Detroit PSL Basketball

 

Murray-Wright’s Johnny Davis was a Detroit News Dream Team selection in 1973. He went on to star at the University of Dayton and was a key cog in the Portland Trailblazers’ 1979 NBA title run before getting into coaching. He is the only PSL alum to become a head coach in the NBA having led both the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic. (Getty Images photo)

(Note: We have included the Dream Team and all Class A teams. Notable selections from the other classes and notable Honorable Mention from all classes are listed at the end. We are currently missing the 1979 Detroit News All-State Teams.)

1979

Dream Team (Just called All State): Tim Andree, Birmingham Brother Rice; James Koger, Saginaw; Tim McCormick, Clarkston (NBA); Melven McLaughlin, Grand Rapids Creston; Derek Perry, River Rouge; All-State Coach of the Year: Charlie Coles, Saginaw

Class A

First Team: Robert Brown, Detroit Northwestern; Marlow McClain, Detroit Murray-Wright; Scott Pritchett, Bloomfield Hills Lahser; Erich Santifer, Ann Arbor Huron; Arnold Scott, Flint Central

No PSL players on Second or Third Teams

Coach of the Year Paul Cook, Lansing Everett (probably Lansing Eastern)

Class D

Second Team: Lamar Ragland, Detroit East Catholic

Third Team: James Ross, Detroit East Catholic

Honorable Mention (all classes): Anthony Baker, Detroit East Catholic; Bob Brown, Grosse Pointe North; Bob Baker, Grosse Pointe South; Kevin Ballenger, Detroit Pershing; Carl Bank, Flint Beecher (NFL); Avery Barton, Detroit Northern; Don Bell, Detroit Henry Ford; Wayne Boswell, Detroit Southwestern; Fred Bryant, Detroit Chadsey; Steve Caldwell, Detroit Mackenzie; Fred Cofield, Ypsilanti (NBA); Percy Cooper, Highland Park; Rickey Davis, Detroit Northern; Walt Dennis, Detroit Denby; Cedric Griffey, Detroit Henry Ford; Harvey Hale, Highland Park; Jeff Horn, Highland Park; Al Kendricks, Detroit Redford; Bill Kennedy, Detroit Kettering; Mark Lorkowski, Peck; Terry Madison, Detroit Murray-Wright; Greg Martin, Detroit Cooley; Gary Plummer, Osborn (NBA); Dwayne Rogers, Detroit Cass Tech; Joe Rogers, Detroit Northeastern; Kerry Sarden, Detroit Southeastern; Steve Schmidt, Lansing Waverly (Washington Generals); Terry Sly, Detroit King; Ray Smith, River Rouge; Mike Thomas, Detroit Central; Ben Tower, Saranac; Gary Tropf, Holt; Eric Turner, Flint Central; Sam Vincent, Lansing Eastern (NBA); Greg Wendt, Detroit Catholic Central; Anthony White, Detroit Murray-Wright; Sylvester Wilcox, Detroit Western; Glen Williams, Grosse Pointe North; George Winn, Detroit Cody; Don Young, Detroit Southeastern; Rick Zenn, Grosse Pointe North        

