Review Detail

Reader reviewed by LJK

Anyone who has ever wondered why a coach keeps a bad-seed athlete on this team should read Night Hoops, by Carl Deuker. Trent Dawson is exactly the kid you don't want on your team; although he is only a sophomore, he gets in trouble with the cops, he's failing all his classes, and he fights with his teammates. He is a also a brilliant basketball player who tirelessly hustles for every loose ball. Nick Abbott lives across the street from Trent, and his older brother Zack, and he knows from personal experience that the Dawson boys are trouble. But Nick has his own problems to worry about; his older has quit basketball to focus on trumpet, his father has moved out of the house, and Nick, also a sophomore, is stuck playing third string point guard for Bothell High School. Can Trent and Nick get it together long enough to salvage the season?

Night Hoops is a very good basketball book that has a lot going on in addition to basketball. The relationship between Nick and his father is hairy at best, and both Nick and Trent have issues with their older brothers. Anyone who has ever been part of any high school sport will enjoy this gritty insider's look at how a team can come together, and the forces that can pull it apart.