Chance Comanche

gumby · Post by **gumby** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:01 pm

Can't it just be two tall dudes wreaking havoc?

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 12:36 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:If Ayton does come...

Is that based on any new concerns, or the general from-the-beginning concern?

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:38 pm

EVCat wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:If Ayton does come...
Is that based on any new concerns, or the general from-the-beginning concern?

General. He's never said anything other than he's coming, but there's been enough smoke around him that I will hedge an if until he's here. Part of it is leftover feelings from Ferguson and Jennings.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Mon Feb 20, 2017 1:51 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
EVCat wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:If Ayton does come...
Is that based on any new concerns, or the general from-the-beginning concern?
General. He's never said anything other than he's coming, but there's been enough smoke around him that I will hedge an if until he's here. Part of it is leftover feelings from Ferguson and Jennings.

Ferguson never really wanted to go to school and Jennings was a very Pro-Pastner guy, so once he left he stopped giving a crap. Ayton is all in and as I understand it his transcripts are fine.

NYCat · Post by **NYCat** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 5:09 pm

Done with Dusan, free Chief!

Frybry02 · Post by **Frybry02** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 7:32 pm

NYCat wrote:Done with Dusan, free Chief!

Yep.

Hank of sb · Post by **Hank of sb** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:00 pm

Frybry02 wrote:
NYCat wrote:Done with Dusan, free Chief!
Yep.

I had thought we were "done " with Dusan at the end of last year.....as far as starting, that is. But then Scheer and others insisted otherwise --I'm guessing the coaching staff had told Scheer to tell us that Dusan was ripped and ready.

But now Dusan will be/could be/should be/wants to be back next year!

Of course he does. Where might he play? He seems too soft for Europe, too lost to play the game, even the college game in Tucson.

What are we going to do?

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:03 pm

NYCat wrote:Done with Dusan, free Chief!

We'll need both in March.

Longhorned · Post by **Longhorned** » Sat Mar 04, 2017 8:11 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
NYCat wrote:Done with Dusan, free Chief!
We'll need both in March.

But don't you think Ristic would be better coming off the bench? I mean better for the team and better for his individual production. Especially in the tourney, where the turnaround is too fast and teams lack familiarity with one another, teams game plan for the first 5-6 players in the rotation. Ristic is way too easy to game plan for, and potentially deadly for stretches off the bench.

pokinmik · Post by **pokinmik** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 4:50 am

Ristic has such weak hands. Very frustrating watching rebounds get flubbed or stolen away from him.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Sun Mar 05, 2017 11:16 am

Longhorned wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
NYCat wrote:Done with Dusan, free Chief!
We'll need both in March.
But don't you think Ristic would be better coming off the bench? I mean better for the team and better for his individual production. Especially in the tourney, where the turnaround is too fast and teams lack familiarity with one another, teams game plan for the first 5-6 players in the rotation. Ristic is way too easy to game plan for, and potentially deadly for stretches off the bench.

I've never really cared who starts, and give more weight to who gets the minutes. Dusan is so matchup dependent for my taste. Certain matchups, he looks good. Certain matchups, not at all.

ChooChooCat · Post by **ChooChooCat** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 7:47 am

Kid needs to be given endless props, he was absolutely huge in key moments last night. Knocked down some jumpers like a vet.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:04 am

He was a warrior last night. Chief!

Main Event · Post by **Main Event** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:11 am

I believe in Chance, completely fine with missing on a McCoy if Chance continues to develop at a rapid pace. Really hope it continues and winds up our starter next year.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:46 am

Chance is developing nicely. His step back from 10-12 feet was nails last night.

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:26 am

CalStateTempe wrote:Chance is developing nicely. His step back from 10-12 feet was nails last night.

His shot reminded me of Channing Frye as a senior.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 9:36 am

I think I that is a great comparison.

Over the last several weeks, chance was moved from will he play in the league to how long.

Really really really happy for the guy.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 10:41 am

Main Event wrote:I believe in Chance, completely fine with missing on a McCoy if Chance continues to develop at a rapid pace. Really hope it continues and winds up our starter next year.

I think he would be fine as a starter next year. I like him better as a guy to start next to Ayton than I do Dusan, frankly.

