#MotorCityMadness Basketball Camp Starts Day Three of Tournament
Joey Yashinsky
Little Caesars Arena was abuzz on Saturday night as Cleveland State and Northern Kentucky produced an instant classic in the Motor City Madness quarterfinals.
Sunday morning, it was the next generation of ballers taking the Horizon League’s center stage.
The 2nd Annual Motor City Madness Basketball Camp (for kids 8-14) played out on the Little Caesars Arena court with a batch of talented youngsters getting hands-on coaching from former Division-I athletes.
One of the camp instructors, Bethany (Watterworth) Codrean, suited up for the Oakland Golden Grizzlies from 2009-14. She only wishes she could have been born a few years later.
“These kids are so lucky,” said Codrean. “I would’ve loved to have done this as a kid, especially to be able to play in this arena. To be on the same court as student-athletes and having student-athletes teaching you, it’s just a really cool thing the Horizon League does and I hope they keep doing it.”
The two-hour clinic included both offensive and defensive drills, games of “lightning,” and of course, the ever-popular scrimmage to cap off the morning.
“My favorite part was getting to scrimmage,” said Daquan James, a 10-year-old camp participant from Redford. “I like the teamwork and I got a lot of assists.”
The event was part of the Horizon League’s “Be Part of the Madness” program that includes a number of activities for fans to enjoy in addition to the on-court tournament action. Campers also received a custom Motor City Madness t-shirt and a ticket to all four games on Sunday’s tournament schedule.
Sharise Calhoun, a guard for Oakland from 2008-12, enjoyed her time as a camp leader and was impressed by some of the skills shown on the court.
“There were some girls out there hooping pretty good,” said Calhoun. “There was definitely a lot of talent out there.”
Jaida Oxendine, an 11-year-old from Fraser, was breathless in her praise of the camp experience and getting to play on a real NBA court.
“Oh my gosh, it’s so crazy,” said Oxendine. “I love the stands and the scoreboard and everything. This is my first time here and I give it an A+.”
A perfect grade and a perfect way to kick off a jam-packed third day of Motor City Madness.