PC Is On a Recruiting Roll, Just Like Rick Barnes' Great Haul in the 90s - Kevin Stacom
Kevin Stacom, Sports Analyst
PC Is On a Recruiting Roll, Just Like Rick Barnes' Great Haul in the 90s - Kevin Stacom
Watching Jones on a limited amount of film, it doesn’t take long to determine he is an elite athlete even by NBA standards - elevation, explosion, and an emerging feel for the game. His wiry, strong frame and length should enable him also to conform to Coach English’s priority of being an effective multifaceted defender. Other encouraging signs from his junior year HS stats are his 8.5 rebounds/game and an almost 2 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio, both indicative of the aforementioned feel for the game.
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Yes, like a lot of young athletic players at that age, there is an improvement to be made in terms of shooting percentages from 3(30%), and the FT line (61%). But in leading his team in scoring at 19 points/game, he goes against the grain of a modern AAU-induced volume shooting mentality, as evinced by an overall 68% FG mark. Very efficient for a wing player with a lot of touches. To me, he looked like an even more athletic version of Stephon Castle from UConn, slated shortly to be an NBA lottery pick. Jamier also at one point in his young life was reportedly considered to be a major football prospect as a wide receiver. I mention that because I always liked to see that in a player’s background as a testament to the fact that you don’t have to worry about those guys being afraid of contact. They know how to effectively invite it, and they also typically are willing to accept the challenge on the defensive end.
I thought it might be interesting to try and get some perspective on what’s taking place here in terms of an influx of highly rated talent in such a relatively short amount of time.
I’m paraphrasing, but I remember my old coach, Dave Gavitt, being quoted as saying that the legacy of Providence College basketball was, in general, established by players who came in as relatively “nobodys” and created their reputations once they got here. This was a fair evaluation and insight in describing the 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s.
In the past, especially in the very beginning, there was always a serendipitous element of chance and luck in how some of the best players ended up at PC -Joe Mullaney was contacted by a priest he knew in Brooklyn who told him about Lenny Wilkens, Jonny Egan’s Irish father wanted his son to go to a good Catholic school, Dave Gavitt was told by Jimmy Stone’s mother from Boston when he was checking him into school as a freshman “If you think my son is good you should see his cousin, Jimmy Walker”
My teammates Marvin Barnes and Ernie D were exceptional talents but with little notoriety outside of RI in the preinternet, pre-AAU, pre-social media, pre-big TV era. I caught my break when Walker’s teammate, Mike Riordan, came back to our old HS in Queens (Holy Cross)t o work out after being drafted by the Knicks in the 11th round, and eventually arranged with Coach Gavitt for me to transfer when the time came. Marvin told me the only other school that really showed strong interest in him outside of RI was the University of Cincinnati. Luckily for all of us, when Marvin went to the airport that day, it was rainy and stormy. Marvin said, ”No way am I getting on that plane,” and blew off the trip and the idea of going anywhere other than PC.
Likewise, Ernie never really considered going anywhere other than Providence as he spent most of his youth imitating all the Jimmy Walker moves he could muster at his North Providence Fruit Hill playground. Ditto for Joe Hasset, who played his HS ball in the shadow of PC at La Salle HS. He always wanted to go to Providence.
The point of all this is that’s not what’s happening now. To illustrate what’s being accomplished here by way of comparison, we can look back to the early 90s during the Rick Barnes coaching stint at PC (1988-94). It’s a propitious comparison since the current coaching regime at PC has strong links and history with Coach Barnes. Both Kim English and Dennis Felton were assistant coaches with Barnes-English. At Tennessee, Felton at PC, and Clemson.
In terms of history, Coach Felton and Coach Barnes put together a litany of talent that included in that short timespan Michael Smith, Dickey Simpkins, Austin Croshere, and Eric Williams - all NBA 1st-round draft picks. Rob Phelps and Troy Brown were also part of that highly recruited group. Dennis Felton also relayed to me that he also recruited Rubin Garces before he left, in addition to getting commitments from Greg Buckner ( who followed him to Clemson) and Jason Williams (who later became known as “White Chocolate” in the NBA).
We later drafted Buckner at Dallas, who made me look good as a successful 2nd round pick, and Williams was later selected #7 in the NBA lottery by Sacramento ahead of Dirk Nowitzki (#9)and Paul Pierce(#10).
Tim Duncan and the Scholarship Technicality Issue
The icing on the cake is the additional story of how Barnes and company secured a commitment from Tim Duncan for the 93-94 season but was told by President Smith at the time that because he technically didn’t have a scholarship available immediately even though Barnes knew that within a few days he would since two players were transferring, he had to let Duncan go. Duncan potentially could have started with a front line of any combination of Austin Croshere, Eric Williams, Michael Smith, and Dickey Simpkins, and shortly after with an NBA backcourt of Greg Buckner and Jason Williams!! NBA guys coming off the bench!!
In order to link that era to the present time, I contacted fellow alum Dickey Simpkins, who I would enjoy running into from time to time on the NBA scouting circuit. He, like myself, remembered scouting Kim English at the University of Missouri and, more specifically, remembered being impressed with English’s interview at the predraft camp in Chicago.
Dickey recalls, after immediately introducing himself at the meeting, English, in a very poised and composed fashion, saying, “I know who you are. You’re Dickey Simpkins, and you got three rings with the Chicago Bulls.” Dickey said he was very polished and sharp.
Simpkins (who currently works for the Washington Wizards) also has been taking note of English’s coaching style and impresses him as very detailed but also gives his players the freedom to play. He’s also stated he’s not surprised at his early success since he’s observed how well he connects with this current crop of younger talent.
It seems as though that direct connection to the success of the early 90s has created some very positive Karma in this basketball version of “Back to the Future” In this sequel of the franchise, the acquisition of a talent such as Jamier Jones, leapfrogging over SEC, ACC territory and beating out Kansas, Ohio State, South Carolina, and LSU in the process is no small feat.
Whatever message Coach English and his staff are relaying to these young players is working and portends well for the future.