One of the rising shooting guards in the Class of 2020 in Michigan has been Donivan Peoples of Detroit Frederick Douglass. The smooth lefty shooter has seen his production increase from last season and has been making plays for the 5-1 Hurricanes this year.
Peoples has been a very effective shooter especially in games over the holiday break. During this period, he combined for 54 points including a 25-point outburst versus Detroit Pershing on December 20th. His effective shooting has allowed the Hurricanes to space the floor and helps the guards have more space to drive. Defenders have a hard time helping off this lethal shooter and against zone he is lights out when left open in the corner.
Over the summer playing for the REACH Legends and being a gym rat at Frederick Douglas, his high school coach thinks he has added parts to his game to be more than a shooter. Head Coach Pierre Books said, “Donivan lives in the gym and is probably our best on the ball defender. With his shooting ability, grades (3.6 GPA, 1090 SAT) and work ethic would be a steal for any college program looking for a shooter.” Currently, he holds an offer from Lane College, a NCAA Division 2 program in Tennessee.
With the Hurricanes playing at a high level this season, a portion of that is due to the efficient play of Peoples. Donavin stated he had two goals going into his senior season, “I just want to be able to play basketball at the next level and win a state championship.” His recruiting is picking up and more schools are starting to get involved especially knowing that he will be qualified academically.
Frederick Douglass and Peoples continue league play in the Detroit Public School League with a contest at Detroit Denby on Friday January 10th at 4pm. The Hurricanes will also play in the Fastbreak Invitational at Belleville High School on January 11th versus Saline and should be a very good guard match-up. As Peoples hot shooting continues, so will his college interest and success for the Hurricanes this season. Look for him and Frederick Douglass to be major contenders for the Detroit Public School League Championship this February.