District 8AA 2015-2016

[tnhoosier]

Upperman should be the odds on favorite to win this district.

Odds on?. Some of you make me laugh. York beat them (although at home) with Blevins scoring 9 points.

 

Care to reconsider?

[tnhoosier]

Why does everyone make this kid up to be something? Yes he is 6 foot 8 but that's about it. He struggles with any post player with some size and def. doesn't play like his height. This is like the 10th post I have seen people make him out to be the next coming of Shaq. He was the 3rd/4th option at Clay County. I would actually be highly surprised he even plays college ball. If he does it will be juco.

First time i have really seen Endicott play but in my opinion he is solid. No where near Blevins offensively (I mean not even close on that end of the floor), but he showed the potential to be a major defensive force.

 

Both he and Blevins were in foul trouble early.

 

Upperman is very good but after playing both Smith & Upperman in my opinion Smith is slightly better at this point in the season. But both are serious contenders along with us (York) and Macon.

 

I will say this, if we play to our capabilities, York is the best team in this district. Will we do that? I don't know but if we do, look out.

[UpperCumberlandMan]

Why does everyone make this kid up to be something? Yes he is 6 foot 8 but that's about it. He struggles with any post player with some size and def. doesn't play like his height. This is like the 10th post I have seen people make him out to be the next coming of Shaq. He was the 3rd/4th option at Clay County. I would actually be highly surprised he even plays college ball. If he does it will be juco.

ease up....he might have only been 3rd option at Clay but he was a Soph. Blevins is a great player, a d-1 comitt senior, who had 9 points. Endicott will be leaps and bounds better in 2016-2017 than he was for Clay in 2014-2015. Hopefully both will play together some day at TTU along with the PG from Clay.

[UCSportsFan]

Why does everyone make this kid up to be something? Yes he is 6 foot 8 but that's about it. He struggles with any post player with some size and def. doesn't play like his height. This is like the 10th post I have seen people make him out to be the next coming of Shaq. He was the 3rd/4th option at Clay County. I would actually be highly surprised he even plays college ball. If he does it will be juco.

Wow take it easy! I realize you're from Celina and harbor some resentment towards him but remember he was just a sophomore last year. We don't have 6'8 kids walking the halls in this part of the country so he would help most any program! He was the difference in Upperman winning or losing against Jackson County that particular night.

[Shozen]

Wow take it easy! I realize you're from Celina and harbor some resentment towards him but remember he was just a sophomore last year. We don't have 6'8 kids walking the halls in this part of the country so he would help most any program! He was the difference in Upperman winning or losing against Jackson County that particular night.

Actually I am not from Celina and haven't lived there for 10+ years and hold zero resentment towards the kid. After seeing a couple games last year and seeing them this year Clay is a much better team without him. Last year the games I watched he was rarely on the floor in close game situations due to the risk of turnovers.

 

The couple games I watched last year he probably accumulated 6-10 traveling turnovers due to not being able to put the ball on the floor. Yes a 6'8 kid is hard to replace and Clay missed the rebounding and defense more than anything but he def. doesn't play to his height.

 

The fact remains you can't make someone learn talent and he just doesn't have the talent like people have said on here. The thing is, he just isn't as good as his parents (I understand everyone thinks their kids are great) claim him to be, hence the reason he left a almost guaranteed state tourney (things happen) team to go to a school frankly that isn't even better than the school he left just because his parents couldn't stand him being the 3rd or even the 2nd option behind Key.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Shozen

[Alumn89]

Shozen, take it from me buddy, you might as well just apologize and move on.  People get so upset on here if you question any kids ability.  You'll never win.  If what I have to say about a kid isn't "Oh he is going to be a great player, D1 for sure"  then I've finally learned to just not give my opinion.  Isn't worth it. 

[UpperCumberlandMan]

Shozen, take it from me buddy, you might as well just apologize and move on. People get so upset on here if you question any kids ability. You'll never win. If what I have to say about a kid isn't "Oh he is going to be a great player, D1 for sure" then I've finally learned to just not give my opinion. Isn't worth it.

true, everyone thinks Their kids is the real deal. But also hard to make a judgement on a 14/15 year old 6'8 kid who's height probably outgrew his agility thus far. And I know everyone knows this, but Jordan didn't even make his HS team as a Freshman. Let's see where he is at in March of next season and then judge him. The taller the kid, typically the later he developes. I seen Blevins and York in 2013 get drilled by Eldridge and LA. Wasn't even close, Eldridge was leaps and bounds better. 2 years later Blevins signed a d-1 scholarship to TTU and is by far the best player in the district. Edited December 9, 2015 by UpperCumberlandMan

[Alumn89]

true, everyone thinks Their kids is the real deal. But also hard to make a judgement on a 14/15 year old 6'8 kid who's height probably outgrew his agility thus far. And I know everyone knows this, but Jordan didn't even make his HS team as a Freshman. Let's see where he is at in March of next season and then judge him. The taller the kid, typically the later he developes. I seen Blevins and York in 2013 get drilled by Eldridge and LA. Wasn't even close, Eldridge was leaps and bounds better. 2 years later Blevins signed a d-1 scholarship to TTU and is by far the best player in the district.

Actually that is a common myth.  Jordan did make the basketball team his freshman year.  His sophomore year is the year in question.  And actually what happened was he didn't make the varsity his soph year.   He was never cut, just didn't make varsity.  That was typical of the time period in North Carolina. Sophs just didn't make varsity unless you were extremely tall.  He quickly showed he was an all-star Jv player.... 