1978
Dream Team: Tim Andree, Brother Rice; Keith Smith, Detroit Mackenzie; Rob Gonzalez, Detroit Catholic Central; Walker D. Russell, Pontiac Central (NBA); Trent Tucker, Flint Northwestern (NBA); Coach George Fox, Lansing Everett
Class A
First Team: James Koger, Saginaw; Cedric Olden, Highland Park; Eric Watson, Cass Tech; Joe Kopicki, Warren Fitzgerald (NBA); Melvin McLaughlin, Grand Rapids Creston; Coach Charlie Coles, Saginaw
Second Team: Keith Mitchell, Taylor Truman; Andrew Ewing, Pontiac Northern; Gary Pool, Flint Northern; Tony Daniel, Lansing Everett; Daryl Clausell, Southfield
Third Team (can’t read it clearly): Mark Roberts, Portage Northern; Greg Brown, Kalamazoo Loy Norrix; John Gervais, Royal Oak Kimball; ??? Glidden, Utica Ford; Dave De??, Redford Bishop Borgess
Class D
Second Team: Dwonne McMillan, Detroit East Catholic
Honorable Mention: Jim Paciorek, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MLB); Alan Baker, Detroit East Catholic; Tony Ball, Highland Park; Randy Blessett, Northern; Mike Brady, Mumford, Derek Bray, Kettering; Ulysses Brown, Finney; George Cooper, Northern (NFL); Steve Caldwell, Mackenzie; Mark Cooks, Cass Tech; Lee Dunwoody, Central; Bernell Fuller, Northwestern; Larry Gladney, King; Tony Hall, Central; Aaron Hardaway, Southeastern; Al Kendricks, Redford; Terry Mann, Southeastern; Jerald Martin, Cooley; Victor Martin, Osborn; Marlow McClain, Murray-Wright; Derrick McDowell, Northern; Don Mellon, Northwestern; Daniel Mitchell, Southeastern; Roger Ridgeway, Mackenzie; Quinton Shobe, Denby; Darrell Spence, Cooley; Saylimon Staten, Murray-Wright; Monroe Taylor, Henry Ford; Ozell Washington, Cody; Dennis Watley, Denby; Anthony White, Murray-Wright; Phil White, Chadsey; Tom White, Osborn; Bill Wilson, Finney;  Daryl Jarmon, Highland Park; Tim McCormick, Clarkston (NBA); Pete Metzelaars, Portage Central (NFL); Jim Parsons, Grosse Pointe South.

1977
Dream Team: Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Lansing Everett (NBA/Harlem Globetrotters); Kevin Smith, Birmingham Brother Rice; Jay Vincent, Lansing Eastern (NBA); Walker D. Russell, Pontiac Central (NBA); Tim Bracey, Grand Rapids Creston; Coach Ralph Grubb, Pontiac Central
Class A
First Team: Kurt James, Pontiac Northern; Ray “Doctor” Murdock, Southwestern; James “Sonny” Newman, Detroit Denby; Lou Cappo, Flushing; Bill Phillips, Southfield Lathrup
Second Team: Darryl Moon, Utica Ford; Dave Bennett, Bloomfield Hills Lahser; Mark Leighton, Battle Creek Lakeview; Dave Abel, Detroit Catholic Central; Greg Palm, Mumford.
Third Team: Mark Hospers, Grand Haven; Daryel Herring, Pontiac Northern; Rick McGee, Battle Creek Central; Jim Steffen, Berkley; Trent Tucker, Flint Northwestern (NBA)
Class B
First Team: Kevin Nash, Southgate Aquinas (professional wrestler)
Class C
Second Team: Jim Paciorek, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s
Third Team: Kevin Loder, Cassopolis (NBA)
Class D
First Team: Donnell Williams, Detroit East Catholic
Third Team: Ted Anderson, Detroit East Catholic
Honorable Mention: Jerome Akins, Northwestern; Rich Baker, Grosse Pointe South; Fred Brockington, Redford (NFL); Bob Brown, Grosse Pointe North; Jeff
Cannon, Central; Chuck Christian, Northeastern; Lou Kemp, Southeastern; Joe Kopicki, Warren Fitzgerald (NBA); Edgar “Cupcake” Merchant, Northeastern; Marlow McClain, Murray-Wright; Reggie Moore, Western; Keith Smith, Mackenzie; Eric Watson, Cass Tech; Cedric Olden, Highland Park; Ted Triplett, Detroit East Catholic.

