Dayton Dunbar (Dayton, OH)

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Players of Interest:

Daequan Cook
Aaron Pogue

Here is a link to Dunbar's schedule....

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12/2/05

DUNBAR (D-II)

Coach: Pete Pullen

2004-05 record: 8-2, 22-5

Key returners: Sr. G Daequan Cook; sr. F Mark Anderson; jr. C Aaron Pogue; sr. G Darran Powell; sr. G Antoine Sain; jr. G Norris Cole.

Summary: OSU-bound Cook (21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds) and the other Wolverines would love to cap their rough schedule off with a Division II state title. The team made the state semis last year and returns all five starters, including the 6-8 Pogue (14.5 points, 10.1 rebounds) and Anderson (9.6 points, 6 rebounds).

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12/2/05

5 GAMES TO WATCH

Thu., Dec. 8: Dunbar vs. Lawrence North at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Cook plays against AAU teammates Greg Oden and Mike Conley in a game scheduled to be televised.

Tue., Dec. 20: Belmont at Meadowdale. Greg Napier, Donye Jenkins and the other Lions will face a cross-town challenge against Aaron Brown and Belmont.

Wed., Jan. 11: Colonel White vs. Dunbar at the Nutter Center. This traditional rivalry gets a change of venue. Can the young Cougars find a way to limit Dunbar?

Sun., Jan. 29: Dunbar vs. Trotwood-Madison at UD Arena. This could be a matchup of the area's best D-I and D-II teams. UD-bound Ram Chris Wright will battle inside against Dunbar's Aaron Pogue and Mark Anderson.

Sat., Feb. 18: Cin. Taft vs. Dunbar at US Bank Arena. A rematch of a D-II playoff game, this game is the under card to North College Hill against Oak Hill Academy.

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12/2/05

Wolverines hope rugged path leads to state championship

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | Rugged is Dunbar's roadway to renown. Nothing is certain, especially not the envied crown.

Last year's Division II state semifinalists face several chances to swallow their pride and many rocks to thrust aside.

Both in location and opponent, the Dunbar boys basketball schedule seems to be searching for losses. Because some games have been moved to the Nutter Center and elsewhere, the Wolverines may play as few as three true home games.

"I told the kids to look at it this way: To win the state and all the tournament games leading to state, you're playing off our floor," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. "This year, we're playing off our floor so that won't be a difference for us."

There are games against Lawrence North in Indianapolis, against Toledo Libby at Chillicothe and three or four games at a Myrtle Beach, S.C., tournament. Add in Cleveland Villa Angela-St. Joseph at Ohio State, Trotwood-Madison at UD Arena and Cincinnati Taft at US Bank Arena.
"We had a once-in-a-lifetime thing come our way," Pullen said. "So I thought the traveling that we're doing and the places we're playing are historic. Some of them won't get a chance to do that again."

Carrying the city's hope


Dunbar probably has more talent than any Dayton school district team since Colonel White in 1990, the last year a city team won a boys state basketball championship. This Wolverines team seeks to fulfill the promise hinted at years ago.

"Most of the players don't understand how if you grew up together as youngsters, why you don't go to the same high school?" senior Daequan Cook said. "We realized that since we've been playing together for four or five years, why not go to the same high school and get a chance to win a state title.

"Most of the kids want to be stars and don't want to play behind somebody so they go separate ways."

Though far from a one-man team, the Wolverines' chances rest on Cook. The 6-foot-5 player was the first to verbally commit to what's being called Ohio State's best recruiting class.

Rated nationally by several publications, Cook can dunk, hit 3-pointers, bank 15-footers, rebound, pass and defend. His averages of 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds might be higher if not for his talented teammates.

Supporting cast


Junior 6-foot-9 center Aaron Pogue (14.5 points, 10.1 rebounds) is a Division I recruit, as is 6-8 senior forward Mark Anderson (9.6 points, 6 rebounds).

The top six includes senior guards Darran Powell and Antoine Sain and junior guard Norris Cole. Plus, there's 6-9 sophomore center Josh Benson, senior Anthony Dixon, junior Daquan Walker and others.

It's a team that can't lose, right? Wrong. A 95-90 loss to Upper Sandusky in last year's Division II state semis stopped Dunbar at 22-5.

"Last year, we thought we had it," Anderson said. "We thought it was easier than what it was going to be. We ended up coming short. We learned from our mistakes."

In the past seasons, the team has dealt with Pogue's ineligibility, a messy coaching change from Mitch Waterman to Pullen and constant rumors of Cook's departure for a prep school.

'A big schedule'


This season, on-court tests come often. Tonight's opener against Cincinnati Hughes features transfer Lonnie Hayes, scoring guard Adrion Graves, 6-6 forward Christian Siakam and 6-8 center Yancy Gates.

Lawrence North boasts 7-foot center and possible future No. 1 NBA pick Greg Oden and guard Mike Conley, Cook's friends, AAU teammates and fellow OSU recruits. The Dec. 8 game at Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse is scheduled to be shown on ESPN2.

Libby has a strong program, the Beach Ball Classic always has prominent teams and VASJ features David Lighty, another member of Cook's OSU class.

Add in local contender Trotwood, the conference and city rivals and D-II power Taft (on the under card of North College Hill vs. Oak Hills Academy) and Dunbar has anything but a soft road. Then comes the tourney, the part that matters most.

"It's a big schedule," Cook said. "We've got to perform big."

Contact Mark Gokavi at (937) 225-6951.

