Brother Rice storms past East Kentwood to kick off The D Zone Invitational

CLARKSTON - Brother Rice stormed past East Kentwood 77-58 Saturday morning at Clarkston to kick off the inaugural The D Zone Invitational.

Brother Rice stormed out an early double-figure lead draining 3-pointers and creating turnovers. The much more experienced Warriors squad played with poise and proved how dangerous they can be offensively.

East Kentwood made a run in the third quarter, but Brother Rice responded with aggressive offense and stout defense to seal the victory.

Brother Rice MVP: Greg Grays Jr. (6-2)

Grays is a rising junior having moved from Farmington. He’s a well-built guard with a nice 3-point shot - especially from the corner. He displayed strength getting into the paint with a nice Euro step to avoid charges. His body control and patience make him an intriguing prospect with major college upside if he can continue developing his outside shot. He poured in 19 points Saturday against a feisty East Kentwood squad.

East Kentwood MVP: Major Barnes (5-8)

Barnes stepped into a starting role and immediately staked his case to start all the time. Barnes was a calming presence as a lead guard and nearly unconscious from 3-point range. Barnes is one of many sophomore studs on the Falcons’ roster and one to watch as he keeps getting stronger and more confident. He finished the game with 17 points.

Team Analysis:

Brother Rice

This team is deep and talented. They have several threats from 3-point range and fearless guards who excel at getting to the basket. Their physicality was way too much for East Kentwood’s young roster. Senior point guard David Williams (6-1) scored 12 points while running the offense, and Jeremiah Caffey (6-3) added 13 points from the wing. Freshman Adam Tribul is a special talent from 3-point range. He scored 11 points off three 3-pointers. Center Trevor Smith (6-7) suffered a first-half injury, but he is a key cog in this team’s hopes for a long postseason run.

East Kentwood

This is a very young team, starting four sophomores and a junior. Jeremiah Cook (6-2) is a high-major prospect who poured in 31 points Saturday. He can do everything on the court and is still just a sophomore playing his first full season on varsity. Purdue has shown interest, among others. Randy Chapman (6-2) - the lone junior starter - is a solid wing with unique athleticism and some outside shooting upside. Sophomore Sam Makung (6-5) is an uber-athletic forward who is still gaining comfort and adjusting to the speed of the game. Andrew Kenyi (6-8) is another sophomore garnering high-major college attention as a potential stretch four. This team might take its lumps at times this season, but they are poised for a special future.