Flint, Michigan, has long been touted as a hotbed for high school basketball. Indeed, Flint has produced some of the top basketball talents in the nation. Many Flint athletes are playing in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and at major colleges and universities. Flint basketball players have had lucrative careers playing internationally.
Flint area residents are accustomed to watching high school talents honing their skills in high school gyms against their favorite teams. However, watching those most likely to be the next NBA All-Star or college All-American player may be a thing of the past.
A new trend has emerged in which teenagers as early as 10th-grade ship off for Prep Schools that promote basketball and play games against the best competition in America. These Prep Schools position themselves to show off all those talented players to college and professional scouts.
Brandon Green, ABC-12 Sports Director, joins Radio Free Flint to discuss the disappearing high school superstars who transfer to Prep Schools. We discuss the implications for young people placing a bet on basketball and eschewing the traditional path of community education. Is it too early to let teenagers put all their eggs in one basket and bet that this career choice will materialize? We know that only a tiny percentage of high school basketball players will sign on at an NCAA Division 1 College or University. Even a smaller percentage of college players ever make it to the pros.
We discuss whether Flint has seen its better days of glory with the likes of the Flintstones, the Michigan State University national champs led by 5 Flint High School basketball players.
Please join us and meet Brandon Green, the new Sports Director for WJRT ABC-12 in Flint, as we discuss his welcome to Flint, his passion for basketball, and his love of High School athletics.
Read these interesting articles on High School Athletes and Prep Schools.
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Sports Director, ABC-12
Brandon Green is the sports director for ABC12. He is a native of Maryland near Washington, D.C. Brandon obtained a bachelor's Degree in Mass Communications/Media Studies and graduated from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.
According to the website of WJRT-TV, "Brandon loves local sports stories. He says this love for local sports and athletes' stories makes this business extremely special, and he always wants to make kids feel like they're on ESPN".
While at ABC12, Brandon won two awards from the Associated Press in Michigan for Best Sportscast and Best Sports Coverage.
In Mid-Michigan, Brandon covers all local teams, from the Grand Blanc Bobcats to the Hamady Hawks to the Michigan State Spartans and Detroit professional sports teams. If you have any story ideas, don't hesitate to email him at Brandon.green@abc12.com.