COMPANION PIECE: The Difficulty of Making an Impact Even in JC Hoops

(written and published in late December 2015 on one of my earlier blogs. Reading it now, it seems incomplete. One missing element is the simple fact that none of the players highlighted possessed NBA ability as well as high major college potential. Each of them could have done everything right in reaching their best and maybe some did but their respective ceilings were not at major college or NBA levels.—1/23/24)

So many kids chatter about what they're going to do when they get to the Big Show. It's admirable to have such lofty goals but flat out a pipe dream without first constructing the building blocks necessary in attempting to fulfill these ambitions.

A prime example of the difficulty in reaching the highest level of professional basketball, let alone possessing a D1 college scholarship, is available for viewing at most community college basketball programs.

Look around northern California—are there any just-out-of-high-school natives, 2015 grads, who are dominating opponents? Even being consistently overall plus factors each game?

The answer appears to be no.

Yes, there are those who are currently averaging in double-figures although such an achievement is not a predictor for a next level of scholarship let alone earning eventual NBA status. But let's use it as a barometer here even though these guys have just completed but the first half of their initial collegiate seasons.

• Mohammed Abdulrasul, Fremont High (Sunnyvale), West Valley: 13.2 ppg.
• Terrell Alcorn, El Cerrito High, Merritt: 14.2 ppg.
• Omari Brown, Sacred Heart Cathedral High, Merritt: 10.8 ppg.
• Soren Carpenter, Lowell High, Skyline: 10.0 ppg.
• Will Ingersoll, McKinleyville High, College of the Redwoods: 15.9 ppg.
• Kameron Johnson, Granada High, Las Positas: 11.9 ppg.
• Michael Murphy, Valley High, Cosumnes River: 10.4 ppg.
• Alex Smith, St. Mary's High, San Joaquin Delta: 11.4 ppg.
• DeAndre Stallings, Liberty Ranch High, Columbia: 14.6 ppg.
• Eric Toles, Cosumnes Oaks High, Sierra: 14.6 ppg.
• Tyler Wright, Mills High, Skyline: 11.6 ppg.

Note: Players such as Derrick Randolph, Mason Washington, Anthony Smith, Mark Thomas and others are not listed here because they finished high school earlier than last season.

Now this is not to diminish anyone's achievement—hats off to these youngsters above—but to point out a harsh reality. If academically eligible to make the jump, it looks like none of the above will be doing so come April. There are still too many holes in their respective game, too many gaps, a lack of overall consistency.

As was written earlier: To get on the court (at the D1 level), bodies must be built stronger, endurance extended, existing skills honed further and new ones developed, new roles accepted and possibly most importantly, the learning of how to defend at the (four year) college level is foremost. That's a plate stacked pretty high.

If there isn't a breaking down of statistics as well as film taking place at the community college level (there is), as well as the absorption and application of such in order to increase individual basketball IQ, then it's pie-in-the-sky whose taste is more than likely to be far less sweet than desired.