HiCat · Post by **HiCat** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 12:31 pm

10 pts 2 rebs 2 asts 17 mins

http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basket ... =400946267" target="_blank

Bangkok Wildcat · Post by **Bangkok Wildcat** » Sun Mar 12, 2017 8:36 pm

Walton....can't believe I'm about to quote this guy who seems to have really lost his mind of late.....Walton said that 'Chief' has grown a few inches since attending Arizona....is this true?

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 4:24 pm

I heard that too. Maybe 1" but I dont think so. He put on a bunch of weight and could use another 15 more

Bangkok Wildcat · Post by **Bangkok Wildcat** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:14 pm

Jefe wrote:I heard that too. Maybe 1" but I dont think so. He put on a bunch of weight and could use another 15 more

Yeah, I know he's added muscle.....that is easy to see....as well as his game has improved a ton. I love the passionate dunks and the sweet 10-15 foot shots too.....I'm no bball player but his shot looks like it's good form.

Even growing an inch is cool....do kids still grow after 18 years? I don't recall any AZ players actually adding height in college....not like I've been tracking them.....obviously they fill out with muscle under Rounds!

wyo-cat · Post by **wyo-cat** » Mon Mar 13, 2017 11:43 pm

One can grow until their growth plates close. I've heard of people adding height in their lower 20's. If Chance is working out hard with the weights, which seems to be the case, his body will create HGH and Test that can spur growth.

I'm seeing it first hand in my 15 year old son. He's hitting the weights hard for football and slowly adding height due to the HGH his body is producing. He's pert near looking me in the eye and he was 5'-11" in the fall and officially over 6' in January. All with no growth spurt.

Bangkok Wildcat · Post by **Bangkok Wildcat** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 1:47 am

wyo-cat wrote:One can grow until their growth plates close. I've heard of people adding height in their lower 20's. If Chance is working out hard with the weights, which seems to be the case, his body will create HGH and Test that can spur growth.

I'm seeing it first hand in my 15 year old son. He's hitting the weights hard for football and slowly adding height due to the HGH his body is producing. He's pert near looking me in the eye and he was 5'-11" in the fall and officially over 6' in January. All with no growth spurt.

Interesting wyo-cat.....you must be proud of your boy

....wish him much success!

Re Chance...just checked 247 and when he committed he was listed at 6-9....now ESPN has him at 6-11....now I know these services can be really off but wow, if he really did grow 2 inches in that timeframe , that's really cool.....too bad PJC didn't have the same spurt too

.

I love having these tall rim protectors like Chance, Dusan and now incoming Ayton. Just hope Dusan sticks around and I know it's a low chance but if Lauri came back for one more year.....wow, just wow.

Hope Ira Lee has this growth spurt too.

IndianaZonaFan · Post by **IndianaZonaFan** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 6:10 am

Bangkok Wildcat wrote:
Jefe wrote:I heard that too. Maybe 1" but I dont think so. He put on a bunch of weight and could use another 15 more
Yeah, I know he's added muscle.....that is easy to see....as well as his game has improved a ton. I love the passionate dunks and the sweet 10-15 foot shots too.....I'm no bball player but his shot looks like it's good form.

Even growing an inch is cool....do kids still grow after 18 years? I don't recall any AZ players actually adding height in college....not like I've been tracking them.....obviously they fill out with muscle under Rounds!

I grew 6" after high school, stopped growing a little after 19th birthday

YoDeFoe · Post by **YoDeFoe** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 11:25 am

Guys. Don't listen to Bill Walton for facts about our players.

Chance was 6'11" before he stepped on to campus. He may have grown an inch since then, he's certainly put on weight with Rounds.

http://tucson.com/sports/basketball/col ... f5e27.html" target="_blank

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 12:27 pm

I've said this before, but Gilbert Arenas was about 5'6" just before the start of his high school senior season, and he sprouted to about 6'1" by the time he stepped on campus at Arizona. He ended up being 6'4". It is ridiculous when some of these guys hit these massive growth spurts over a short period and maintain their athleticism. For a lot of guys, your game goes to die, at least for a while. I was 5'7" in the spring of my freshman baseball season, grew about five inches in the three summer months, and by the fall I was 6'2. My freshman year I may have been the fastest white boy in my grade, one of the two best perimeter defenders on my basketball team, and the starting shortstop on the JV baseball team with a late-season call up to varsity (only one other freshman was on either team). After the growth spurt, I struggled to guard just about anyone on the perimeter, I was one of the slowest guys on varsity baseball team, and I went from "he's going to be our starting shortstop for the next 3 years" to "we are going to have to teach this kid how to play first base." Took two years to regain most of what I lost and some of it never came back.