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12/3/05

DUNBAR 75, CINCINNATI HUGHES 66
Dunbar off and running

Wolverines open with victory over Cincinnati Hughes

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | — Opening night of "The Tour" got started late Friday night at Dunbar.

But the capacity crowd — including Ohio State basketball coach Thad Matta — saw flashes of what is supposed to be a good production.
With Cincinnati Hughes in a guest-starring role, the Wolverines finished with a 75-66 win.

Like any opening night, there were strong performances and others needing work. Hughes was late, meaning a 9 p.m. tip.

"It was mediocre," Dunbar coach Peter Pullen said. "I thought we did good in spots and some things we didn't do so well. We just had to win it."
Two of the good things the Wolverines did was force turnovers (unofficially 26) and run early.

"We had to get some defensive pressure to make it the type of game that we wanted," guard Antoine Sain said. "It gets your adrenaline going even more and you want to work harder."

Dunbar had five dunks in a row in the first quarter — two by Aaron Pogue, two by future Buckeye Daequan Cook and one by Mark Anderson. One of Cook's came off an off-the-backboard alley-oop pass by Norris Cole.

"That was a stretch, huh?" Pullen smiled. "That can happen with this bunch."

Dunbar forced 11 first-quarter turnovers and cashed in with the ultimate high-percentage shots.

"It's real exciting," said Anderson, who had 17 points. "That's the kind of game we want play — run up and down. Me, Daequan and Aaron like to play above the rim."

Dunbar players and fans sported T-shirts ($15 for short sleeves, $20 for long sleeves) with a team photo on front and "The Tour" on the back listing the team's ambitious schedule.

Pogue led Dunbar (1-0) with 21 points while Cook had 18 and Sain 15.

Hughes (0-1) got 20 points from Yancy Gates, 18 from Xavier-bound forward Adrion Graves and 13 from Lonnie Hayes. The Big Red's 6-7 junior center, Christian Siakam, didn't play because all the paperwork hasn't cleared for him to be eligible.

"I actually think Dunbar is better than what they played tonight," Hughes coach Greg Mills said. "And we're a lot better than we played tonight."

These Southwest Ohio Public League members played an up-tempo first half. After intermission, the game ground down.

Cook didn't make a field goal after halftime, making 5 of 8 free throws. "He missed some shots and didn't take some shots," Pullen said. "He didn't play his usual under-control ball. That could have been Thad or the first game or a lot of factors.

"If we can win without him playing real well ... that's what makes this team so special. Other guys step up."

The Wolverines play Jefferson on Tuesday and then travel to Butler University at Indianapolis on Thursday to battle Lawrence North. Tickets are $10 and go on sale at Dunbar after school Monday.

The road show probably must improve by then. "Overall, you have to be pleased with a victory, even if you didn't have the best results," Pullen said. "But it gives you something to work on."

Contact Mark Gokavi at (937) 225-6951.

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12/6/05

Dunbar ready for national spotlight

By Mark Gokavi
Dayton Daily News
DAYTON | — Daequan Cook will probably smile, say hello and shake hands with Greg Oden and Mike Conley. The AAU and future Ohio State basketball teammates may share a laugh and look around Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Thursday night.

After that, it's game on.

"Once it's between the lines, you really don't have any friends if you take the game seriously," Cook said. "That's how I feel about it. You're friends off the court, but when you're between the lines, it's a different story."

The high school basketball story plays out at 7:30 p.m. Thursday on ESPN2 when Cook and Dunbar battle Oden, Conley and Lawrence North.

At 7 feet tall and 245 pounds, Oden has been called basketball's next great big man. Before the NBA adopted a rule that its players must be 19 and at least a year out of high school to be draft-eligible, Oden was projected as a possible No. 1 pick.

Lawrence North coach Jack Keefer said Oden wanted to go to college anyway, but that the big guy could play in the NBA now.

"He could," Keefer said. "So could Cook. Cook could play in the NBA right now. Have you seen that guy play? I've got (Indiana) Pacers down here that can't play like that.

"There's kids out there that just have it. I coached a McDonald's All-American game (in 2005). Greg and Cook both are better than some of those kids. Some got drafted 18th and 17th and they're just better. They're unbelievably talented kids."

For the record, the Boston Celtics took 6-8 Gerald Green of Gulfshores Academy in Houston with the 18th pick. Green, on Keefer's McDonald's East squad, hasn't yet played one NBA minute.

Dunbar coach Peter Pullen admits neither the 6-5 Cook nor any one Dunbar player can stop Oden. He said 6-9 junior center Aaron Pogue and 6-8 senior forward Mark Anderson will help double-team Oden. Dunbar will try to limit Conley and Oden and make someone else beat them.

"You can't be intimidated," junior Norris Cole said. "You've got to respect his skills. You know he's going to be good and dominant, but at the same time, you've got to play your A game so you can come out on top."

Nationally ranked Lawrence North (4-0) has won the past two Indiana 4A state titles, but graduated three starters.

"We're in a transition period," Keefer said, sounding serious. "We're just trying to build up a team. But we've got two good bookends to do it with."
Dunbar (1-0 before playing at Jefferson tonight) was a Division II state semifinalist last season.

Pullen believes Cook and Anderson will be tough matchups for Lawrence North. Keefer agrees.

"I just saw a tape of them and saw them get five dunks in a row," Keefer said. "That wasn't much fun for the other team."

Lawrence North played on ESPN2 last season and will be featured again later this season. Dunbar is the team that must travel and get used to the cameras.

"Everybody's so worried about not being scared because we're on TV," Darran Powell said. "We just have to go out there and play and handle our business."