Playoffs nearing for basketball pro am

By Michael Selecky
INDEX Sports Writer

BURTON — With less than 10 games played this summer for each of the 10 teams taking part in the 2008 Burton Pro Am basketball league, the postseason is already within reach, as the playoffs begin Sunday.

In anticipation of the upcoming conclusion of the current regular season, two of the league’s top teams kicked off Saturday’s action at Bentley as Trent Inc. faced 2007 Flint summer league champion Team Liquor King, with last year’s title holders taking a 102-97 victory. The loss dropped Team Trent to 6-2 overall.

For the offense, Takais Brown took flight for 34 points on the night for Team Trent, followed by Dremaine Townsend, who scored 18, and Breyhon Watson chipped in with 16 points.

“I’m actually involved with two teams now. I am coaching Trent Inc., which is my first priority, and I’ve also decided to play with a group of guys my age (mid-30s) that I used to play with from Planet Hoops and try to help them out,” said Bentley varsity boys’ coach Jeremy Trent. “We played Mateen Cleaves and Palm Tree Lounge Sunday, losing 98-94. Damon Hoffman had 34 points for us, Ellery Morgan had 26 and Andy McGarry and myself each had 11.”

With the league playoffs beginning this Sunday, going into this weekend’s action, Jeff Grayer Inc. has the league’s best record at 8-1, followed by Team Detroit/Ypsilanti (7-2), Trent Inc. (6-2), Palm Tree Lounge (5-3), Liquor King (5-4), Charlie Bell Inc. (3-5), Charlie Harris Inc. (3-6), MBA (3-6), Blessed Inc.(2-7), featuring Laval Lucas-Perry and Planet Hoops (1-8).

“This Friday Trent Inc. will play at 5 p.m. against MBA, which is (league founder) Earl Jordan’s team, in the first of three games,” Trent said. “At 6:30 p.m. Mateen Cleaves’ team will play first place Jeff Grayer Inc., which should be a great game, and at 8 p.m. Charlie Bell Inc. will play Team Detroit, which should also be a great game.”

Start time for this weekend’s contest will be 5 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
“This should be the best weekend so far for the Summer Pro Am League at Bentley,” said Trent. “We also have an All-Star game planned this weekend, which will either be Saturday or Sunday, but we aren’t sure when yet. Only professional players are allowed to play in the All-Star game so it should be great.”