (Michigan State football) and junior Kevin McAdoo, the Lakers have one of the top backcourts in the state, and junior Javion Johnson and Gervon Winn make the backcourt ridiculously deep. Jackson needs to stuff the stat sheet, especially rebounding-wise, and he and McAdoo are capable of playing either guard spot. Alex Sandberg, 6-5, can stretch the floor and play inside. Aubrey Hainsworth, 6-5, is an active inside player. -  Detroit Free Press

After losing just three games last season, the Lakers moved up to the OAA White from the Blue, but enter the season as the favorite in the league thanks to the presence of senior Trishton Jackson, one of the top scorers and playmakers in the state. Jackson will play football in college as a wide receiver at Michigan State, but he will flash all his ability one last time on the hardwood this winter. Guards Kevin McAdoo and Gervon Winn each averaged over 10 points a game last year and should get plenty of opportunities to put up big numbers with so many teams focusing on Jackson.  -  MiPrepZone

Taking a look at the pre-season top ranked teams participating in the 21st Annual Motor City Roundball Classic.

Team Page (Team info, Schedule, Results, Stats)

River Rouge (18-6) Every year under head coach Lamonta Stone adds value to the Panthers and the state.  Junior point guard Darian Owens-White, junior wing Delantae Peterson, senior forward Javon Lawrence, and sophomore Dalen Parker provide strength at multiple positions for a team that fell short in last year’s regional.. - IPS Basketball
 

(18-6, Class B): Lamonta Stone will be looking for big things from 5-10 junior point guard Darian Owen-White and 6-4 senior Dorian Watson. Javon Lawrence will give the Panthers size inside at 6-7 and 6-5 junior forward Delantea is a physical presence. Darian is the son of Adrian College head coach Mark White. "He is like a coach on the floor and a vocal leader," said Stone of Owen-White, who has an offer from Toledo. "Dorian can play every position on the floor.” -  Detroit News

Outlook: Look for an improved Rouge team with a well-balanced scoring attack. Junior point guard Darian Owens-White always has been a pass-first guy, but he has improved his scoring over the summer. Junior Delantae Peterson, 6-4, is capable of playing either forward spot and scoring inside. Dorian Watson, 6-3, a transfer from South Lyon East, is a physical guard who is a tough matchup. Robert Blackwell, a stalwart from the football team, will be the defensive specialist, and 6-7 Javon Lawrence has a soft touch from the perimeter. -  Detroit Free Press

20. River Rouge (18-5), B: Back for the second year of his second stint as coach at his alma mater, Lamonta Stone thinks this season’s Panthers contingent might wind up better than last year’s squad that won a Class B district championship. Sophomore Darien Owens-White, son of Adrian College coach Mark White, assumes the team’s point guard duties from Stone’s namesake and son, currently playing at Eastern Michigan. Delonte Peterson is a junior and Division I college recruit on the wing. Dorian Watson, a tall guard who transferred in last winter from South Lyon East, will fill in another spot in the backcourt and Javon Lawrence is a 6-foot-7 big guy with a soft touch and Julius Lauder, a lineman on the school’s football team that just finished a season that ended in the state finals, highlight River Rouge’s post attack.  - State Champs