Quote:
Originally Posted by K-dog
Just to put it all in perspective. The gap between HS ballplayer and D-1 college ball player is larger than the gap between Church ballplayer and HS Ball player. The gap between NBA baller and D-1 baller has many gradations but to put it into perspective, Russel Larson, who was a star at the Y, won all conference selections, was long and extremely athletic and scored nearly 20 ppg during a season went to two NBA camps and got cut. Therefore, the gap between ballers at the Y and ballers in the NBA is very large.
I've been around the block in basketball. The fact is, BYU basketball does not get very talented players. Jimmer is a good shooter who can do some fun things. JT is a good shooter who can do some things. Burgess is a good shooter who can do some things. None of those three will ever play in the NBA. None of them even come close. They are all too slow, too small.
TP and Lee Cummard could become players who could make camps. TP could even get drafted (much to the dismay of the fans of whichever team drafts him). But their vaunted athleticism is a dime a dozen in the NBA and both have flaws that will keep them from sticking.
The only time I played against a future NBA All-Star he was a sophomore and I was a senior. He was taller than I was, faster than I was, had better handles than I did, had better touch than I did and had a higher b-ball IQ than I did. As a HS sophomore he was better than TP or Cummard and if BYU ever got his level of talent to attend the Y he would score 30 and get 15 rbs and 4 blocks per game before jumping to the league as a Sophomore.
That said, our talent level is sufficient for us to compete in the MWC every year and win it some years.
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One comment: some people improve. Some don't.
I didn't even make the JV team. A lot of factors went into that, mainly that I was out of position--in a PG's body, playing power forward.
Anyway, now in my old age I am 50x the shooter that I was then. I am a better jump shooter. I can still occasionally go to the rim (at 5'10" I am often the shortest guy on the court, the middle is packed at this venue).
In other words I can hang on the court with my buds that played low-level college ball, even though I didn't make the JV team. (though they are certainly better). I can guard them.
If everything had worked out for me, in terms of development and coaching, I am certain I had the potential to be a varsity bball player. But college, no way.