James Green may be looking for “5 or 6 guys” to give his JSU basketball team consistently good minutes every night. So far, Brandon Crawford and Geddes Robinson have.
Crawford was named OVC Freshman of the Week for the second time this season for his efforts in the Gamecocks’ two wins last week.
The 6-foot-6 forward who has a reputation for playing big in big games averaged 17.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists in wins over UMass and VMI. He hit a four-point play in the final 30 seconds of the UMass game to cut JSU’s deficit to one and give the Gamecocks a chance for that upset.
Crawford currently leads the Gamecocks in scoring with a 16.4 average. He’s shooting 55.8 percent from the floor, including 55.6 from 3-point range.
“We’re short right now, but he’s shown that he’s played above the level of a freshman, not just because he’s made plays, but because of the confidence he’s gone and done it with,” Green said. “He looks like a guy that’s midway through his sophomore year right now in these first games.”
JSU players have won Freshman of the Week honors each of the first three weeks of the season. Robinson won it last week.
Robinson is the Gamecocks’ second-leading scorer, averaging 13.6 points a game. He’s also their leading rebounder with a 9.0 average. That’s 22.6 points and rebounds in an average of 24.4 minutes a game.
“He’s not a 40-minute guy, but probably one of the most productive guys in the country with what he gets done in the minutes he plays,” Green said.
That’s because he plays at only one speed.
“Coach always tells me I have to have a motor, so that’s what I try to do, just start going out there and getting it,” Robinson said. “I just try to spark the team so we can get the W. Whatever they need me to do, I just try to pick the extra slack up.”
Who have been some other newcomers woh've made instant impacts in the JSU basketball program? Walker Russell immediately comes to mind.
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4 comments:
Jay Heard? I don't have time right now to do the research to back up that allegation, but his is the first name that comes to mind.
I can remember Rashard Willie as a freshman under Mark Turgeon shooting about 47% from three point range while starting at point guard.
Here's the list so far (in no particular order)
1. Walker D. Russell (JUCO transfer)
2. Jay Heard (Auburn transfer)
3. Rashard Willie (true freshman)
4. Nick Murphy (true freshman)
pending, since it's still early, Brandon Crawford (true freshman) and Geddes Robinson (redshirt freshman)
How about Mike McDaniel? Would you count Brent Harriman, once he got eligible? But already was a college veteran from Nebraska.
And lets get that list going for impact wins that was a post or two back.
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