Standing at close to 6-9 and packing 255 pounds, prospect BeeJay Anya is hard to miss when to take in a Team Takeover game on the Nike EYBL circuit. Anya is a class of 2013 big man who has garnered a lot of interest and he recently told BDN that his coaches told him Duke sent out feelers. Anya is of course the teammate of Ishmail Waintright, who already holds a Duke offer and he will have the chance to prove his self as the coaches continue the evaluation process on a bevy of players. Here is what Anya had to say -
Feel me in on what you are working on with a new AAU season at hand.
What I'm trying to do this AAU season is to get better and make my team better, so I'm just doing what I can to do that.
You have some games under your belt in the NYBL and coaches have been able to attend early on this season. Have any new teams come in of late?
Duke called and asked my coaches a little bit about me and they were also interested in my teammate Ishmail (Waintright). So, I'm not really sure how that stands right now but they called my coach. No other schools came in other than the ones I already have listed.
How do you like Duke? Is that a school you would be interested in going to?
I'm interested in Duke, but I like all my schools. Duke outs out great players and Coach K is one of the best coaches in college basketball.
Who are some of the other schools reruiting you the hardest?
There are a few, let's see ... Indiana, Syracuse, Kansas and a lot of Big East, Big Ten and ACC schools. I love the attention and look at them one school at a time. I feel grateful that all these schools are interested, you know. Some people don't have the chance to be recruited by the schools I am recruited by, so I thank God everyday for giving me the opportunity.
Name me one important factor or something you seek in a school you might attend.
I would like a school with a good strength and conditioning program. I've been working with some guys trying to get.
What is the toughest pat of being a prospect who is being recruited hard by major schools?
It's just the fact that you get to know all these coaches and you start to feel bad when it is time to make a decision. I have a good relationship with a lot of coaches in the summer and don't want the, to think I don;t like them. I have a good relationship with all the coaches recruiting me and I know that it's front to be a hard decision for me but it's something that has to be done.
What are you looking for in a coach at the college level?
I want a coach that treats me like I'm one of his kids, like my AAU coaches who treat me like a son and one who pushes me and reach past my limitations and get better as a player.
“Point guards should only be judged by whether you win or lose. The rest of that stuff doesn’t matter.’’
-Mike D’Antoni
In the humid central Florida city of Apopka, a 6'1" point guard named Joel Berry II is working on perfecting his craft. For the past few months, he's worked with trainer Cornell Rivers, who worked with the Celtics' Marquis Daniels, on taking his shooting to another level. Joel makes 6,000 shots per weekend. These sessions can take between four and eight hours.
This March, the sophomore point guard led his young Lake Highland Prep squad to their first state championship game. Joel scored twenty-two points in the opening half of the 4A title game against Pine Crest, but the Lake Highland Highlanders ultimately lost that game after Berry, finishing with twenty-six points, fouled out of the game with 3:07 left in the game, missing their remaining six shots of the game. After finishing with a 28-4 record and returning all of their starters, they will be early favorites to win their first state title next season and are scheduled to play in the challenging City of Palms Tournament in Ft. Myers, FL next December.
For his efforts, the always gracious Berry II became the first sophomore in Florida's history to win the Mr. Basketball Award. Joel also was named Gatorade's Player of the Year in Florida. Gatorade cited his championship game run, his 3.3 GPA, and his volunteer work as the reasons for the sophomore's distinction. For the season, Joel averaged over 23 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 assists per game.
This AAU season, Berry has formed a dynamic 1-2 punch with Dakari Johnson, a 6'10" sophomore from Brooklyn who plays at Montverde Academy for Coach Kevin Boyle. Despite the youth, the Florida based-team, Each One Teach One, has gone 8-1 through the Minneapolis and Hampton legs of the Nike EYBL. Each One Teach One is the AAU program that Duke freshman and soon-to-be NBA guard, Austin Rivers, played for.
One of his E1T1 coaches is Joel Berry, Sr. Mr. Berry was a standout multi-sport athlete in his own regard. He was an Adidas All-American football player in 1987 as well as an All-Metro Orlando performer in both track and basketball. Mr. Berry opted to pursue football at the University of Central Florida, but, unfortunately, injured his knee as a sophomore and never played football again. He's been able to stay in good shape via a mix of strength training and the martial arts. After going back to school, Mr. Berry is scheduled to earn a Master's degree this month from the University of Central Florida. Joel's sister, Kourtnie, just helped lead Rollins College of Winter Park, FL to a Division II Final Four, the furthest in program history.
Nearly 6'2" Joel Berry II, Photo by Andrew Slater
Last year, playing two age groups up, Joel Berry II felt he needed to score more in order for his E1T1 team to have any chance at victory. Coaches Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun, and Billy Donovan watched the then rising sophomore play, at times, over the course of the limited July period, but he's anxious to show the improvements in his overall game, particularly his on-the-ball defense, his improved physique and strength, which enables him to take the physicality that accompanies being a penetrating point guard, and ability to facilitate an offense.
After a recent game, Joel, who, from a personality standpoint, has managed to have the near perfect blend of being a tiger on the court and a good-natured gentleman off of it, spoke with me again after an EYBL game.
What are some things that you've improved on most since last year?
I've worked on my leadership a lot. I'm a real quiet person.
So am I.
Yeah, so I just tried to go out there and play basketball, but people had been telling me that I have to be more vocal out on the court. So, I've tried to work on that a lot. It's one thing that I definitely feel like I've improved on. I've been going to a lot of leadership programs and that's helped a lot.
That's great. What are you hoping to show coaches this year?
I just want to show them that I can be a leader and run a team. Every time, I can't wait to just go out there and play and help us win.
