Levion Hines

Elite 80 Fall Showcase: Top players

Words. Jason Jordan

WILSON, N.C. — When a 5-8 guard sprinted from the top of the key and retrieved the ball on his way up from a seated fellow camper while soaring over top of him for an authoritative slam, everyone in Barton College’s gym was ready to anoint him the 2009 Elite 80 Fall Showcase Slam Dunk Champion.

Everyone except Word of God Academy guard Bishop Daniels.

Amidst the leftover “oohs” and cheesy imitations of the unbelievable dunk, Daniels, who stands 6-2, calmly asked Dudley High’s P.J. Hairston, a guard who stands 6-5, to stand in front of the rim. Then he walked three feet behind the left wing, turned around and bolted toward the basket where he took flight clear over Hairston’s head, without him even slightly ducking, and threw down the contest-winning dunk. MORE >