Jefe · Post by **Jefe** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 4:59 pm

I went from 5'8" to 6'2" during the summer between 7th and 8th grade. Had a major knee injury that turned out to be osgood schlatters during the Steve Kerr Basketball Camp. Wound up sitting on the sidelines talking to Steve every day so I cant complain

dcZONAfan · Post by **dcZONAfan** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:34 pm

Oh yea? Well I grew from 5' to 5'6" my freshman year of high school.

I am 5'6" at 32, and still hoping for a growth spurt to get me to 6'.....what are my chances?!?

qwertyus · Post by **qwertyus** » Tue Mar 14, 2017 5:51 pm

I went from 5'4 to 5'10 over 4 years of High School. Also packed on like 50-60lbs of fat. Add on the Freshman 15, and I was 230 at the end of that climb....

Oh, are we talking about growing taller?

ghostwhitehorse · Post by **ghostwhitehorse** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:24 am

2017 Name of the Year Bracket

Chance is the 16 seed in the Dragonwagon regional.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:31 am

I had a late growth spurt of 4" my junior year. Needed every one of them. I also grew taller...

J/K. But I needed it. Had a friend who grew 6" over one year and it messed him up. Was a high level pitcher, threw a varsity no-hitter as a Freshman, PAC level recruit, tore his rotator cuff likely due to the growth and change in stride and release point. He got it back but a lot of schools had backed off, then had a traumatic event happen right after graduation that left him mentally unable to focus. He did a couple of years in Juco, suddenly couldn't hit the zone (wasn't ever a problem before), and was done. He was can't miss, and the 6" growth in one year started a total spiral.

ASUHATER! · Post by **ASUHATER!** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:40 am

now i feel bad that i was done growing by the time i finished 8th grade. i grew 9-10 inches from the summer before 7th grade and like 18 months later at the end of 8th grade. haven't grown a centimeter since.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:45 am

EVCat wrote:I had a late growth spurt of 4" my junior year. Needed every one of them. I also grew taller...

J/K. But I needed it. Had a friend who grew 6" over one year and it messed him up. Was a high level pitcher, threw a varsity no-hitter as a Freshman, PAC level recruit, tore his rotator cuff likely due to the growth and change in stride and release point. He got it back but a lot of schools had backed off, then had a traumatic event happen right after graduation that left him mentally unable to focus. He did a couple of years in Juco, suddenly couldn't hit the zone (wasn't ever a problem before), and was done. He was can't miss, and the 6" growth in one year started a total spiral.

In 8th grade, I went up to 6'3. I was hoping I had some more in the tank for HS to become a better basketball prospect, but that was it.

Frankly, I think the late height surge is a big advantage. I got put in the post more than I probably should have because coaches thought I'd grow a bit. Then, I didn't, and wound up with post skills and a perimeter body. Guys like Anthony Davis got the opposite, with small guy skills wedged into a big man body when they hit their growth spurt.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:47 am

no surprise but yeah I was about 5'4"-5'5" starting 7th grade and then by my 14th birthday less than 2 years later i was 6'2".

Merkin · Post by **Merkin** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 9:52 am

I grew 6" in one year in junior high, 6th or 7th grade, and unfortunately my coordination did not grow with me.

However, I did read a few years that people who develop coordination later in life, also keep it longer, so I do have that going for me.

pokinmik · Post by **pokinmik** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:13 am

I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.

84Cat · Post by **84Cat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:23 am

dcZONAfan wrote:Oh yea? Well I grew from 5' to 5'6" my freshman year of high school.

I am 5'6" at 32, and still hoping for a growth spurt to get me to 6'.....what are my chances?!?

Never give up hope man

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:36 am

pokinmik wrote:I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.

