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12/28/05

McKinley Classic field provides early test for road to Columbus

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

By Chris Beaven Repository sports writer


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McKinley Classic
Tonight’s schedule Columbus Brookhaven vs. Detroit Redford, 6; McKinley vs. Toledo Libbey, 8.
Thursday’s schedule Consolation game, 6; Championship game, 8.
Tickets $8 pre-sale tickets are available at the McKinley ticket office from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. today. Tickets are $10 at the door. All seats are reserved.


CANTON - Holiday basketball tournaments often turn into holiday feasts for a host eager to feed itself wins against cupcakes.

McKinley High School boys basketball coach Dave Hoover, though, could care less about fattening up his team’s winning percentage.

That’s why the two-night McKinley Classic, which begins tonight at Memorial Field House, will again provide a tough test for the Bulldogs.
“Any one of the teams here, if they’re not playing well, they could drop two games this week because of the competition,” Hoover said.

McKinley meets Toledo Libbey in tonight’s second game, which should tip near 8. Columbus Brookhaven and Detroit Redford meet in the first game at 6. The winners return to play in Thursday’s championship game, which follows the consolation game at 6.

“You’re going to have to play well as a team and be on your toes if you want to survive these games,” Hoover said. “... That’s the one thing I liked about it (last year). If you’re a team who’s goal is to play in the (state) final four, it’s important for you to be able to put together two good efforts on back-to-back nights against good, high-quality competition.”

McKinley did that in last year’s inaugural McKinley Classic, which featured four teams with a combined 17 trips to the final four since 1992. The Bulldogs beat Brookhaven and Toledo St. John’s on their way back to the final four, where they eventually won the Division I state title.

“This provides a good learning experience for you,” Hoover said. “We didn’t want to put together a tournament where McKinley will be the champion year in and year out. That may happen, but if it does, we’ll have to play well both nights.

“We’re not going to bring in cupcakes. We designed this to be something to get you prepared for what you’ll have to do at the end of March.”

McKinley is 5-1. The lone loss came in its opener to Oak Hill Academy (Va.), which is ranked No. 2 nationally by SI.com’s Dave Krider. McKinley is ranked 11th in that poll.

Raymar Morgan, a 6-foot-8 Michigan State recruit, averages 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulldogs. He moved into fifth-place all-time on their career scoring list last week after two games of 30 or more points. His career-high 32 at Boardman gave him 1,050 points over three-plus seasons.

“It’s been a good stretch for him, and it’s not just the numbers,” Hoover said. “It’s how he does it. He goes out and has a 13-for-13 shooting night or he’s 11-for-14. He’s been very efficient.”

Senior forward Todd Brown, a Wright State recruit, averages 12.5 points. Senior guard Marcus Parker scored 10.7, and senior forward Ricky Jackson just misses double-figures at 9.7 per game. Five other Bulldogs see extensive minutes.

The Bulldogs are sharing the ball (22 assists last week at Boardman) and working hard on defense (44.5 points allowed per game). They also do a good job of coming out and taking charge early.

“We’ve pretty much gone out and played to our expectations and our abilities,” Hoover said.

Libbey is a young team that reached the district tournament a year ago. The Cowboys lost some key players as transfers, but they still are dangerous. They are 3-3 after a 66-60 loss to well-regarded Dayton Dunbar.

William Buford and Julius Wells are 6-5 sophomores who are threats on the wing and in the post, respectively. Another sophomore to watch is 6-3 Brad Sandridge. Phillip Pearson, a 6-2 junior, is good shooter and strong driver.

“They could be the most athletically-talented team we’ve played behind Oak Hill,” Hoover said. “And the next night, the (team) waiting to play us may be a step beyond that talent, at least in terms of experience.”

Redford reached the state final four in Michigan’s largest division. It has several starters back and is listed “on the bubble” for a spot in the SI.com top 20.

“They play very disciplined basketball and they are a very good defensive team,” Hoover said.

Brookhaven fell a win shy of its fifth straight trip to Ohio’s state final four last year. The Bearcats are led by guard Mike McGee and 6-7 Jeff Cumberland.

“They usually have a lot of talent and expect themselves to be a top contender in the Columbus district,” Hoover said. “And this year is no different.” Reach Repository sports writer Chris Beaven at (330) 580-8345 or e-mail: chris.beaven@cantonrep.com