1976 (Final season that PSL did mid-year graduates)
Dream Team: Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Lansing Everett (NBA/Harlem Globetrotters); Stuart House, Detroit Denby (Harlem Globetrotters); Jim Ellinghausen, Plymouth Salem; Dave Niles, Garden City West; Wilbert McCormick, Northeastern; Coach Charles Paige, Harbor Springs
Class A
First Team: Bill Phillips, Soutfield Lathrup; Rosie Barnes, Monroe; Rick Baskin, Flint Northern; Paul Roby, Saginaw; Ernie Hill, Pontiac Central
Second Team: Nayron Monk, Murray-Wright; Leon Guydon, Battle Creek Central; Mark Principe, Bloomfield Hills Lahser; Jay Vincent, Lansing Eastern (NBA); Mike Prince, Detroit Catholic Central
Third Team: John Lewis, Pontiac Northern; Steve Deller, Trenton; Terry Nash, Mt. Clemens; Kevin Hamilton, Flint Northwestern; John Preston, Waterford Township
Class D
First Team: Tony Fuller, Detroit DePorres (NBA)
Third Team: Edgar “Cupcake” Merchant, Detroit East Catholic
Honorable Mention: John Harris, Mackenzie; Frank Sanders, Kettering; George Coley, Northern; Mike Harden, Central (NFL); Donzell Graham, King; Aaron Fowler, Henry Ford; Eric Wiley, Pershing; Tony Moore, Kettering; Ron Dickerson, Northeastern; John Williams, Northestern; James “Sonny” Newman, Denby; Rudy Watley, Denby; Byron Green, Southwestern; Pat Sheridan, Wayne (MLB); Bob Brown, Grosse Pointe North; Jim Parsons, Grosse Pointe South; Jim Paciorek, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MLB); Nikito Merchat, Detroit East Catholic.

1975
Dream Team: Terry Duerod, Highland Park (NBA); Tom Staton, Ferndale; Rick Leach, Flint Southwestern (MLB); Bruce Flowers, Berkley (NBA); Alan Hardy, Detroit Northwestern (NBA); Coach Steve Rhoads, Berkley
Class A
First Team: Greg Lloyd, Lansing Eastern; William Mayfield, Cass Tech (NBA); Bob Fowler, Inkster Cherry Hill; James Person, Flint Northwestern; Will Franklin, Birmingham Brother Rice
Second Team: Dave Sierra, Jackson Parkside; Jerry McCool, Sterling Heights Stevenson; Greg “Special K” Kelser, Henry Ford (NBA); Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Lansing Everett (NBA/Harlem Globetrotters); Bill Polec, Sterling Heights
Class B
First Team: Stan Joplin, Milan; Dave Stavale, Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher (former Grosse Pointe North coach), Mark Clum, Flat Rock
Class D
First Team: Greg Guye, Detroit East Catholic; Anthony Fuller, Detroit DePorres (NBA)
Second Team: Mike Walton, Detroit East Catholic
Honorable Mention: Nayron Monk, Murray-Wright; William Harris, Kettering; Stuart House, Denby (Harlem Globetrotters); Rodney Curry, Cass Tech;  Daryl Perry, Cass Tech; Robert King, King; Donzell Graham, King; Kevin Moore, Mumford; Darryl White, Northern; Terry Neal, Mackenzie; Mike Gray, Mackenzie; Gerald Sims, Mackenzie; Charles Harmon, Henry Ford; Dave Cochran, Finney; Allen Mann, Southeastern; Cleo Hayes, Southeastern; James Pope, Southeastern; Jay Vincent, Lansing Eastern (NBA); Paul Dawkins, Saginaw (NBA); Morris Wright, Highland Park; David Payton, Highland Park; Tim Kramer, Grosse Pointe South; Jim Paciorek, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s (MLB).

