The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/787035
104 THE WOLVERINE MARCH 2017 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan class of 2017 signee Jor‑ dan Poole (6‑4, Rivals' No. 97 senior nationally) won the three‑ point contest at the Dr. Pepper Clas‑ sic Feb. 3‑4 in Chattanooga, Tenn., and there was no close second after he nailed 17 of 20 shots. Poole has been shooting the lights out this year for La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere, and so have his future Michigan teammate Eli Brooks and the other pledges. Poole was averaging 14.0 points per game for 23‑1 La Lumiere as of Feb. 13. He scored nine points in an 88‑49 win over Gary (Ind.) Roosevelt Jan. 24, 15 in a 107‑43 victory over Gary (Ind.) Lighthouse Jan. 28, 18 in an 82‑75 win over McCallie School (Tenn.) at the Dr. Pepper Classic and nine in an 86‑36 win over Marian (Ill.) Catholic Feb. 7. Brooks (6‑1, Rivals' three‑star pros‑ pect) and his Spring Grove (Pa.) High team stood 17‑5 as of Feb. 12 and were the No. 4 seed in the upcom‑ ing York-Adams Interscholastic Ath- letic Association Division I conference tournament. They were slated to face No. 13 seed New Oxford (Pa.) High (11‑10) Feb. 20. Brooks shot 12 of 22 from the field for 32 points in Spring Grove's regu‑ lar‑season finale against Greencastle‑ Antrim (Pa.) High Feb. 6. He also set a career high with 23 boards and added six assists to trigger a come‑ back win on senior night. "We didn't come in focused at the start tonight," head coach James Brooks told GameTimePa.com. "It's senior night, and our guys were a little too amped up. I had to call time‑ out to calm them down and get them refocused on the game." Brooks scored 26 points in a 63‑49 win over Delone (Pa.) High Feb. 4 after putting up 37 in a 71‑58 loss to Central York (Pa.) High a night ear‑ lier. A Spring Grove win would have given the Rockets at least a share of a Division I title and a No. 1 seed entering the conference tournament. Brooks' game‑winner in a 62‑58 victory over Dallastown (Pa.) High Jan. 31 wasn't a bucket, but an assist. He found teammate Drew Gordon with 2.1 seconds remaining to give the Rockets a big win. He iced the game with two free throws, and fin‑ ished with 20 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. Finally, Brooks put up a huge line of 38 points, 18 rebounds and six as‑ sists in a 77‑67 victory over North‑ eastern Jan. 27, responding after the opponent cut a 17‑point halftime lead to two in the fourth quarter. "The Rockets star senior and Uni‑ versity of Michigan commit went on a personal 8‑0 run, hitting two straight three‑pointers and an additional field goal to extend Spring Grove's lead to 10," GametimePa.com wrote. "We needed a spark," Brooks said. "I decided I wanted to get on it. I felt good in warm‑ups, and it felt good coming off my hand. I felt good the whole night." Signee Isaiah Livers (6‑8, Rivals' No. 128 senior nationally) was also off to a strong start, averaging 18.1 points and 15.0 rebounds per game for a Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central squad that was ranked as the No. 5 team in Class A by the Associated Press as of Feb. 12. Central beat Battle Creek (Mich.) Lakeview 83‑58 Feb. 10 to improve to 13‑1, a game Livers missed with the flu. That followed an 82‑48 win over Kalamazoo (Mich.) Loy Norrix Feb. 3 in which Livers put up 18 points, 14 rebounds, four blocks and three steals in three quarters. Central thrashed Portage (Mich.) Central 62‑38 Jan. 31, behind Livers' 20 points and 14 rebounds. Finally, Detroit East English Village junior point guard and U‑M pledge David DeJulius (6‑0, Rivals' No. 126 junior nationally) continues to play extremely well. He was averaging 26.2 points per game as of Feb. 12. DeJulius came up big in the fourth quarter to help East English Village beat Detroit Pershing 82‑80 in Public School League quarterfinal playoff action Feb. 10. "East English junior point guard David DeJulius scored 33, making 10 of 21 shots from the floor and 5 of 11 three‑pointers, but none was bigger than his three‑pointer to pull East English within 75‑72 with 2:08 left," The Detroit News reported. "It's an amazing feeling to be able to pull that victory out," De‑ Julius said. "We're not ready to go home yet. We had guys step up and make the necessary plays down the stretch." "Our guys played their butts off to‑ night," Pershing coach Wydell Henry BASKETBALL RECRUITING Future Wolverines Continue To Tear It Up U-M signee Isaiah Livers (center), a 6-8 forward, averaged 18.1 points and 15.0 rebounds per game to help Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central get off to a 13-1 start this season. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM