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Post by upbasketballfan on Apr 30, 2021 23:49:51 GMT -5
Would be great if they ended up at a Horizon League school. I hope it's Oakland.
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Post by motorcitysam on May 1, 2021 13:03:09 GMT -5
The first time I saw Jack B. in living color was during "hoops night in the D". I had two immediate thoughts: #1.He looks like a left tackle or he's out of shape. #2.He can really shoot the ball. I watched him shoot three after three during the pre-game festivities. I don't recall him missing many of them. I was very optimistic. I hope things work out for JJ and JB. I remember that Hoops Night in the D. I was there, too. I saw how heavy JB and Hogan were, and got my first sense that we were going to be in trouble that season. All that jumping around doesn't seem to have helped Jack's game. 2019-20 was a decent season for him, but all of his stats plummeted in 2020-21. He shot 37% from the floor, 8% (not a misprint) from deep, and 52% from the free throw line. In high school JB looked like he would be very good MAC/HL level player, and had some solid offers, but I don't think he ever got into a conditioning or development system that worked for him. He also moved around in high school. Good luck to him, but I wonder which programs are going to be willing to take on a guy who probably won't get a waiver and had those kind of numbers last year.
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Post by calihanmole on May 1, 2021 13:07:54 GMT -5
The first time I saw Jack B. in living color was during "hoops night in the D". I had two immediate thoughts: #1.He looks like a left tackle or he's out of shape. #2.He can really shoot the ball. I watched him shoot three after three during the pre-game festivities. I don't recall him missing many of them. I was very optimistic. I hope things work out for JJ and JB. I remember that Hoops Night in the D. I was there, too. I saw how heavy JB and Hogan were, and got my first sense that we were going to be in trouble that season. All that jumping around doesn't seem to have helped Jack's game. 2019-20 was a decent season for him, but all of his stats plummeted in 2020-21. He shot 37% from the floor, 8% (not a misprint) from deep, and 52% from the free throw line. In high school JB looked like he would be very good MAC/HL level player, and had some solid offers, but I don't think he ever got into a conditioning or development system that worked for him. He also moved around in high school. Good luck to him, but I wonder which programs are going to be willing to take on a guy who probably won't get a waiver and had those kind of numbers last year. Probably the kind of program that JJ Senior convinces to take them both in exchange for some future recruiting help and some charitable contributions.
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Post by motorcitysam on May 1, 2021 14:18:14 GMT -5
One of my favorite college basketball stories is the story of Ron Stokes and Troy Taylor. They started playing on the same team in seventh grade and starred together at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. They were in the recruiting class of 1981 and they were determined to play together in college, despite those who advised against it. They signed with Ohio State and over the next four years they made three NCAA tournaments, one NIT, and had three seasons of at least 20 wins. They left OSU as 1,000 point scorers, both averaging double figures for their careers. They both graduated and at last word remain good friends to this day. They are beloved in Columbus.
I guess jumping around together from school to school is today's version of that. Not quite the same.
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Post by rbj on May 1, 2021 15:26:08 GMT -5
The first time I saw Jack B. in living color was during "hoops night in the D". I had two immediate thoughts: #1.He looks like a left tackle or he's out of shape. #2.He can really shoot the ball. I watched him shoot three after three during the pre-game festivities. I don't recall him missing many of them. I was very optimistic. I hope things work out for JJ and JB. I remember that Hoops Night in the D. I was there, too. I saw how heavy JB and Hogan were, and got my first sense that we were going to be in trouble that season. All that jumping around doesn't seem to have helped Jack's game. 2019-20 was a decent season for him, but all of his stats plummeted in 2020-21. He shot 37% from the floor, 8% (not a misprint) from deep, and 52% from the free throw line. In high school JB looked like he would be very good MAC/HL level player, and had some solid offers, but I don't think he ever got into a conditioning or development system that worked for him. He also moved around in high school. Good luck to him, but I wonder which programs are going to be willing to take on a guy who probably won't get a waiver and had those kind of numbers last year. JB has talent and size, I believe he could've been averaged double figures and points in rebounds in the Horizon league. He needs the right type of coach to bring that talent out.