1974
Dream Team: Terry Tyler, Detroit Northwestern (NBA); Tony Smith, Saginaw; Turono Anderson, Detroit Kettering; John Long, Romulus (NBA); Cyrus Mann, Detroit Southeastern; Coach Dave Hovanesian, Holt
Class A: Kevin Kaseta, Livonia Franklin; Bruce Flowers, Berkley (NBA); Joel Thompson, Flint Beecher; Tim Marshall, Pontiac Central; Tom Staton, Ferndale
Class B: Jeff Tropf, Holt
Class C: Mike Bramos, Detroit Servite
Honorable Mention: Tony Jamison, Cass Tech; George Weaver, Northwestern; Tom Williams, Pershing; Kenny Davis, Southwestern; Gregg Booker, Central; Kevin Moore, Mumford; Reggie Glasgow, Chadsey; Alvin Berry, Northeastern; Larry Jackson, Mackenzie; Alvin Berger, Western; Derrick Greene, Denby; Stuart House, Detroit Redford St. Mary’s (Harlem Globetrotters); Terry Duerod, Highland Park (NBA); Rick Leach, Flint Southwestern (MLB); Stan Joplin, Milan; Dave Stavale, Harper Woods Bishop Gallagher (former Grosse Pointe North coach); Mike Woods, Detroit East Catholic; Greg Guye, East Catholic.

1973
Dream Team: Tom LaGarde, Detroit Catholic Central (NBA); Johnny Davis, Murray-Wright (NBA); Bob Elliott, Ann Arbor Pioneer (NBA); Bob Chapman, Saginaw; Tom Scheffler, St. Joseph (NBA); Coach Eldon Rouse, Ann Arbor Pioneer
Class A: Randy McLean, Walled Lake Central; John Long, Romulus (NBA); Ben Poquette, East Lansing (NBA); Bob Malaby, Southfield-Lathrup; Greg Johnson, Saginaw
Class B: Edgar Wilson, Dowagiac
Honorable Mention (some torn off): Darryl “Tony” Robertson, Southwestern (NBA); Mark Mayberry, Northwestern; Rudy Roberts, Cooley; Darnell Williams, Cooley; Ricky Hicks, Southeastern; Warren Booker, Mackenzie; Jerome Gladney, King; Dennis DeWalt, Denby; Curtis Pace, Cass Tech; Larry Norman, Western; Turono Anderson, Kettering; Dejuan Rowser, Northeastern; Mike Jones, Central; Bruce Lee, Chadsey; Tom Izzo, Iron Mountain (longtime Michigan State coach); Charley Draper, Highland Park; Larry Sorenson, Mt. Clemens L’Anse Creuse (MLB); Ron Zenn, Grosse Pointe North; Stan Joplin, Milan; Jeff Tropf, Holt; Larry Merchant, Detroit East Catholic; Mike Bramos, Servite.

1972
Dream Team: Larry Fogle, Cooley (NBA); Wayman Britt, Flint Northern (NBA); Paul Griffin, Shelby (NBA); Larry Cole, Pontiac Central; Bob Elliott, Ann Arbor Pioneer (NBA); Coach Bill Frieder, Flint Northern
Class A: Robert “Bubbles” Hawkins, Pershing (NBA); Walt Jones, U of D High; Dave Jackson, Garden City East; Scott Hammond, Birmingham Seaholm; Ray Feher, Alpena (NBA)
Class B: Edgar Wilson, Dowagiac; Bruce Clum, Flat Rock
Class D: Tim Teasley, Bloomfield Hills Roeper; Ron Roberts, Grosse Pointe University Liggett
Honorable Mention: Eric Money, Kettering (NBA); Johnny Davis, Murray-Wright (NBA); Warren Booker, Mackenzie; Michael Wilson, Northwestern; Ricky Hicks, Southeastern; Benny White, Northern; Maurice Jenkins, Cass Tech; Mike Peyton, Central; Jerome Gladney, King; Willie Gillom, Western; Darryl Robertson, Southwestern (NBA); Clarence Chapman, Redford; Kit Floyd, Mumford; Ron Zenn, Grosse Pointe North; John Long, Romulus (NBA); Duane Threatt, Highland Park; Tony Dungy, Jackson Parkside (NFL); Terry Furlow, Flint Northern (NBA); Darryl Alexander, Detroit East Catholic: Glen Weldon, Detroit East Catholic.

