Winners from the David Barnes Showcase

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Today, I had the honor to watch 100 boys and girls play in a fundraiser showcase in honor of David Barnes. David was a fierce competitor on the basketball court for Goodrich High School and Grand Valley State, yet his greatest fight was sinus cancer. Unfortunately, David lost his battle with cancer at the age of 30; still, cancer did not get the final word as David's legacy carries on in this event and in an eponymous scholarship. While you read my humble thoughts on the day, I also hope that you will consider being part of this showcase in the future.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winner [player_tooltip player_id='1130666' first='Josh' last='Ross'] | 2023 Detroit Catholic Central | 6'4 SF</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>By far my favorite player of the day. Josh combines two types of player into one powerfully built body: scorer and hustle player. Josh showcased a wide variety of skill sets as he drained catch and shoot and triple threat three pointers. He absolutely punished bigs off the bounce and got to work down low on smaller players. His defense is top notch as he shuts down post players and can easily guard wings on the perimeter, where he picks up a ton of steals. I was impressed by his relentless play on the boards, in passing lanes, and in help defense (where he has a high level IQ). He punctuated his last seconds on the court with a monster two hand jam, not his only one of the day. I have coached against and coached several D2 players; Josh is just as good as every one of those players. Some D2 program needs to take a chance on this kid.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winner Detroit Catholic Central</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>DCC rode a strong team into a Quarterfinal slugfest with a strong defending state champion and came up just a little short. I expect to see them make another deep based on the talent they brought today. I have already written on [player_tooltip player_id='1130666' first='Josh' last='Ross'], who deserved his own section, but [player_tooltip player_id='1115332' first='TJ' last='Nadeau'] and <strong>Asher Suardini </strong>also played well. Suardini, a 5'7 freshman point guard went strong to the basket and kept ball handlers in front of him. [player_tooltip player_id='1115332' first='TJ' last='Nadeau'] is going to be a beast this year. The 6'5 junior guard is a complete package. He shots the deep ball and bulls his way to the basket- yet knows when to utilize a sweet euro-step. He rebounds and is an intense on ball defender; he will be truly elite as his off ball defense improves. At worst, he is a 3 and D ace, but I have a feeling that he is going to be dominant force this year.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winner The Deutsch Family</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Mom and Dad Deutsch had to go home proud after the showcase as <strong>Brennan Deutsch</strong>, a 6'4 2025 wing, and [player_tooltip player_id='986581' first='Charlie' last='Deutsch'], a 6'4 2023 wing, showed out for the Rockford community. Brennan definitely held his own with strong play on both sides of the court. I was pleasantly surprised by Charlie's game. First, he is built like a football defensive end but plays like a wing. He uses his strength to maintain position on defense, but it's his understanding of angles that makes him a special player. He used these angles to get to the basket repeatedly, where he finished through contact several times. He hit every catch and shoot three pointer he took and found open post players with pinpoint passes. He has an old man feel of the game that I would take on my team any day.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Winner The Davison Youth Movement</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Davison High School was represented by a plethora of young talent, and they will be a handful in a couple of years. Want tall players? Davison will have them in a pair of skilled 6'5 sophomore twins in [player_tooltip player_id='1437572' first='Jesse' last='James Cull']-love the name- and Dempsey Cull. Both players held their own in very competitive games. Davison also showcased their backcourt of the future in sophomore [player_tooltip player_id='1438861' first='Danny' last='Wolak'] and <strong>Carter Dirkse</strong>. In the 5'9 sophomore Wolak, Davison has a smooth shooting point guard that has some serious moxie. Wolak showcased deep range on his jumper and the ability to find cutters off the bounce. Dirkse, a 5'11 freshman, was very fun to watch due to his feel for the game. He is a very crafty ball handler that reads screens at a high level and finishes through contact with both hands; he even showcased some legit post moves on smaller players. His cutting ability showcased his high IQ- this kid is going to be fun to watch.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->