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Post by rbj on May 1, 2021 16:21:09 GMT -5
One of my favorite college basketball stories is the story of Ron Stokes and Troy Taylor. They started playing on the same team in seventh grade and starred together at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. They were in the recruiting class of 1981 and they were determined to play together in college, despite those who advised against it. They signed with Ohio State and over the next four years they made three NCAA tournaments, one NIT, and had three seasons of at least 20 wins. They left OSU as 1,000 point scorers, both averaging double figures for their careers. They both graduated and at last word remain good friends to this day. They are beloved in Columbus. I guess jumping around together from school to school is today's version of that. Not quite the same. These guys remind me of two players who graduated from my alma mater a few years before me...Paris McCurdy and Curtis Kidd. Curtis Kidd had offers from Missouri and Iowa State, but those schools didnt want McCurdy, Arkansas-Little Rock agreed to take both of them, they caught a case together in Little Rock (credit card fraud) and transferred to Ball State where they did very well and almost beat the 1990 UNLV that won the NCAA title. Three of the starters on that sweet sixteen Ball State team were from Detroit (Paris McCurdy, Curtis Kidd and Scott Nichols).
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Post by motorcitysam on May 2, 2021 13:04:09 GMT -5
One of my favorite college basketball stories is the story of Ron Stokes and Troy Taylor. They started playing on the same team in seventh grade and starred together at McKinley High School in Canton, Ohio. They were in the recruiting class of 1981 and they were determined to play together in college, despite those who advised against it. They signed with Ohio State and over the next four years they made three NCAA tournaments, one NIT, and had three seasons of at least 20 wins. They left OSU as 1,000 point scorers, both averaging double figures for their careers. They both graduated and at last word remain good friends to this day. They are beloved in Columbus. I guess jumping around together from school to school is today's version of that. Not quite the same. These guys remind me of two players who graduated from my alma mater a few years before me...Paris McCurdy and Curtis Kidd. Curtis Kidd had offers from Missouri and Iowa State, but those schools didnt want McCurdy, Arkansas-Little Rock agreed to take both of them, they caught a case together in Little Rock (credit card fraud) and transferred to Ball State where they did very well and almost beat the 1990 UNLV that won the NCAA title. Three of the starters on that sweet sixteen Ball State team were from Detroit (Paris McCurdy, Curtis Kidd and Scott Nichols). I remember Paris and Curtis and that Ball State team. Great story. Beat Oregon State and Louisville in the NCAA tournament prior to falling to the Rebels. I thought of using those two players as my example, but I didn't remember the details. I remember JJ Crawl and Renardo Brown out of Highland Park making the trek to West Virginia together and experiencing some memorable success in the 80s, too.
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Post by titantarheel on May 3, 2021 8:52:30 GMT -5
Ya know, I'll tip my hat and say good luck to both of these gentlemen. I don't know what they are looking for or what they are seeking, I hope they find it. Their post-high school path has been odd to say the least, and not the straightest line. I hope they've learned about themselves and the world to make positive career decisions here on out as they enter the real (non basketball) world at some point soon.
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Post by Deleted on May 27, 2021 8:38:02 GMT -5
I wonder if his buddy Jack follows him - even if it's as a walk on
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Post by calihanmole on May 27, 2021 11:24:59 GMT -5
I wonder if his buddy Jack follows him - even if it's as a walk on If Jack does enroll at CMU then those two should just start their wedding registry finally.
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Post by Commissioner on May 27, 2021 11:32:08 GMT -5
I wonder if his buddy Jack follows him - even if it's as a walk on If Jack does enroll at CMU then those two should just start their wedding registry finally.
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Post by Commissioner on May 28, 2021 10:52:45 GMT -5
My Little Peggy March tribute notwithstanding, I think it's kind of neat that JJJ and Ballantyne are such good friends.
All of this is actually a very disappointing end to what once seemed to have tremendous promise for the Titans. In a very short time, we lost a lot of good will from, and toward, a pair of Titan legends, JJ and Bacari. (And this came shortly after probably losing some love from another Titan great, Ray McCallum II). This is one reason I'm not a big fan of hiring your legends to coach their alma mater.
