The U of D Jesuit Cubs will take on the Detroit Western International Cowboys at the Breslin Center, home of the Michigan State Spartans in East Lansing, Michigan. The Cubs and Cowboys will square off in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class A semi-final game. The winner will play in the championship on Saturday at 12:00 PM EST.
The Cubs roll in with a 22-3 record and the Cowboys come in with an undefeated 24-0 record. The Cubs shoot the ball very well, averaging 60 points per game. However, U of D Jesuit has the ability to pound it down low when needed. The Cowboys average 70 points per game, which means a team will have to step up defensively.
U of D Jesuit got to the semi-final game by defeating Clarkston in the quarterfinals matchup on Tuesday night. Highly scouted Cassius Winston scored 34 points including the game winning layup. As for Detroit Western International, they dominated Ypsilanti. They were led by Josh McFolly, who scored 15 of his game-high 18 points in the second half.
Pat Donnelly, the head coach of the Cubs, has won three straight regional titles for his school, but is looking to win his first state championship. He has been the varsity coach of U of D for seven years and has a 115-42 overall record.
Derrick McDowell is the head coach for the Cowboys. He struggled last season going 6-13, but has made a surprised recovery as his team is currently undefeated. He has been the varsity head coach since 1993 and has an overall 237-108 record.
Winston is the clear leader for the Cubs, even though he is only a junior. Winston is an undeclared point guard. He currently has offers from Michigan State University, University of Maryland, Ohio State University, University of Massachusetts, Iowa State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Colorado, Boston College and University of Michigan. Anyways, he has averaged 22.4 points per game and has pulled down 156 rebounds and dished out 136 assists this season. He has shot 34 percent from the field, 46 percent from deep and 89 percent from the charity stripe. The 17-year-old leads U of D in just about every category.
Brailen Neely and Gerald Blackshear are the top players for Detroit Western International. Neely leads the team with 15.9 points per game, his game-high is 25 points. He also dominates with 98 assists, while shooting 48 percent from the field and 72 percent from the stripe. Blackshear averages 11.8 points per game and dominates on the glass. However, he shoots 49 percent from the free throw line, which could become an issue.