MICHIGAN JAM! Belleville, FGR, DCDHS Dynamic Duos | Prep Girls Hoops (2024)

During my summer vacation, I visited an old-school arcade that happened to include an edition of “NBA JAM,” the ultimate retro basketball video game. This game became famous during the 90s at the arcade and on numerous gaming consoles. The original game was released by Midway in 1993 and featured players from NBA rosters. Each NBA team featured two players who competed in 2 on 2 with no subs. Later additions to the game included 3-5 players, which gave gamers the ability to sub new players into the games. The game’s exaggerated graphics, high-flying dunks, and lack of fouls made it wildly unique and popular amongst gamers.

MICHIGAN JAM! HS Article Series

This article series, modeled after the original “NBA JAM”, will include 2 players per team. There is an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference. Two high school players from the same team are included as a “Dynamic Duo”. Each player will be assigned a fictitious rating for physical and skill attributes based on the criteria of the original “NBA JAM”.RatingBreakdown: Overall speed/6, Shooting skill from 3 pt/6, Skill at dunking/6, Overall defensive skill/6. The overall rating is out of 24 (rating criteria are modeled using the original “NBA JAM”). Some of the original ratings of players from “NBA JAM”: Tim Hardaway-speed 5/6, 3 pts 4/6, dunks 1/6, defense 4/6, Final 14/24, Charles Barkley-speed 4/6, 3 pts 3/6, dunks 6/6, def 1/6, Final 14/24, Scottie Pippen-speed 5/6, 3 pts 4/6, dunks 6/6, def 5/6, Final 20/24. Best Rated Teams: New York Knicks (33 pts), Charlotte Hornets (32 pts), Chicago Bulls (32 pts no MJ), Sacramento Kings (30)

MICHIGAN JAM! Ratings Explained:0=Not Observed, 1-2=Rare, 3=Average, 4=Above Average, 5=Advanced, 6=Elite

Speedis ball handling, acceleration, and quickness,3 ptsis shooting 3s efficiently more often than not,Dunksis leaping ability, elevation, and/or height,Defenseis steals, deflections, shutting down your position, andFinal Ratingis the sum of all those categories out of 24 points. As you can see, legends of the NBA game including Hall of Famers don’t score over 20! This is meant to be a lighthearted and fun way of learning about some of the great duos in the state and not to be taken too seriously. There were 27 teams in the original “NBA JAM”, but I have expanded the total to 18 teams per conference.

PGH MICHIGAN JAM Twitter Tournament

On Twitter, these teams have been seeded into an elimination bracket. YOU decide who advances each round of the tournament by voting in the polls on my Twitter page. Each poll lasts 48 hours and whoever receives the most votes wins! Teams from each conference go head to head until we have a winner of the Eastern and Western Conferences. The winners then compete to determine the PGH Michigan JAM 2024 Champion! The winning team wins live PGH coverage at one of their high school games during the 2024-25 season. The bracket is posted on Twitter with updates following each round.

Each week, new teams from each conference will have their individualized ratings, graphics, and team evaluation posted in articles, so you will want to keep your eyes peeled for the articles and tournament updates on Twitter!

Let’s take a look at three Dynamic Duos from the Eastern Conference representing Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard, Belleville, and Detroit Country Day!

Ann Arbor Father Gabriel Richard Irish

Vanessa is a shifty guard with elusive handles, fancy footwork, deadly accuracy from deep, and scrappy defense. She dishes dimes to teammates, finds space without the ball, and causes challenges for opposing ball handlers with her constant pressure.

Charlotte slashes to score off the bounce at the rim with excellent footwork in contested situations. She drops dimes to teammates around the basket and is a threat from 3. Charlotte has ice in her veins, hitting clutch shots in big moments.

Belleville Tigers

Sydney is the #1 ranked prospect in Michigan’s 2027 class with a lethal step-back jumper from mid and deep range. She has the strength and athleticism to defend inside: she converts tough, contested buckets off two in the paint. Sydney is a clutch, pure scorer.

Se’Crette has established herself as one of the most efficient 3-point shooters in the state. Her balance, quick release, and accuracy from deep causes heartache for opposing coaches. Se’Crette has poise and confidence handling the ball; she steps up to bury clutch shots for the Tigers in big moments.

Detroit Country Day Yellow Jackets

Jayla is a dynamic guard who slashes with aggressive takes through the teeth of the defense to score tough buckets at the rim. Her strength and finishing control through contact make her an and-one threat. Jayla pressures the ball to create steals and knocks down triples.

Cece is the #2 ranked prospect in Michigan’s 2027 class with rare agility and athleticism. She uses a mouthguard on the court and drives through defenders like a running back. Cece elevates to high-point rebounds and block shots. She explodes to the rim off the bounce to score and-ones, then knocks down shots from beyond the arc.

At the Buzzer

Evan Bellis currently a scout for Prep Girls Hoops and Director of Prepare 2 Win Basketball . Ourmissionat PGH is to cover as many athletes with D2, D3, NAIA, and JUCO potential in the state as possible. If you know a prospect off our radar, please DM Evan through Twitter @CoachEvanBell or email him at prepare2winbasketball@gmail.com