Moneyball Pro-Am is back - Miles Bridges, MSU's freshmen, women's league and all

Graham Couch
Lansing State Journal
The Moneyball Pro-Am summer basketball league returns for its 14th season beginning Thursday. The league, which runs twice a week through Aug. 3 at Aim High, features players from Michigan State, including Miles Bridges and incoming freshmen Jaren Jackson Jr. and Xavier Tillman.

By the time Miles Bridges walked out of the gym at Aim High on June 30 last year, the Lansing Moneyball Pro-Am had become a must-see event.

The rims were still rattling from his high-wire act on opening night when videos began circulating online of Bridges’ pass to himself off the glass for an alley-oop dunk. 

Rarely does the initial curiosity surrounding an athlete or group of athletes become such a sustained fixation. 

The crowds at Moneyball never withered. Fans couldn’t get enough of Bridges, his MSU teammates and other college players and pros with local ties. Mostly, they couldn’t get enough of Bridges. 

“I don’t know how last year can be topped,” Moneyball creator Desmond Ferguson said. “More than any other player, Miles Bridges brought them out. People came out for Draymond (Green), came out for Denzel (Valentine). But they never came out like they came out for Miles last year.”

Bridges is back again at Moneyball. Same for most of his MSU teammates. The league begins its 14th season Thursday evening at Aim High in Dimondale, with games at 5:30, 6:30, 7:30 and 8:30 every Tuesday and Thursday (other than July 4) through the beginning of August. It’s the second year for the women’s league, which also features much of Michigan State’s team. 

“It’s going to be interesting,” Ferguson said. “It’s almost like, how much bigger can get it get?”

It was big enough last year that many nights wound up standing-room only. Big enough that they’re adding extra bleachers at Aim High this summer to accommodate the crowds. Big enough that the 7:30 and 8:30 games each night will be broadcast live by Lansing radio hosts Jack Ebling and Ryan Schuiling on drivewithjack.com. 

Ferguson, a Lansing Everett grad who played at Missouri, Detroit and then a decade overseas, nearly pulled the plug on the pro-am a few years ago. It wasn’t living up to his standards or fulfilling his vision. Now, in it’s fourth year at Aim High, it’s exactly what he envisioned.

“I think the next step would be once Denzel and Bryn (Forbes) and those guys get established, for them to come back and bring more pros and bring more NBA guys,” said Ferguson, who had a cup of tea in the NBA. “If it just stays where it’s at, I’ll be good with that.”

Michigan State's Miles Bridges, here defended by former Dayton Flyers star Devin Oliver, brought out fans to Lansing's Moneyball Pro-Am summer league more than ever before last year. Bridges and most of his MSU teammates are returning to Moneyball, which begins play on Thursday.

Where it’s at is having a consistent commitment from MSU basketball, a commitment that’s essential to the league’s existence. Existing has nothing to do with turning a profit. Admission is free, via NCAA rules. Donations, though, are allowed.

Eleven MSU men’s basketball players are on Moneyball rosters this summer, spread out over the six men’s teams.

NCAA rules also only allow two players from the same college team on a pro-am team. Bridges and Tum Tum Nairn are together (Green team), Nick Ward and Cassius Winston (Silver), freshman Jaren Jackson Jr. and Matt McQuaid (Volt), Joshua Langford and Kenny Goins (Black), freshman Xavier Tillman and Kyle Ahrens (Blue), and Conner George (Red).

Big men Gavin Schilling and Ben Carter, both coming off knee injuries that cost them all of last season, won’t be playing this summer.

More:Couch: 5 truths about MSU after Bridges, Langford dazzle at Moneyball

Much of Oakland University’s roster — including Lansing's Jalen Hayes (Black) and Illinois transfer Kendrick Nunn (Blue) — are playing. As are a host of other college players and overseas pros with local and Michigan ties, guys like Fredrick “Booman” Edmond (Red), a former Eastern High School star, who averaged 30 points per game last year in Moneyball.

The women’s league, with four teams each playing once a week, has eight MSU players: Taryn McCutcheon, Taya Reimer, Lexi Gussert, Jenna Allen, Victoria Gaines, Kennedy Johnson, Nia Hollie and incoming heralded freshman Sidney Cooks.

Central Michigan star Presley Hudson, who dazzled in Moneyball last summer, is also playing again.

“For our first (women’s) season, it was incredible,” said Aim High GM Paige Sauer, a former UConn star who will lace them up again this summer. “The fans were awesome. (Former MSU star) Tori Jankoska helps a lot with that. She was incredible last year for our first season.

“I think we have the players and the Michigan State players to make it even better this year. And I also think Lansing does a good job supporting Michigan State women’s basketball.”

Contact Graham Couch at gcouch@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @Graham_Couch.

14th annual Moneyball Pro-Am

When: 5:30-9:30, Tuesdays and Thursdays, June 29-Aug.3.

Where: Aim High, Dimondale

Admission: Free

Moneyball opening night rosters, 2017