[OSUBasketballJunkie]

DDN

3/21/06

Dunbar's Powell lends assists in setting up slams

Point guard makes Wolverines' offense click

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON | You always remember the oop but perhaps not the alley. Dunbar's Darran Powell is used to that.

One of basketball's most exciting plays is the alley-oop dunk. Dunbar's Daequan Cook, Aaron Pogue and Mark Anderson have thrown down several in the past few seasons.

"We don't practice it," said Powell, a 5-foot-10 senior guard who has played with Cook and Pogue for about six years. "If it's there, I throw it up and they go get it. I just throw it. I know they've got the ability to go get it.

You just have to know where they're at and where the rim's at throw it in between and hope they meet it."

That trio may get some dunks this weekend in the Division II state boys basketball tournament. Most of the time, it's Powell who perfectly passes the ball. The third-ranked Wolverines (24-2) play top-ranked Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary (21-3) in a semifinal at 2 p.m. Friday.

Powell's scoring average is 3.3 points. But he also averages 6.7 assists.

Most are not as visible as an alley-oop but every bit as effective.

"I accepted the role of being a point guard, stepping up when I have to," Powell said. "It's not my role to shoot the ball. I've got Mark, Aaron and Daequan, why shoot? I'll get all the assists I need."

Powell can shoot. His father Albert, a Dunbar assistant, said his son averaged 12 points when he was younger. Powell may attend the University of Cincinnati to play football and/or run track.

But the younger Powell realized his basketball role early, playing on an AAU team with Cook, Pogue, Lawrence North (Indiana's) Greg Oden and Mike Conley Jr. and others.

"Sometimes Darran didn't play," said his father, also an assistant on the Speice Indy Heat AAU team. "That's a lot of sacrifice so (the team) could get all that exposure and improve our skills.

"He knew he was getting better when he was working against Mike Conley and Daequan could no longer take the ball away from him. He has cherished that role. It takes a lot to be that unselfish."

Powell scored 11 in the regional semifinal victory when others weren't hitting. His varsity high is 15 last season. But usually, he's shooting for his goal of 10 assists (his career-high is 18) and sometimes not seeing his name in the box score because he had no points.

"I'm pretty used to it," Powell said. "People don't look for steals and assists and blocks and stuff." But they do look for high-flying dunks, like alley-oops.

That's when the mild-mannered, quiet point guard gets to be involved in showtime.

"I concentrate on playing defense and going for the alley-oop," Powell said.

"I can get it to Aaron and Mark and Pooh (Cook). It's usually pretty good. If it's off you can't tell because they can usually go get them."

The alley-oops mostly come from non-verbal, on-court communication.

They look nice but can test the coaching staff's patience.

"It's usually just an eye connection between (Darran) and Mark or Aaron or Daequan," coach Powell said. "We sometimes go, 'Grrrr,' but nine out of 10 are there."

Contact Mark Gokavi at 225-6951.