When JJJ burst on the high school scene, it was great. A high level recruit we had a good shot at getting, thanks to the familial connection (remember, JJ was not yet on the Titan staff). Remember, Triple J was getting offers by 9th grade and was a Michigan "dream team" selection as a HS junior. I know some have said--and I don't know the truth of the matter--that both Ray Sr. and Bacari had JJ more or less imposed on him as an assistant. In any event, I would have supported JJ's hire when Ray was let go. I think he would have recruited well and was a winner. Others warned that he would be more trouble than worth--cut corners, drama, and the like. I think history has largely born our the concerns of the naysayers--even though I still think JJ would have recruited well and been a winner. Meanwhile, JJJ's progress stalled a bit--his high major offers either didn't materialize or were dropped, and as a HS senior, he was "merely" first team all state in Class A, down a notch from the "dream team." Still, he was obviously a good recruit for us and a solid mid-major player. But whether due to pressure from above, from JJ, or bad judgment, Triple J was put in charge of the 2018 team offense. Not only was he not ready for that role, but it left the Titans with a very small lineup if they were to keep two very good but not very tall guards--Allen and McFolly--on the floor, and adding in Kam Chatman, with way too many guys needing the ball to be effective. Then, of course, it appears that JJJ and Ballantyne shafted us on the way out the door, knocking down our APR.
So what might have been a real nice story and some real good basketball turned into something of a nightmare. Meanwhile, you have to keep wondering, what do these two want? Did LIU Coach Derrick Kellogg suddenly quit being a coach JJJ wanted to play for? Was 33 plus minutes a game not enough PT at LIU? Does he think Central Michigan is his ticket to the NBA?
The whole Jackson saga has been a real disappointment.
Meanwhile, it's been slow-going, but I'm pretty optimistic about the Davis era, which I believe is gaining steam.
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Post by calihanmole on May 28, 2021 11:05:14 GMT -5
My guess is that JJJ feels CMU is his best shot to get the most minutes possible and up his stock for the overseas market. He’s not playing in the NBA. He’d be lucky to get a pro contract in Latvia or some small European league. And he can do that because his dad can subsidize him if needed. Plus, a year at CMU gets him closer to home and allows family to attend games.
Jack is most likely not playing pro ball anywhere unless he has some major transformation this offseason. He never put in the development needed for a big man. I think spending the year at spire really hurt Jack more than JJJ. The best thing for Jack is probably to play D2 somewhere and just enjoy the game. Or, try to get a scholarship at a D1 school with a struggling basketball team but good MBA program.
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Post by motorcitysam on Jun 1, 2021 15:33:29 GMT -5
As stated above, the JJJ/JJ/JB saga was a disappointment for Titan fans, given expectations. Unfortunately, the whole arrangement didn't seem to do JJJ and JB any favors, either.
I am going to be careful with this, because I am reluctant to criticize college athletes on a message board, but I have to say that the journey of JJJ and (especially) JB could be a cautionary tale of how not to navigate your college basketball career. Nothing wrong with deciding to go to the same school out of high school like they did, especially when JJ Sr. was the assistant coach on the staff of the hometown team. And maybe JJJ felt he needed to leave after his Dad was let go, but to take a year away from college basketball, unconnected to any program? There's no real upside to that, especially when he ended up at LIU-Brooklyn. He spends two decent scoring, poor shooting seasons on a team with an overall losing record, and then jumps ship to play at CMU, for a third coach, where he hopes to get a waiver for immediate eligibility. Was that the dream?
JB's journey is even more curious. Once BA was fired, JB could have stuck around to play for Mike Davis, a coach with a long history of success, including a track record of developing players. There was space on the roster for him, and probably an opportunity to start if he was willing to put in the work. Instead, he left and apparently didn't even attend school the following year. Then it's back to being JJ's sidekick at LIU, where he struggles and never seems to improve. His 3.2 ppg scoring average last season was a career high. I didn't expect Jack to be the next coming of Earl Cureton, but I thought he'd be more productive than Willy Isiani.
Of course, I'm looking at it from the outside. Maybe these two young men have enjoyed their college experience and enjoyed playing in multiple places, taking a year off, and bouncing around. Just seems like a long way from what was projected for both when they were both highly sought after recruits in 2017.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2021 11:59:12 GMT -5
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