Coaching in the state championship game provided Huron High School basketball coach Waleed Samaha the opportunity to be on the bench at this weekend’s Basketball Coaches Association of Michigan All-Star Game.

It’s a fun opportunity, Samaha says, to coach players like Michigan State-bound Keith Appling, the runaway winner of the state’s 2010 Mr. Basketball award.

But Samaha has also made the event a little personal, with plans to bring along one of his former players and his coaching mentor.

Recent Huron graduate Jalen Bouma will play for Samaha in the Class A-B game, scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. Saturday at Brighton High School. It follows the C-D girls game (11 a.m.), the A-B girls game (1 p.m.) and the C-D boys game (3 p.m.)

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Since Samaha, Bouma and the rest of the River Rats lost in the Class A state title game to Kalamazoo Central in March, Bouma’s attention turned to baseball. He was an all-league performer for Huron and will play collegiately at Eastern Michigan University.

“My summer has been baseball, baseball, baseball,” Bouma said. “But my brother and I are planning on shooting hoops together to shake off all the rust.

“I'm extremely excited to play for (Samaha) one last time. I just hope I can represent Huron basketball well.”

Samaha’s assistant coach will be North Farmington's Tom Negoshian. Samaha learned the River Rats’ trapping, full-court defense from Negoshian and he has calls him a father-figure on and off the court.

“He’s a guy that I think deserves an opportunity to be on the sidelines,” Samaha said. “It will be fun to coach side-by-side with him.”