I wanted to be really good at basketball. When I was shooting up to 6'3 at 13, I thought I could wind up being 6'7 or so. It's memorable due to the crushing disappointment of maxing out so young.

scumdevils86 · Post by **scumdevils86** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 10:42 am

I didn't care about being good at basketball...in fact it was the worst sport for me. But I did have small hopes that I would continue up to about 6'5" or so considering I was twice the size of every other 13-14 year old boy at the time it seemed.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:01 am

EVCat wrote:I had a late growth spurt of 4" my junior year. Needed every one of them. I also grew taller...

J/K. But I needed it. Had a friend who grew 6" over one year and it messed him up. Was a high level pitcher, threw a varsity no-hitter as a Freshman, PAC level recruit, tore his rotator cuff likely due to the growth and change in stride and release point. He got it back but a lot of schools had backed off, then had a traumatic event happen right after graduation that left him mentally unable to focus. He did a couple of years in Juco, suddenly couldn't hit the zone (wasn't ever a problem before), and was done. He was can't miss, and the 6" growth in one year started a total spiral.

Yeah, his coaches inability to make mechanical adjustments based on his new frame is likely what did him in. Was probably under-striding and throwing all arm. My growth did the exact opposite for me. I was probably throwing around 70mph as a HS freshman and as a sophomore I was around 82mph. That's too bad for your buddy, height to pitchers is wingspan to basketball players. My good friend had the "all of a sudden I cant find the zone" disease your buddy had. We called it Mark Wohlers syndrome in my day, happened to Rick Ankiel too. He was throwing in the low 90s as a high school senior when it bit him, and I'm not joking when I say that he was launching pitches 10 feet over the catchers' head. They had to stop pitching him because he was going to kill someone if he didn't get the issue fixed. He would have been drafted in the first 5 rounds otherwise, but too risk of a pick for teams there and he wasn't going to sign for the money offered at the slots teams were willing to risk taking him at. Played one season of D1 ball at a good program, never found the strike zone, never picked up a ball again.

CalStateTempe · Post by **CalStateTempe** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:09 am

You tall dudes don't know how lucky you have it...

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:09 am

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
pokinmik wrote:I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.
I wanted to be really good at basketball. When I was shooting up to 6'3 at 13, I thought I could wind up being 6'7 or so. It's memorable due to the crushing disappointment of maxing out so young.

That's got to be rough. A kid neighbor of my dad's friend in southern CA was probably 6'4" at age 12, built like a young Shaq and extremely athletic for his size. He came over when we visited and played 1 on 2 against me and my dad's friend's son who ended up being a decent HS player himself, and he beat us (we didn't have the best strategy in hindsight). My dad's friend was telling us that doctors were guessing he was going to be close to 7 feet, and he already had the attention of a lot of people in the region. The kid ended up growing only 1 more inch and turned out to be nothing more than an above average high school player.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:13 am

rgdeuce wrote:
EVCat wrote:I had a late growth spurt of 4" my junior year. Needed every one of them. I also grew taller...

J/K. But I needed it. Had a friend who grew 6" over one year and it messed him up. Was a high level pitcher, threw a varsity no-hitter as a Freshman, PAC level recruit, tore his rotator cuff likely due to the growth and change in stride and release point. He got it back but a lot of schools had backed off, then had a traumatic event happen right after graduation that left him mentally unable to focus. He did a couple of years in Juco, suddenly couldn't hit the zone (wasn't ever a problem before), and was done. He was can't miss, and the 6" growth in one year started a total spiral.
Yeah, his coaches inability to make mechanical adjustments based on his new frame is likely what did him in. Was probably under-striding and throwing all arm. My growth did the exact opposite for me. I was probably throwing around 70mph as a HS freshman and as a sophomore I was around 82mph. That's too bad for your buddy, height to pitchers is wingspan to basketball players. My good friend had the "all of a sudden I cant find the zone" disease your buddy had. We called it Mark Wohlers syndrome in my day, happened to Rick Ankiel too. He was throwing in the low 90s as a high school senior when it bit him, and I'm not joking when I say that he was launching pitches 10 feet over the catchers' head. They had to stop pitching him because he was going to kill someone if he didn't get the issue fixed. He would have been drafted in the first 5 rounds otherwise, but too risk of a pick for teams there and he wasn't going to sign for the money offered at the slots teams were willing to risk taking him at. Played one season of D1 ball at a good program, never found the strike zone, never picked up a ball again.

