Bruin fans got an early glimpse at their future when Kentwood high school’s Josh Smith took on Jefferson high’s Terrence Jones last night on ESPN 2. Smith is a 6′9 center, ranked #11 in ESPN’s top 100, with Jones coming in at #13.
To put it lightly, this was an ugly game. If you’ve become accustomed to the grace and beauty of the NBA, the determination and effort of NCAA hoops, then you might have forgotten how unrefined high school sports are. Granted they’re kids in every sense of the word, but it doesn’t deter you from cringing every now and again.
The silver lining was the play of UCLA commit Josh Smith, and 6′7 stud Terrence Jones. Smith is a wide bodied center, with soft hands who can eat up space. He’s light on his feet, and clearly knows his place is on the block with his back to the basket. Don’t let his frame fool you (tipping the scales at about 270lbs), Smith finished the game with 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots. His offense wasn’t a factor only notching nine points, however this was only his third game back from a partially torn patellar tendon. He certainly made his presence felt down low, though. Something the Bruins can definitely combo with undersized center Reeves Nelson next season.
With that said, the real star of the game was Terrence Jones.
The silky smooth lefty dominated at every end of the floor, with Oklahoma head coach Jeff Capel watching in the stands. Jones dazzled the crowd with effortless dribble-drives, tipjams, and no look passes. He lead all scorers with 20 points, and filled up the stat sheet with a four steals, four rebounds, and four assists. An early comparison would be a raw Lamar Odom, as Jones looks very comfortable running the point forward. As a freshman, he was a 6′3 PG, who sprouted to the 6′7 he now stands at. His ability to handle the ball remains a weapon in his arsenal.
Jones has yet to choose a school, with UCLA, Washington, West Virgina, Oklahoma, and Kentucky competing for his services. To my knowledge, the Bruins are aggressively recruiting Jones, but I’m sure his stock rose after playing on ESPN 2 national television. Howland recently visited Jones while up in Eugene, Oregon to battle the Ducks.
Additional game notes at Seattletimes.com
P.S. – Sorry for no post game wrap up’s for UCLA vs. Oregon and Oregon State. A busy schedule and a wife did not allow me to write anything up.
Let’s just say the Bruins remain in the thick of the Pac-10 race, but going 2-0 on the road would have marked a turned corner in the season, which they did not accomplish. Tyler Honeycutt and Reeves Nelson continue to impress. Malcolm Lee, where have you gone?
