Detroit PSL Basketball

Pershing High’s Keith Appling scored 49 points in the Doughboys’ 90-73 Class A championship game victory over Kalamazoo Central Saturday afternoon at the Breslin Center. 

The 49 points bests by two the 26-year-old record of Southwestern’s Antoine “The Judge” Joubert who scored 47 in the Prospectors’ 1983 loss to Flint Central, 84-80. Appling’s 49 points are second most all-time in Pershing High history, trailing only future ABA and NBA pro Ralph Simpson’s 55 scored against Finney during the 1967-68 season. For a complete list of every PSL school’s all-time single-game marks click here.

Appling’s record-breaking basket came on a layup with 1:20 left in the game. He finished the game 17-for-24 from the field and 10-for-12 from the line. Appling also had seven rebounds and five assists. For the official MHSAA boxscore and play-by-play please click here.

Haywood                 Gervin                     Rose                  Smith      

Hello there!

You’ve stumbled upon a site that, in time, will be the home to just about every historical nugget regarding Detroit Public School League basketball three like-minded historians and hoop nuts have been able to compile.

Our goal for this site is to provide the basics (PSL Champions, All-PSL Performers, Operation Friendship Champions, etc.) and the more in depth (40-point performances, PSL prep and collegiate All-Americans, PSL players in the NBA, etc.).

If you like what you see let us know. We’d love to hear your comments and what you enjoyed about your visit.

Likewise, if you see any errors or have some information we’re missing (and there are some of those we’re afraid) we’d love to hear about that too. Please click on one of the e-mail links to the right and drop us a line.

This site would not be nearly as complete without the help of the following:  Charles Nichols and Eunice Moore, the retired and current Director of Health, Physical Education, and Safety for the Detroit Public Schools; Dick Cunningham; Ron Pesch; the Michigan High School Athletic Association; high school sports reporters from the Detroit News, Detroit Free Press, the Michigan Chronicle, and the Detroit Times; traveling researcher William J. Chandler; the good folks at the Association of Professional Basketball Research (Bijan Bayne, Robert Bradley, John Duxbury, John Grasso,  Ray LeBov, and Dave Quinn); Harlem Globetrotters’ experts John Christgau, Ben Green, and J Michael Kenyon; and Dr. John Kline of the Black Legends of Professional Basketball. All of these individuals have provided information and/or artifacts that we’ve found to be valuable resources for us.

    Kelser                     Joubert                  Coleman                   Harding