It was crazy. Even through the growth and tear, he maintained accuracy. And he had insane velocity. I caught for him one game...ONCE...as a joke in a game that was a sure run rule game but he needed to throw (I was 2B otherwise). I had the sponge in the palm, etc. Didn't prepare me. And he had a ridiculous 12/6 curve off of it that served both as change and roller coaster trajectory. If he kept it down, he was simply unhittable. But then, without too much detail in case the world is smaller than I know, he witnessed something awful after graduation and his mind was never right...that's when accuracy started being an issue.

prh · Post by **prh** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 11:22 am

I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 12:54 pm

prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.

There was also no market for 5'8" 2B lead off hitters who hit for high average but zero power with a strong arm but just decent range.

I flirted with playing JUCO ball and delaying UA. Flirted is a nice way of saying I went to check out a girl, saw she was way too hot for me, and disappeared before we made eye contact. I had a friend on the team. I didn't totally understand how JUCO ball worked, how some of those Arizona JUCO kids were draft picks getting a little more seasoning without having to commit to 3 years at D1. Yeah...maybe I could have manned some 2B at a Vermont JUCO. Not Arizona.

Spaceman Spiff · Post by **Spaceman Spiff** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:08 pm

rgdeuce wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
pokinmik wrote:I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.
I wanted to be really good at basketball. When I was shooting up to 6'3 at 13, I thought I could wind up being 6'7 or so. It's memorable due to the crushing disappointment of maxing out so young.
That's got to be rough. A kid neighbor of my dad's friend in southern CA was probably 6'4" at age 12, built like a young Shaq and extremely athletic for his size. He came over when we visited and played 1 on 2 against me and my dad's friend's son who ended up being a decent HS player himself, and he beat us (we didn't have the best strategy in hindsight). My dad's friend was telling us that doctors were guessing he was going to be close to 7 feet, and he already had the attention of a lot of people in the region. The kid ended up growing only 1 more inch and turned out to be nothing more than an above average high school player.

I was disappointed at the time because I had dreams of getting a scholarship to play at a major D1 program. When I stayed 6'3, it became clearer I need to focus on school.

I wound up walkon D1, offered on the D2 level, and still sort of wonder if I could have made an impact if I had 3 or 4 more inches. As is, I'm still big enough to effectively post in pickup games, which is really all that might be relevant nowadays.

I've talked before about the book Play Their Hearts Out, but that's pretty much the situation (on a much higher level) there. Demetrius is the #1 ranked guy as an 8th grader, but maxed in terms of physical development. So he gradually falls back to the pack and goes from #1 to a lower level guy in ASU's recruiting class.

That early teen age, well, I'm glad I don't recruit. Guys like the kid you knew, I can imagine a college coach investing time in, only to realize he's done growing, and he's not a major prospect.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:24 pm

prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.

EVCat wrote:
prh wrote:I love hearing all these stories of huge growth spurts. I stopped growing at 5'9 as a HS freshman. I was bummed because I always thought I could have played college baseball if I'd kept growing (albeit somewhere small, not at Arizona). But nobody is big on 5'9 3rd basemen who are great leadoff hitters.
There was also no market for 5'8" 2B lead off hitters who hit for high average but zero power with a strong arm but just decent range.

I flirted with playing JUCO ball and delaying UA. Flirted is a nice way of saying I went to check out a girl, saw she was way too hot for me, and disappeared before we made eye contact. I had a friend on the team. I didn't totally understand how JUCO ball worked, how some of those Arizona JUCO kids were draft picks getting a little more seasoning without having to commit to 3 years at D1. Yeah...maybe I could have manned some 2B at a Vermont JUCO. Not Arizona.

Arizona has a 2nd baseman named Moises Duran (via Sunnyside HS) back in the early 2000s. When I was 11, in the city championship in Little League All Stars, I was warming up in the bullpen when he hit a walk-off grand slam to send my team home. Every year thereafter, that guy was at or near the top of leaders in HRs at Pony and then high school. He hit 15 bombs his junior season at Arizona, hit for decent average, could steal you a base, and was more than adequate in the field. Massive power. He hit a ball off one of my old teammates at New Mexico that was probably 480-500, impressive regardless of it coming off an aluminum bat. Nobody drafted him. He was at best 5'8" in spikes... Our JUCO 2nd baseman was probably the best pure hitter I ever played with at the college level. Derek Jeter Jr. Baylor was the only major D1 who offered anything to him, but he opted to play at a smaller D1 because they offered the larger scholarship. He was 5'9". If you are under 5'11, you better be FAST as hell and/or have the most unbelievable glove or be Jeff Kent.

