D-Bow High School Hoops

In Indiana, basketball is the next thing to religion. Especially for inner-city black kids like Derrick Bowen. He's a 6'3" freshman, lightning quick, and he can slam the rock. He wants to start at point guard for Marion High, but senior Nick Starks has that nailed down. Besides, the coach is old school. He thinks D-Bow needs to work on his game, his shot, and his attitude. That means bench time. And that's when Hamilton Academy, the elite school in the suburbs, comes sniffing around. They want D-Bow for the next three years. His mom wants no part of that.

Things were supposed to change for sophomore year. Things were supposed to be—I don't know—easier somehow. At least with Jasmine. Instead it's more of a struggle than ever. At least last year when she was with Nick Starks I knew where I stood. Derrick Bowen's sophomore year is a grind. He's been looking forward to the basketball season all summer, but his girlfriend Jasmine leaves him for putting too much focus on basketball. The promise his Marion East basketball team showed at the end of last season isn't materializing. And the sweet jumper D-Bow worked on all summer just isn't falling.

Junior year. Derrick Bowen has put in two good years getting ready for this season. He put in the work and earned his coach’s trust and his role as the starting point guard for Marion East. Marion has never won the Indiana state championship, but this year the team is Derrick’s. And Derrick is good. Opponents worry when Derrick—D-Bow when he’s pounding the rock—steps onto the court. Major colleges work feverishly to recruit him. Derrick is ready to run teams off the court. If only he could get on the court and stay on it.

Marion High, an inner-city school in Indianapolis, has never had a state championship. It’s D-Bow’s senior year, his A-game is ready, big-time colleges are taking notice, and he’s dreaming big. The doctor says the rehabbed knee is ready for ball. D-Bow celebrates with new kicks, the LeBron XIIIs. Still, his life is not easy. First, there’s the girl trouble. Lia is his steady, but his ex, Jasmine, starts texting him late at night. At home, his mom is acting crazy, because, well … she’s pregnant! Still, the heart of Quicks is basketball.