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For 15-year-old Derrick "D-Bow" Bowen, basketball is life. A freshman at an Indianapolis high school, he dreams of being a starting point guard and eventually playing in the NBA. Everyone has an opinion about how Derrick should reach those goals. The team's no-nonsense coach is determined to keep Derrick "pinned to the pine," training him all hours to help the team make it to State. Derrick's parents disagree about whether he should transfer to an academy in the suburbs, and Derrick's scheming Uncle Kid is attempting to compensate for his own failed basketball career through Derrick. Then there are Derrick's sophisticated crush, Jasmine, and his grounded best friend Wes who want him to widen his horizons beyond the court. First in a planned four-book series covering Derrick's four years of high school, Waltman's (Learning the Game) novel is packed with basketball jargon and action, but also impressively multifaceted, as it examines neighborhood rivalries, the tremendous pressures that come with making one's first adult decisions, and the values of both teamwork and individuality. Ages 14%E2%80%93up. (Dec.)