The game between the Detroit Muscle and Grand Rapids Hoops looked like a typical summer pick-up game.
Except for the fact that there was some hard hitting, a display of impressive shot making and few thunderous dunks thrown in here and there.
I guess it helps when there are professionals on your team.
The two teams are part of the 2007 Summer Pro-Am league, which plays every Wednesday night at the Great Lakes Athletic Club under the direction of Orion resident and former CBA coach Jere Shockey.
Before it was over, both teams had scored well into the hundreds, with the Muscle staying undefeated through five weeks of play.
Among a slew of college players on the Muscle is veteran Willie Simms, the second leading scorer in the history of the CBA/Eastern League.
The Hoops, meanwhile, were led by Ben Dewar, a Wixom graduate who currently plays for Orleans in France’s ProA League (their top league).
Recent high school graduates Ross Tonyan (Lake Orion, Adrian) and Dan Owens (Clarkston, Aquinas) are also participating in the eight-team league, which is made up primarily of college players.
‘It’s a lot more physical out here,? Shockey said. ‘Basically, it opens their eyes for the college game.?
The league is NCAA sanctioned and games last just under an hour, using the college set-up (two 20-minute halves) with running clocks and international rules.
Shockey said he’s been running a league in the area for the past 10 years, and current NBA players like Ira Newble and Charlie Bell (who played for Michigan State as well) have participated in the past few years.
After holding the league in Pontiac, Shockey said he’s found a new home at the GLAC in the past two years.
‘I live right around the corner,? he said. ‘This place has become a home for me.?
The league runs through mid-August, when they’ll have a tournament to crown the champion.