COUNTY CAGERS PUT ON SHOW IN RECENT HOOP COMBINE

It was great to see so many OC hoopsters getting the chance to "up" their college prospect value at the Bank Hoops Classic Mini-Camp and Showcase, an event held last weekend in Flint, where less-exposed prep basketball players from the state get the chance to play in front of and learn from a number of college coaches and recruiters.

Here were a few highlights:

Jake Daniels (Waterford Kettering) – The surprise of the two-day affair from Burney's perspective. Not much was known about Daniels, only a sophomore, coming into the showcase, due to him playing a majority of his high school career thus far on the junior varsity. The 6-2 forward showed a great deal of athleticism and grit and finished with what some were calling the slam dunk of the weekend, by going baseline, elevating, and jamming the ball two-handed over an opposing defender. Watch for Daniels to play a significant role in the Captains' arsenal next season as a junior.  

Chris Dewberry (Waterford Mott) – One of the top underclassmen in the area proved his merit last weekend and torched the nets for 34 points in one game on Saturday. Overall in the event, he averaged close to 20 ppg and showed his fiery touch from the outside on numerous occasions – in a game on Sunday, he registered four straight 3-point bombs in a span of just over 90 seconds. Dewberry, who will be a junior next season, got to the line often and connected on close to 85 percent of his attempts. He's one of those guys who knows how to get into the lane and get the whistle. My boy, "Rip City", has a superior mid-range and outside game and was a primary reason the Corsairs wound up having such a good season this year, even though he only played half of the season due to his transfer for Oak Park. If you haven't seen Dewberry play: think a more-frail, less-finishing version of Carlton Brundidge, with a much better long range game.

Ray Tillman (AH Avondale) – Arguably the best two-sport stud in the county for the 2010-2011 campaign (no disrespect to Allen Robinson (OLSM), Lee Bailey (DCD), and Jake Duzey (ATHENS), who all make it into the discussion too) and he didn't disappoint at the camp either. Tillman busted his tail and excelled at the morning drilling stations and displayed his smooth, yet ultra-aggressive floor game every time he was on the HARDWOOD. The icing on the cake for my main man, "Ray Ray", was when he drilled at 50-foot shot from halfcourt to beat a halftime buzzer on Saturday night. Like Robinson and Bailey, Tillman will have a choice of playing either football or basketball at the next level. His stock in the prep bball recruiting scene definitely continued to rise following his performance at "THA BANK."

Joe Zubrickas (WL Central) – The Vikings' human double-double is in a slightly different position than Daniels, Dewberry, and Tillman, in that he needs his ride to the next level immediately. You see, unlike the other trio of county stars, Centrals "Brickhouse", is a senior, graduating in June, and as of right now, doesn't have a place to play. Well, to the big fella's credit, he was a workhorse – as always – throughout the entire weekend and put on display his ironclad work ethic and overall power in the paint. This kid deserves a spot on a college roster next year! Competing against much bigger post prospects – Zubrickas is only 6-6 at the most and was banging with guys who were well over 6-7 –, he more than held his own in both the drills and the games. Zubrickas shined the brightest in the transition game, showing his talent at getting out in the open floor and finishing on the fast break. In a tribute to his tenacity and finishing-prowess, "The Z-Man" led the whole event in slam dunks.