Familiar group of longtime Moneyball veterans still wowing area hoops fans

HOLT – For more than two decades, the Moneyball Pro-Am has grown into a summer stalwart in Greater Lansing, largely due to the participation of Michigan State players.

But while getting a peek at — and interracting with — the Spartan athletes is the biggest draw for fans, there is also a sizable group of non-MSU players with strong local ties who have been longtime regular participants and have also played a big part in the event's growth.

"It's surreal, I've watched it as it was still growing and now all these people are coming to the gym to watch, and for me, it's cool knowing I can still get up and down," former Lansing Community College and Everett player Sidney Droughns said during a break in Moneyball games recently at Holt High School.

"Having my kids be able to watch me play now is important, and hopefully one day they can still love it and see pictures and videos of me playing in it."

Droughns — known by many as "JJ", a nickname given by to him by his grandmother — is one of those familiar faces to yearly Moneyball fans. He has been playing in the Pro-Am since 2010, including winning it in 2014 on a team with former MSU players Kelvin Torbert, Draymond Green and Adrien Payne.

"That was my favorite team to play on," Droughns said. "We were back at Everett for the first time, so being able to play there again and playing on that team, I learned a lot basketball-wise from those guys."

Droughns, who is on Team Faygo this year with MSU's Coen Carr and Jase Richardson, is known for his intense play in what is normally a more relaxed atmosphere. He picks up MSU players full court on defense, makes his opponent work for every shot and is engaged and vocal in team huddles.

"A lot of that comes from (LCC) coach (Mike) Ingram, who was my favorite coach to play for of all time," Droughns said. "I've always known to play the game one way, and even when the game is tight, it's about winning. Even in this type of setting, it's always a good thing to work on winning, and the best way to do that is by playing hard."

RELATED: Couch: 20 years later, the Moneyball Pro-Am has become a staple of Lansing summer nights

'It's a blessing to be here'

Shane Ross is still playing basketball professionally at 36 years old, this past year in Medora, Indiana, with the Medora Timberjacks of The Basketball League (TBL).

The Waverly grad was ranked as the No. 2 forward in the state coming out of high school in 2006 and enjoyed success with fellow Lansing high school standout Justin Ingram at Toledo, where the two helped the Rockets to a Mid-American Conference championship. He's since played basketball all over the world, including his favorite spot in Perth, Australia.

Despite his travels around the globe, Ross has come back in the summers to play at Moneyball and has been a mainstay since 2009. The league gives him a comfortable offseason setting where his friends and family can see his game continue to flourish.

"It's a great run during the summer, and it's a good chance to get around good competition to see where my game is at," Ross said. "I can stay in shape, stay close to family. It's one of those things where any chance you can play in front of those people, it's a blessing to be here and still be playing."

The same goes for Maurice Benson — a former Everett player who went to Indiana Tech and has been playing at Moneyball for more than 10 years. Benson is a yearly crowd pleaser and is known for knocking down 3-pointers — often in bunches.

"I've put up a lot of shots in my lifetime, man, so when I shoot I expect to make every single shot," Benson said. "When I make two or three in a row, it does feel good to kinda see the crowd's reaction, looking at me thinking, 'Oh, there's the old head, there's the OG.' But I've been playing semi-pro basketball for a very long time and I train a lot, so it's fun to showcase it here."

Benson played overseas in Vietnam for a brief stint and also played in the NBA's Developmental League (now known as the G League) and numerous semi-pro basketball leagues across the country. Even at 40, with gray hair in the beard, he remains one of Moneyball's most lethal shooters.

Veterans still competing at high level

There are plenty of other familiar local faces around Moneyball, including Derric Martin, who may not get much run on the court nowadays but has been on a team in every single iteration of the Moneyball Pro-Am, which began in 2004.

Then there's Colin Jones, a former player at Holt High School who dazzled at as much as 280 pounds years ago and continues to be a showman to the crowd after losing more than 100 pounds.

RELATED: Couch: Colin Jones' size and sizzle make him a Moneyball favorite, but it's no joke to him

The list goes on — former Davenport guard Orlando Little, former Olivet guard Dee Roberts, former Lansing Eastern and Lansing Catholic forward Dre Dentmond, and many more.

For a Pro-Am that features MSU players, there is a plethora of local talent still playing at an extremely high level.

"Getting here and being in front of these fans, and seeing that I'm competitive still, it's a great stage and great environment," Benson said. "Playing against the State guys and so many other local guys that are still at a great level, it's a lot of fun."

The Moneyball Pro-Am plays on Tuesdays and Thursdays at Holt High School and will conclude on Aug. 1.

Contact Nathaniel Bott at nbott@lsj.com and follow him on Twitter @Nathaniel_Bott

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Familiar group of longtime Moneyball veterans still wowing area hoops fans