Even with power programs like Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) and individual stars like Brandon Knight headlining this year’s Flyin’ to the Hoop lineup last weekend Dayton, Ohio, it was a hometown team that stole the show.
Dunbar of Dayton thrashed nationally-ranked Whitney Young (Chicago, Ill.), 98-76, Sunday night in front of nearly 3,500 fans at Trent Arena. The margin was shocking. The result shouldn’t have been.
The Wolverines reached Ohio’s Division II state title game three-straight years from 2005-07, winning the latter two appearances and producing standouts like Daequan Cook (Ohio State/Miami Heat), Josh Benson (University of Dayton), Norris Cole (Cleveland State) and Aaron Pogue (Cleveland State). Greg Oden’s brother, Anthony, played at the school for a year during the 2006-07 championship season.
A new cast of talent has head coach Peter Pullen’s program looking like a state championship contender again. Dunbar, unbeaten at 11-0, is No. 22 in this week’s Xcellent 25 Boys Basketball Rankings presented by the National Guard.
“It was a big win,” Pullen said of Sunday’s statement-maker. “We told our kids that it was an opportunity to put yourself on the national stage.”
The lead Wolverine this winter is 6-foot-4, 175-pound senior Geron Johnson. The versatile guard/wing is averaging 14.2 points, 4.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 steals per game.
“He is a DI prospect. He plays hard and makes us go,” Pullen said. “He can do a little of everything. He has the handles to be a one, shoots well enough to play the two. He creates a lot of mismatches. We can play him at three or four and he is quicker than those guys and just as strong. He’s a tough guard.”
Johnson’s college career will likely begin at the junior college level. Pullen identified Hutchinson Community College in Kansas as a potential destination.
Three other Wolverines average double figures. Senior guards Ryan Bass (13.7 points per game) and Deon Stewart (11.7), and sophomore Deontae Hawkin (11.0) highlight a deep and balanced attack.
“We have a very unselfish team,” Pullen said. “They like each other enough to share the ball, and it’s easy to do when you know you will get it back.”
Since a five-point win over Dayton Chaminade-Julienne on Dec. 8, Dunbar has won nine in a row by an average of 27.4 points per game. That left the team with no shortage of confidence heading into Flyin’ to the Hoop.
“We had film of them and we thought they were beatable. Very tough, but beatable,” Pullen said of Whitney Young. “We are an up-tempo team. We decided to get after them.”
Get after them is what Dunbar did, building a 39-point advantage at one point in the third quarter. Senior Delve' Givens helped illustrate the program's depth and balance by scoring a team-high 19 points. Givens is averaging 5.7 points per game on the season.
The next challenge will be avoiding a letdown Friday night against Dayton Meadowdale – a team the Wolverines struggled to beat 74-70 in their opener.
“That was our talk today,” Pullen said Wednesday. “Your performance Sunday created a lot of expectations. You did it in front of Dayton and now people are talking state championship. They are going to be looking at you. We are under the microscope and have to perform. Playing down to the competition is not what we want to be doing.”
Along with titles under Pullen in 2006 and 2007, Dunbar also owns a 1987 state championship and a successful postseason run could make it the 10th school in Ohio history to win four or more.
Jordin Mayes, No. 12 Westchester
File photo by Lonnie Webb
The PrimeTime Shootout is spreading its wings to the state of West Virginia this season with a series of showcase games beginning Friday at Morgantown High School and the WVU Coliseum. Nationally-ranked Oak Hill Academy of Virginia and Westchester of Los Angeles are among the headliners.
Complete lineup;
Friday at Morgantown High School
5 p.m. – Morgantown (W.Va.) vs. Marion-Franklin (Columbus, Ohio)
6:30 p.m. – Wilson (Beckley, W.Va.) vs. Chester (Pa.)
8 p.m. – South Charleston (W.Va.) vs. Trenton Catholic (Trenton, N.J.)
9:30 p.m. – Arlington Country Day (Jacksonville, Fla.) vs. Columbia (Decatur, Ga.)
Saturday at Morgantown High School
8:30 a.m. – Mountain State Academy (Beckley, W.Va.) vs. Oak Ridge Academy (Oak Ridge, N.C.)
10 a.m. – Half Hollow Hills West (Dix Hills, N.Y.) vs. Chester (Pa.)
11:30 a.m. – Our Savior New American (Centereach, N.Y.) vs. Quality Education Academy (Winston-Salem, N.C.)
Saturday at WVU Coliseum
5:30 p.m. – Mount Lebanon (Pittsburgh, Pa.) vs. Lake Clifton (Baltimore, Md.)
7 p.m. – Logan (W.Va.) vs. City College (Baltimore, Md.)
8:30 p.m. – No. 16 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) vs. Columbia (Decatur, Ga.)
10 p.m. – No. 12 Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.) vs. Rice (New York, N.Y.)