 

the more you know... 

[Shozen]

true, everyone thinks Their kids is the real deal. But also hard to make a judgement on a 14/15 year old 6'8 kid who's height probably outgrew his agility thus far. And I know everyone knows this, but Jordan didn't even make his HS team as a Freshman. Let's see where he is at in March of next season and then judge him. The taller the kid, typically the later he developes. I seen Blevins and York in 2013 get drilled by Eldridge and LA. Wasn't even close, Eldridge was leaps and bounds better. 2 years later Blevins signed a d-1 scholarship to TTU and is by far the best player in the district.

I am not denying it's hard to judge a 15/16 year old. I am just making light of the fact that everyone on here is also judging him saying he is a "stud" "all-state player" to quote a few when clearly he isn't. If I recall he didn't make district 1st team last year and I am not even sure he made all tournament in the region/district tournament in A. I never once said he couldn't/wouldn't ever make a good player as he is decent but far from a all state player as I have seen people say.

 

An all state player at 6'8 would be destroying people especially at the A/AA level. Clearly he struggled last year and he hasn't averaged or had a 20 point game this year if I'm not mistaken. I would like to see his rebound stats because I would almost guarantee they are not at the level they should be with him being 6'8.

Edited December 9, 2015 by Shozen

[90warrior]

Shozen, take it from me buddy, you might as well just apologize and move on.  People get so upset on here if you question any kids ability.  You'll never win.  If what I have to say about a kid isn't "Oh he is going to be a great player, D1 for sure"  then I've finally learned to just not give my opinion.  Isn't worth it. 

you were half wrong alumna. what if a kid has several d1 scholarship offers but doesn't have the grades to take one. do you consider him or her to have d1 talent?

[UTRok]

Actually I am not from Celina and haven't lived there for 10+ years and hold zero resentment towards the kid. After seeing a couple games last year and seeing them this year Clay is a much better team without him. Last year the games I watched he was rarely on the floor in close game situations due to the risk of turnovers.

 

The couple games I watched last year he probably accumulated 6-10 traveling turnovers due to not being able to put the ball on the floor. Yes a 6'8 kid is hard to replace and Clay missed the rebounding and defense more than anything but he def. doesn't play to his height.

 

The fact remains you can't make someone learn talent and he just doesn't have the talent like people have said on here. The thing is, he just isn't as good as his parents (I understand everyone thinks their kids are great) claim him to be, hence the reason he left a almost guaranteed state tourney (things happen) team to go to a school frankly that isn't even better than the school he left just because his parents couldn't stand him being the 3rd or even the 2nd option behind Key.

I've tried to stay away from this but since you appear to be the purveyor of truth let me correct, educate and enlighten you on a few things.

First thing 21 was on the floor at the end of every close game that was played last year that he didn't foul out of and this can be proven by video and possibly photos not just what I have to say. He only fouled out two or three times all season. A few on this topic may remember at Pickett county and Clay vs Jackson county both games just examples not the only ones. If I'm not mistaken he was on the floor when time ran out. Now for the district awards he was the defensive POY for 7A and 2nd or 3rd team all district as well as all region. Possibly the best ball he played last year was at the region tourney.

 

A little enlighten were talking about a 3 sport athlete that prior to this past summer has never participated in summer school basketball or spring school basketball as he was doing football in the summer and baseball in the spring. The first game he played at Celina last year was the 2nd game on the schedule against Van Buren at Clay no play dates or anything else last season.

 

Was he as good as he could be last year no. Will he get better yes. Are coaches calling and asking for transcripts yes. After the tournament in Atlanta this summer with team TCB the first two colleges to call were Princeton and Furman. That can be verified by the coach from TCB as they called him first.

 

Josh then played in the Rocky Top league in Knoxville.

 

Were we happy with the way basketball went at Clay county last year no. Now lets get in to why we left as a sophomore last year half of the classes he took were junior classes because he had already taken some of the sophomore classes as a freshman in NC. 

In NC Josh took engineering classes in school as a freshman and wants to continue with engineering Upperman has an engineering program. The day we met at Clay and sat down with the Principal she told us Clay offered no advanced classes but we didn't realize he had already taken half of the offered sophomore classes. He is taking honors and AP classes at Upperman as well as dual enrollment to help get ready for college.

 

I know to some education coming first is hard to understand. Why on earth would you give up and possible return trip to the state tourney to get a better than required education. NCAA requirements have changed for all 2016 grads and beyond. 2017 grad MUST have completed 10 of there core requirements by the end of there junior year or they will not meet NCAA requirements and then have 16 completed by end of senior year. This also carries GPA and ACT requirements to go with it.  

 

In a nut shell what I or anyone else on this forum thinks of his ability really doesn't matter. What college coaches think about his ability and up side is what will be important and make a difference.

 

I will not debate any of this as it is verifiable by last years game video or people other than me. You keep falling back to people saying he was this or that. We all know he wasn't point proven but I will keep my little JUCO talented (according to you shozen) athlete and we will see where he lands in the fall of 2017. I wish Clay county basketball all the best.

Edited December 10, 2015 by UTRok

[ThatRadioGuy]

 

A little enlighten were talking about a 3 sport athlete that prior to this past summer has never participated in summer school basketball or spring school basketball as he was doing football in the summer and baseball in the spring. The first game he played at Celina last year was the 2nd game on the schedule against Van Buren at Clay no play dates or anything else last season.

 

Did he play football for Upperman this fall and will he play baseball in the spring? Just curious.