By Patrick Hayes

The Flintstones and Flint’s Michigan State connections have given the city a little bit of regional and even national prominence at times over the last 12 years or so, but although names like Charlie Bell or Marquise Gray or Kelvin Torbert are certainly and deservedly familiar ones because of their accomplishments at the high major and professional levels, Flint also has some lesser known names who attained college or pro success by taking a less heralded path.

Friday’s championship game in this summer’s Flint pro-am league gave those less heralded names a chance at the spotlight, as a team led by former Mott Community College players Marcus Skinner and Kevin Tiggs and former Indiana Tech player JuJuan Cooley won the championship against a team that featured Draymond Green, Bell, Torbert and Gray. From Eric Woodyard of the Flint Journal:

“To be honest I just come out here and try to play against anybody,” said Skinner, who has been in contact with a couple of pro teams in the Canadian League. “I don’t care who it is, I just try to have a good game.”

Team Gray had a star studded roster with former Michigan State basketball players Draymond Green, Charlie Bell, Marquise Gray, Kelvin Torbert. Green was his squad’s highest scorer with 31 points. Gray ended with 20 points.

Overseas pro Kevin Tiggs racked up 27 points for the champs — including four triples in the fourth period. Jujuan Cooley also scored 25 points.

“I was very pleased with the league,” Skinner said. “When we first started it we didn’t expect it to be such a big turnout but as it got going it picked up and I was in a pro showcase in Detroit and some of those guys were asking me about the league so next year it’s going to grow.”

Flint still has quite a few pro players, and they worked really hard this summer to try and revive what was once a really great summer pro league. To keep it going, however, they will need an influx of players from outside the area to help it grow, and hopefully they get that next year.