I played Arizona JUCO ball. Some of the guys I played against at other Arizona schools: Ian Kinsler, Andre Ethier, Rich Harden (would have won a Cy Young had he not blown out his arm), Sergio Romo (SF closer), Scott Hairston (long MLB career), drawing a blank on 1 or 2 other bigger names. There are at least 10 other lesser known guys who at least had a few games MLB service time. Quite a few of us would beat the pants off some D1 schools and could beat hang with Pac 12, SEC, ACC schools most games, and beat them w the right guy on the mound. Arizona JUCO ball has been renowned for decades.

EVCat · Post by **EVCat** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:38 pm

yeah...I learned quickly.

I had an additional issue...I skipped school ball down the stretch due to a personal issue with the coach...that made my dream really nothing more. But seeing them play...I was amazed at the talent on that field. It didn't even appear to be the same game I played. I felt like I could hit anyone, but the field shrunk with that kind of D, so the gaudy averages I put up would have been gone. And as "fast" as I was (I was quick, not fast), I no longer would have been special with my anticipation off the bat. Everyone had that, and as it turned out, my range was just OK when compared to that level of play.

The main thing I learned was that being an athlete mattered. It was the late 80's, early 90's...weights hadn't really hit high school baseball yet. I had good hand/eye. I hit better than 10 out of 10 people who even knew me and played with me would recall. I wasn't someone people looked at and thought "player"...but if they paid any attention, they'd find I put up some silly numbers at times. But I was NOT an athlete. I got by with some ability and way more desire and knowledge. When I watched the kids playing at JUCO, I saw athletes who had every bit the knowledge and desire I had, and about double the athleticism.

rgdeuce · Post by **rgdeuce** » Wed Mar 15, 2017 1:42 pm

Spaceman Spiff wrote:
rgdeuce wrote:
Spaceman Spiff wrote:
pokinmik wrote:I don't remember when the fuck I grew and I'm only 32. You guys have some good pubescent height memories.
I wanted to be really good at basketball. When I was shooting up to 6'3 at 13, I thought I could wind up being 6'7 or so. It's memorable due to the crushing disappointment of maxing out so young.
That's got to be rough. A kid neighbor of my dad's friend in southern CA was probably 6'4" at age 12, built like a young Shaq and extremely athletic for his size. He came over when we visited and played 1 on 2 against me and my dad's friend's son who ended up being a decent HS player himself, and he beat us (we didn't have the best strategy in hindsight). My dad's friend was telling us that doctors were guessing he was going to be close to 7 feet, and he already had the attention of a lot of people in the region. The kid ended up growing only 1 more inch and turned out to be nothing more than an above average high school player.
I was disappointed at the time because I had dreams of getting a scholarship to play at a major D1 program. When I stayed 6'3, it became clearer I need to focus on school.

I wound up walkon D1, offered on the D2 level, and still sort of wonder if I could have made an impact if I had 3 or 4 more inches. As is, I'm still big enough to effectively post in pickup games, which is really all that might be relevant nowadays.

I've talked before about the book Play Their Hearts Out, but that's pretty much the situation (on a much higher level) there. Demetrius is the #1 ranked guy as an 8th grader, but maxed in terms of physical development. So he gradually falls back to the pack and goes from #1 to a lower level guy in ASU's recruiting class.

That early teen age, well, I'm glad I don't recruit. Guys like the kid you knew, I can imagine a college coach investing time in, only to realize he's done growing, and he's not a major prospect.

The head basketball coach at the JUCO I played baseball at was the brother of one of my HS basketball coaches. I had him as a teacher for a PE type class and always used to pick his brain about basketball. In one conversation, I asked him why this one particular player was playing at the JUCO level when in my opinion, he was easily a D1 talent and could have helped an Oregon State-, WSU-type of team off the bench. He told me something along the lines of, "For many guys, the difference between JUCO and D1 is two or three inches."

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