The 2008-2009 basketball season is still a couple months away. However, for the Dunbar High School basketball team the start of the school year was probably just as exciting as the first game will be. Before the first school bell rang this week, the Tigers had what was expected to be a very competitive roster returning to the hardwood in the winter. However, this summer has brought some winter gifts a little early, in the form of four impact transfers. The highest profile transfer would be 2011 6'2" WG Darius Perkins from Monsignor Pace HS. Perkins won a state title in 2007-08 with Pace and is highly regarded as one of the top 5-10 rising sophomores in the state. Two other transfers came from local schools which are 5'11" 2010 PG/WG Troy Simmons and 2011 6'0" WG Bruce Joseph. Both Simmons and Joseph played with Dunbar during the summer, so there arrival was the least expected. The last of the four transfers was a big surprise to everyone at the school with the word "big" being emphasized here. That is if you consider 6'10" John Florveus big. The 2009 BF, previously of North Miami HS, is pretty thin but is athletic, runs the floor well, has decent footwork, but most importantly gives the Tigers a man in the middle that can change some shots and allow 2010 stud WF David Paulk to slide to the outside more often.
These additions will help negate the loss to graduation of PG Tavaris Edison and the loss of 2009 6'7" WF Jeffery Evans who transferred to Florida Christian Institute this summer. Another player thought to be lost was 2009 6'4" WF Dontel Singleton, however he is at Dunbar and should be part of the team this season. So if you add these transfers with Paulk, Singleton, 6'4" WG Melvin German, and 6'1" WG Joel German you have not only a more talented team than last year but a deeper team. The depth may be the one area that is most important as the Tigers went with a 5-6 man rotation for pretty much all of the 2007-08 season and still made it to the 3A Final Four. Perkins, who is already a high major Division 1 prospect, gives the team another knock down shooter besides Paulk and a legitimate scorer as well as a kid who can defend his position very well. Simmons and Joseph will both add depth to the guard spot, with Simmons having the potential to step in and see possible starting time at point guard. Florveus gives the team a true middle man in terms of changing shots and allowing the wings and guards to apply more pressure without the worry of giving up an easy layup if beat. Then returning you have the 6'5" WF Paulk, who is also a mid to high major Division 1 caliber prospect, can knock down the three in bunches, rebound with anyone in the state, finish inside, and change some shots with his athleticism. The eldest German brother, 2009 6'4" WG Melvin, was the team's utility man last season. It was not rare to see Melvin with stats such as 12 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. The younger German brother, 6'1" WG Joel, has more of a scorer's mentality and had multiple games where he was the leading scorer. However, he has to improve on finding way to create for others when his shots aren't falling or get all the way to rim for more easy buckets. The have already been awarded a spot in the coveted and nationally known 2008 Bank of America City of Palms Classic. With the size, talent level, depth and experience they now have their chances of improving on their one win in the tournament last year look more realistic. But more importantly, these additions give the Tigers a real shot of matching last year's success in the state tournament and possibly exceeding it. That would be two in as many year's for transfer Darius Perkins, and what a story that would make. We will be right there to write all about it!
Dunbar's Season Outlook Improving By The Week
Aaron Seybert
SWFLHoops.com
August 21, 2008
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