1971
Dream Team: Campanella “Campy” Russell, Pontiac Central (NBA); Lindsay “Spider” Hairston, Kettering (NBA); Tom McGill, Flint Northern; Al Boswell, River Rouge; Tom Kangas, Escanaba; Coach Phil Hora, Stockbridge
Class A: Scott Love, Birminghan Groves; Nate Davis, Romulus; Jim Helmink, Holland; Terry Thomas, Hazel Park (NBA); Frank Tanana, Jr., Detroit Catholic Central (MLB)
Class B: Eartha Faust, Inkster
Class D: Tim Teasley, Bloomfield Hills Roeper
Honorable Mention: Lovelle Rivers, Mackenzie; Warren Booker, Mackenzie; Joe Cosey, Northwestern; Bill Ayler, Northwestern; Cliff Jackson, Denby; Karl Hopkins, Denby; Laval Perry, Cass Tech; Ray Bradshaw, Cass Tech; Ken Rahn, Cody; Bill Frederick, Redford; Bob Chapman, Henry Ford; Melvin Morris, Cooley; Carl Callahan, Chadsey; Carlton Hymes, Southwestern; James McElroy, Murray-Wright (NBA); Gerald Patterson, Central; Robert “Bubbles” Hawkins, Pershing (NBA); Kevin Brake, Osborn; Howard Robinson, Kettering; Randy Burton, Finney; Jerry Lee, King; Bob Angel, Southeastern; Willie Solomon, Northern; Ulysses Johnson, Northeastern; Gary Bennett, Grosse Pointe North; Paul Shirar, Grosse Pointe South; Charles Johnson, Highland Park; Ray Feher, Alpena (NBA); Dave Crawford, Detroit East Catholic; Paul Griffin, Shelby (NBA).

(Note: The 1970 had one team per Class, so we have named those teams.)

1970 
Dream Team: Lindsay “Spider” Hairston, Kettering (NBA); Campanella “Campy” Russell, Pontiac Central (NBA); Dave Freeman, Battle Creek Central; Tyrone Lewis, Ferndale; Gerald Edwards, Grand Rapids Union; Coach Lofton Greene, River Rouge and Coach Roy Burkhart, Ferndale
Class A: Richard Drewitz, Garden City West; Paul White, Farmington; Jeff Walker, Central; Steve Hampton, Marquette; Frank Tanana, Detroit Catholic Central (MLB)
Class B: Joe Franges, Dearborn Divine Child; Malcolm Moulton, River Rouge; Steve Clum, Flat Rock; Al Laslowski, Bay City All Saints; George Kubiak, Saginaw Carrollton
Class C:  Sam Brady, Pontiac Catholic; Ray Bowerman, Eau Claire; Mike Pieske, Frankenmuth; Eli Sims, New Haven; Roscoe Anderson, Detroit St. Vincent
Class D:  Peter Nickerson, Kingsley; Greg Carter, Bloomfield Hills Roeper; Mike Peyton, Detroit St. Leo; Bob McAra, Flint Holy Redeemer; Ed Gorny, Detroit St. Stanislaus
Notabale Honorable Mentions (All Classes): George “Iceman” Gervin, King (NBA/ABA); Mike Weaver, Northeastern; Clifford Pratt, Murray-Wright; Mike “Mike Rob” Robinson, Northeastern; Ed Davis, Osborn; Phil Paige, Pershing; Floyd Haywood, Kettering; Karl Hopkins, Denby; Stepney Bacon, Cooley; Lovelle Rivers, Mackenzie; Melvin Carr, Mumford; Bob Chapman, Ford; Bill Frederick, Redford; Mike Zenn, Grosse Pointe North; Mike Lee, Highland Park; Bob Brown, Detroit East Catholic; Ken Victor, Detroit East Catholic; Paul Hayner, Grosse Pointe St. Ambrose.