Basketball from a
fans perspective
Short summer wasn’t it?
71 days from today the college basketball officially kicks off. Don’t get too excited, games are not played quite that soon we are talking late September and early October. Start dates are not the same all over however teams can begin official basketball practice, they have been practicing unofficially anyway since?
I believe I’m
correct
Several publications present an All-American high school team annually. USA Today, Max Preps and others we omitted. It’s likely the McDonalds and Jordan Brand Classic are the only two games All-American teams compete against one another, an East squad versus a West squad. The Nike Hoop Summit is somewhat different, it’s Team USA versus the world. How did we arrive at this point, the growth of basketball over the last 40 years is the principle reason? Although a team was selected in 1977 the first game for high school seniors wasn’t played until the following season. The West beat the East 94-86 and the McDonalds game has been played every year since then.
Several publications present an All-American high school team annually. USA Today, Max Preps and others we omitted. It’s likely the McDonalds and Jordan Brand Classic are the only two games All-American teams compete against one another, an East squad versus a West squad. The Nike Hoop Summit is somewhat different, it’s Team USA versus the world. How did we arrive at this point, the growth of basketball over the last 40 years is the principle reason? Although a team was selected in 1977 the first game for high school seniors wasn’t played until the following season. The West beat the East 94-86 and the McDonalds game has been played every year since then.
Chicago has served as host
most often although the game has been played throughout the nation. The Jordan Brand Classic is young by
comparison only in it’s 17th season.
This All-Star game like the older McDonalds game reads like a who’s who
of high school basketball for boys and girls in its history. The last game is the Nike Hoop Summit just
completed its 21st year, it’s held in Portland Oregon every season
and the game is unlike the others. A
world team comprised of youth basketball players around the world faces a team
comprised of American high school talent.
This international game was first played in 1995 has seen its share of
youth players many who eventually had NBA careers.
Gate City Virginia
Trust me on this one please, you might read a similar account on ESPN’s college page. This was written ahead but is just now being published. You are probably asking yourself where in the world is Gate City? Don’t worry I never heard of Gate City either, it’s a town with a little more than 2,000 souls. The town is in Scott County near the southwest corner of the state neighboring the Virginia-Tennessee border. One of the town’s 2,000 citizens is headed off to Georgetown in the fall to play basketball for Patrick Ewing. Mac McClung is proof no matter where you play if you are perceived to be talented college coaches will beat a path to your door.
Gate City Virginia
Trust me on this one please, you might read a similar account on ESPN’s college page. This was written ahead but is just now being published. You are probably asking yourself where in the world is Gate City? Don’t worry I never heard of Gate City either, it’s a town with a little more than 2,000 souls. The town is in Scott County near the southwest corner of the state neighboring the Virginia-Tennessee border. One of the town’s 2,000 citizens is headed off to Georgetown in the fall to play basketball for Patrick Ewing. Mac McClung is proof no matter where you play if you are perceived to be talented college coaches will beat a path to your door.
Well it didn’t quite occur
in that manner however the 6-foot 2-inch McClung received a great deal of publicity
and then played for a Washington D.C. AAU team.
Later he was to break Allen Iverson’s Virginia High School scoring
record. In today’s basketball he’s a
combo guard with hops, video is available on YouTube with all sorts of
dunks. Will he be able to take his
basketball skill to the next level, we’ll see in the fall? Mac McClung a name to retain in your memory
bank for this fall and winter. McClung
is reported to have a 47-inch vertical, did I mention the athlete breaking Iverson’s
scoring record is white. I know, going
back to the days of Big John Thompson Georgetown has recruited few white
athletes. McClung is a budding talent
and not concerned about the spotlight that likely is to shine brightly on
him.
We don’t know
We can only speculate Mizzou basketball for 2018-19, we just don’t know. Michael Porter Jr. is history, he’s headed for the NBA, but we saw little of him. Kassius Robertson and Jordan Barnett provided much of the offense, but they are gone as well. Earlier I’d mentioned the transfers coming in for the 2019-20 season appear talented but the Mizzou faithful wants to know about right now. Mizzou received late commitments from two athletes neither on scholarship. We don’t know if freshman Evan Yerkes and Parker Braun can play along with the other incoming crop of athletes, but we’ll soon find out.
It’s interesting these late additions could have attended other schools offering scholarships but preferred to walk-on. A little background on both players for you, Yerkes is a 6-foot 4-inch combo guard from Andrew High School in Tinley Park (ILL) in metro Chicago. Yerkes is reported to be a 3-point specialist and the combo guard Cuonzo Martin desires for his offense. Braun is a 6-9 wing who attended Blue Valley Northwest High School in metro Kansas City (MO). He checks in at slim 205 pounds, so we can imagine he’ll spend time in the weight room. In a manner of speaking Mizzou basketball is in the same position in June of 2018 as it was in June 2017. We don’t know but in the same manner as last season the Mizzou faithful is optimistic regarding the season.
We can only speculate Mizzou basketball for 2018-19, we just don’t know. Michael Porter Jr. is history, he’s headed for the NBA, but we saw little of him. Kassius Robertson and Jordan Barnett provided much of the offense, but they are gone as well. Earlier I’d mentioned the transfers coming in for the 2019-20 season appear talented but the Mizzou faithful wants to know about right now. Mizzou received late commitments from two athletes neither on scholarship. We don’t know if freshman Evan Yerkes and Parker Braun can play along with the other incoming crop of athletes, but we’ll soon find out.
It’s interesting these late additions could have attended other schools offering scholarships but preferred to walk-on. A little background on both players for you, Yerkes is a 6-foot 4-inch combo guard from Andrew High School in Tinley Park (ILL) in metro Chicago. Yerkes is reported to be a 3-point specialist and the combo guard Cuonzo Martin desires for his offense. Braun is a 6-9 wing who attended Blue Valley Northwest High School in metro Kansas City (MO). He checks in at slim 205 pounds, so we can imagine he’ll spend time in the weight room. In a manner of speaking Mizzou basketball is in the same position in June of 2018 as it was in June 2017. We don’t know but in the same manner as last season the Mizzou faithful is optimistic regarding the season.
