Dorian Dawkins Classic

Dorian Dawkins Classic features three days of top basketball and comedy at Delta College
Geoff Mott | The Saginaw News

Saginaw High senior Christian Dawkins' idea was pretty much a go the moment Delta College Athletic Director Greg Mallek laid eyes on the 17-year-old's e-mail.

Looking to honor his brother Dorian Dawkins, a 14-year-old who tragically passed away from a heart condition called Acute Myocardial Ischemia on June 12 last summer after collapsing during a summer basketball game in East Lansing, Christian Dawkins set out to bring the best teams from around the state into Saginaw for a basketball classic.

He needed a place to host four games that would eventually include Columbus (Ohio) Northland, one of the top ranked high school teams in the country. With the help of his aunt, Christian Dawkins and his family were able to book comedian D.L. Hughley for a comedy show benefiting Dorian Styles Dawkins Foundation, a mentorship program for academics and athletics, and the American Heart Association.

"Christian had looked at our schedule and saw that we play Mott Community College in February," said Mallek, who served as an assistant coach in boys basketball at Arthur Hill for six years before accepting the men's head coaching job at Delta. "He is a very smart, highly intelligible young man and that's a credit to his parents. He had a very good plan.

"I ran it by (Delta College Vice President) Trevor Kubatzke and he said to let (Delta President) Jean Goodnow know. She told me to get it done. It was a no-brainer."

Hughley will perform at the Show Your Heart Benefit Delta College's Pioneer Gymnasium at 8 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29. Tickets to the show, which Mallek estimates can seat 2,200 people, are on sale for $35 and available at dd3.eventbrite.com.

The Dorian Styles Dawkins Show Your Heart Memorial Basketball Classic starts Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 6-7. Delta plays Mott CC in a women's game at 1 p.m. with the men's game to follow at 3 p.m. At 6 p.m., Columbus Northland, ranked No. 2 in the ESPNU Top 25 national rankings, will meet the No. 9 team in the nation - perennial state powerhouse Detroit Country Day. East Lansing and Detroit Consortium close out Saturday with game at 8 p.m.

Clarkston will meet Academy of Oak Park at noon Sunday, followed by Saginaw High and defending Class B state champion Flint Powers. Tickets for each day is $10 and are available at the door or by visiting Christian Dawkins' website at loydenterprises.com. Mallek estimates the gym will seat 1,800 for basketball games.

The event will be one of the largest ever held at Delta College.

"We're donating everything we possibly can," Mallek said. "Our head of the Police Academy here, Mike Wiltse, is having all of his cadets volunteer their time that day.

"I've been going to different departments around campus seeking volunteers and we're handling the marketing of the event. We'll also set up an admissions table to show people what we're all about here."

The basketball classic has potential to be a great recruiting tool for Delta College, Mallek said. For the first time since the school opened in 1961, Delta College is internally providing scholarship money to its athletic program. The athletic department continues to match that effort through fundraising.

"We put in brand new bleachers a few years ago and have one of the best facilities in our conference," Mallek said. "We're fortunate to be able to do this. This is great exposure for Delta College. Diversity is at the core of this mid-Michigan area and this is great three days of activities involved in a great community outreach opportunity.

"Selfishly, we're trying to expose our campus, our athletes."

Hughley, a 46-year-old native of Los Angeles, got his start as the host of BET's ComicView in 1992. Aside from his show "The Hugleys", which ran from 1998-2002, Hughley earned stardom as a member of the Original Kings of Comedy with Cedric the Entertainer, Steve Harvey and the now deceased Bernie Mac.

Hughley is offering his time for free. His assistant, Sonia Vaughn, is Dorian Dawkins' aunt and the sister to mother Latricia Dawkins, principal at Loomis Math, Science and Technology Academy.

"D.L. is like family to us. Enough family that he would call Dorian his nephew," Latricia Dawkins said Tuesday at Ruben Daniels Middle School, where Dorian Dawkins' No. 23 was retired by the school in a special ceremony before the Thompson Middle School-Ruben Daniels game.

"D.L. is very funny. This is going to be the hardest show he's ever done."

The Dawkins family raised more than $2,000 at the "Red Out" football game between Saginaw High and Heritage in September. The Show Your Heart Memorial Classic was Christian Dawkins way to honor his brother.

Dorian Dawkins had scored 38 points against Team Ohio last summer during AAU play. The Ohio team was coached by Columbus Northland coach Satch Sullinger, whose son Jared Sullinger is the No. 2 ranked prep player in the nation, according to ESPN. Sullinger, who helped Northland beat preseason No. 1-ranked Findlay Prep (Nev.) in a nationally televised game in December, will head to Ohio State next year.

"I tried to get the best players and the best teams that I could," Christian Dawkins said. "Not only do I hope this benefit raises money, but that it helps put things into perspective for people.

"Take a step back, value your life and your family."

For two weekends, the Dawkins family will value the great joy that Dorian Dawkins brought in a quick 14 years of life.

"Dorian had the brightest smile you could imagine," said his father and Saginaw High boys basketball coach Lou Dawkins. "I think after those two weekends, we'll all be wearing a Dorian smile."