There are highschool basketball gamers, and even dad and mom, who cringe when a coach says, “You’re enjoying with the junior varsity.”
Sure, instances have modified. The times of varsity packages utilizing JV groups to construct up their packages are largely gone. Freshmen with potential find yourself enjoying varsity. Others are placed on frosh-sophomore groups making an attempt to develop chemistry with different freshmen. The angle of gamers and oldsters alike is: Taking part in JV isn’t cool.
However these trying to be developed and maybe get higher when their inevitable development spurt kicks in are lacking out on what JV basketball is actually for — participant growth.
It appears to have labored out for 3 varsity standouts this season who began out on their faculty’s JV group: Drew Anderson of Santa Margarita, Pierce Thompson of Harvard-Westlake and Isaiah Williamson of Los Alamitos. Luckily, a bit of endurance by everybody concerned gave them the time and alternative to attend for his or her our bodies to mature and the remaining is historical past. All three will sooner or later be enjoying school basketball.
Anderson was 6-foot-3 as a freshman. He had a development spurt, and this season is listed at 6-9. He and his household embraced the concept of studying to play on JV. Now he’s dedicated to Oregon State and is starring on the No. 4-ranked group within the Southland as a senior.
“My dad and mom have been athletes in school,” Anderson mentioned. “They knew with time I’d get higher.”
Thompson was a JV guard his freshman 12 months and unlikely to contribute on varsity with many guards forward of him in this system. Beneath much less stress, he was a standout. This season as a junior, his defensive prowess and three-point capturing make him the following prime Harvard-Westlake guard following within the footsteps of Trent Perry.
Williamson had the household background to play on varsity as a freshman. His brother, Issac, was a star guard for state champion Eastvale Roosevelt. However Los Alamitos was loaded with seniors on varsity, so the choice was made to be affected person and have him play on the JV group. This season as a sophomore, he has blossomed into an impressive prospect from the category of 2028. He’s a 6-4 left-hander who can rating from a wide range of spots on the court docket.
Sophomore Isaiah Williamson of Los Alamitos was a JV participant final season.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Instances)
One program that also believes in utilizing the JV group to develop its gamers is Harvard-Westlake and coach David Rebibo. He has 5 distinctive freshmen on a JV group this season that’s 24-0. They’ve embraced their journey of getting ready to play varsity subsequent season.
Freshman Dekoda Ray has led Harvard-Westlake’s unbeaten JV basketball group.
(Eric Sondheimer / Los Angeles Instances)
Dekoda Ray, a 6-3 freshman guard, may play varsity for a lot of packages, however he and his dad and mom huddled and determined a 12 months on JV can be good for his growth.
“We felt we have now to belief the method,” Ray mentioned. “Don’t play your recreation such as you’re enjoying JV’s. Play such as you’re enjoying for one thing larger.”
Rebibo mentioned “transparency” is the one technique to talk with dad and mom and gamers.
“We wish youngsters who need to be on varsity,” he mentioned. “However there’s an understanding we have now to do what’s in the perfect curiosity of their growth and enjoying behind 4 senior guards doesn’t imply you’re going to have the ability to play. We’re very trustworthy.”
The 5 freshmen on JV will probably be heard from within the coming years: Ray, 6-7 Nairobi Ebi, 6-5 Jackson Thomas, 6-1 Max Paquin and 6-5 Nathan Kashper. Most will transfer as much as varsity for the playoffs and so they practiced with the varsity within the fall.
One other program that believes in JV groups as a coaching floor is St. John Bosco and coach Matt Dunn.
“Proudly,” Dunn mentioned.
He lets everybody know that 11 St. John Bosco gamers who’ve gone on to play school basketball began out on JV.
The JV group is an surroundings for studying. When you make a mistake, a coach isn’t going to right away put you on the bench like they do on varsity. Additionally not each 14-year-old is prepared socially to play with 19-year-olds on varsity.
Anderson reminds everybody ultimately, it doesn’t matter what group you begin out on as a freshman.
“The work you place in will all the time win,” he mentioned.
