LocalSportsJournal.com
The Muskegon area basketball scene is about to heat up this Saturday, with talented high school teams from two states taking the court in the Muskegon Basketball Showcase at Muskegon High school.
The three-game event kicks off at 4 p.m. at Redmond-Potter Gymnasium, and will include teams from Chicago Curie (Ill.), Oak Park, Westland John Glenn, Detroit Martin Luther King and Kalamazoo Central.
“It’s going to be a great day of basketball with three action-packed games,” said Muskegon High School athletic director and boys varsity basketball Coach Keith Guy. “The action will be loaded with Division 1 and 2 prospects on each team. These teams are tops in the state by far, plus we are bringing the best team out of Chicago.”
The main event will be the 7 p.m. game, pitting the Big Reds against Chicago Curie, one of the top-ranked teams in Illinois.
The 14-0 Curie squad features Kansas State commit DaJuan Gordon. The 6-4 senior guard is a permitter shooter who does a little bit of everything from slashing to the basket, flying high in transition and rebounding, and has a big presence on the defensive end.
Guy knows his team will have a tall order against Curie, but still likes the Big Reds’ chances.
“It will be a good game, and I think we have just the same amount of a chance to beat them as they have to beat us,” said Guy, whose team is 5-1 heading into Saturday’s matchup. “We are starting to play better, and I think if we come out to play the way we are capable of, we will be okay.”
The 4 p.m. opener will be a matchup between Oak Park and Westland John Glen.
Oak Park totes 6-6 junior power forward Maliq Carr. The multi-sport athlete is not only considered a premier basketball recruit, but also has football scholarship offers from Michigan, Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Carr is an explosive player who flies high above the rim, has incredible timing for blocking shots, and can get to the basket both in transition and in the half-court attack.
Westland is led by senior guard Joe Moon IV, who tallied 37 points in a Dec. 20 win over rival Wayne Memorial.
The second game of the night, slated for 5:30 p.m., will feature Detroit Martin Luther King against Kalamazoo Central.
King (5-1), which was ranked eighth in the state in a Detroit Free Press preseason poll, is coming off a big win over Chicago Orr on Dec. 30.
King’s Jordan Whitford is considered one of the top players in the Detroit Public School League. The 6-0 senior guard averaged 12.5 points and five assists during his junior season.
Jadakiss Lewis leads Kalamazoo Central at the point guard position. The 5-10 senior averaged 13.7 points, 4.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 2017-18.
Admission to the Muskegon Basketball Showcase is $10, which includes all three games.