Well, I think you've got a much better team to work with than last year's team. No offense to last year's team, but you guys are older and made a great offseason acquisition by picking up the big fella, Dakari (Johnson).
Yes, sir, we've got a lot of size this year and it's important that I get them the ball in spots where they can be successful with it. We've got a lot of players this year that can score and so it'll take a lot of pressure off of me to score. I can just lead my team and distribute the ball. Last year, you know I needed to score a lot for us to try to win. This year, it's been great because it feels like more we're more of a team out there.
Leadership is [private] the thing that the coaches who watched you last summer will notice most, however, this year.
Yes, sir, absolutely.
Now, it wasn't always smooth sailing for you last year, but how do you think the experience of playing EYBL last year will help you this year?
Oh, it'll help a lot. I've seen my game really go up in high school basketball and then, now, we're competing against the best of the best. I love this. In high school, Florida is really not strong, but, when I come or get to challenge myself against this level of competition, game in and game out, I can really showcase my game.
You'll definitely get more exposure.
Yes, sir.
Back to Dakari (Johnson) for a second, what dynamic does he bring to your team? He's a nice kid too.
Oh, yeah, he's been great for us. We really didn't have a dominant big man to where we can go inside.
You two will make a good tandem.
Yes, sir, and we can work a nice two-man game and then, with our other big men, we can dump the ball into Dakari. We have faith in Dakari because he's one of the best in the nation, regardless of class.
This high school season was a major step forward for you, both personally and your team.
Oh, it was just great. We made it to the state championship game for the first time in forty-two years. Then, we ended up losing, but we accomplished something that no one else in our school's history had and we're going to bring back..
Well, for the next two years, you guys are going to be the favorites.
Yes, sir, for next year, we bring back our entire starting five. It should be great fun, but we can't afford to rest. We need to keep working.
That's the attitude.
Yes, sir, and then, personally, I swept everybody in Central Florida with the awards.
I know. I was proud of you.
Yes, thank you, I was the first sophomore to win the Mr. Basketball Award.
Sure, let's talk about that award specifically.
Oh, yeah, it was a major honor to get that award because usually they give it to seniors and players that are going out, but I put in an enormous amount of work and I just thought that I deserved it this year.
Well, of course, you deserved it.
(laughs)
People are always interested in recruiting. What schools are recruiting you right now?
UNC, Duke, Kentucky…just a lot of ACC and SEC schools. Well, I've been receiving them from all over, but those are the main two conferences. Right now, I'm looking into it and I am serious about it, but, once it gets deeper into the summer, I'll get even more serious about it. I'll talk more about it with my parents. I owe it to the schools to put some serious thought into it.
I saw Coach (Roy) Williams at this game.
Yes, sir.
Who handles your recruitment mostly at this point, your coaches or your parents?
Oh, my dad handles it.
Well, he's a good filter. He's been through it as a two-sport player through football and has been coaching basketball for a while now.
Yes, sir, but there are a lot of schools that've expressed some interest. It can be hectic for him, but I'm really happy and grateful for the options.
Going back to Carolina and Duke, how much interest have they expressed in you so far? What's your interest in both? I know that you were a big Carolina fan growing up.
Yes, sir, but I just like their style of play. I like the coaches. They're a good academic school too and that's what I'm looking for.
I remember that you were about a 3.5 student as a freshman and then I heard that you were about a 3.3 this year too.
Yes, sir. I really want to be able to have something that I can fall back on in case anything happens or for things that I'd like to do after basketball. I mean I just love basketball, but I'd like to know that there's something else in case
Well, you're going to hopefully live a long life. I always think that it's a good insurance plan for players. God forbid anything happens, but, at least, you'll have something of value that an injury can't take away. Would you be open to Duke as well?
Oh, yes, I like Coach Mike Krzyzewski. I like the way he carries himself and the way he runs his program. I like the pace that they play too. I would be open to any school. I'm grateful for every school that expresses an interest.
What's your current size?
I'm about 6'1" and a half. My weight is 192 right now. I've gone up from 185 at the end of last year.
Are you trying to get bigger or add muscle? I know that your dad does a lot of training.
I'm not really trying to get bigger, but just get bigger so that I can handle the more physical nature of being a guard. I wanted to be able to get physical with the other guards and also be able to take whatever they did to me.
Sure, well, you like to penetrate and so you're getting hit every time you go down the lane.
Absolutely, that's the reason. That's mainly what I've been working on or towards. Mainly, it's been my shoulders and chest.
Well, you definitely look more developed in those areas.
Yes, sir, I've been working hard with my coaches and trainers on improving in those areas because I've taken a lot of hits. I like to get to the hole and I like to dish it off.
Well, your dad was in good shape and worked as a trainer.
Yes, he's been a part of it too.
I remember that you worked out before school at about 6 every morning. Three days a week on strength and then on that VertiMax for the other two days.
Yeah, I never took a break. You can always work on your conditioning, sir. I tried to improve my explosiveness and quickness.
Would you say that a "scoring point guard" is a fair description of you?
It can be, yes, definitely.
On last year's team, your squad was so young and so they needed you to score.
Absolutely, on last year's team, they needed me to score, but, on this year's team, we've got plenty of scorers and so I don't need to try to score on every possession. Scoring hasn't been on my mind this year, but, if I have to, I have to.
In terms of a timeline, do you have a time when you'd like to either cut down on your list or decide on a school?
Well, yes, sir, I think by mid-season next year, I'll probably try to cut down on the list.
Have you visited any schools recently and do you have any planned?
Oh, I've visited Florida and Miami, but that's really about it. I plan on visiting a lot of schools this summer. So, hopefully, that'll help too.
What will you be looking for when you make your visits? Comfort level..
Yeah, comfort level, do I fit in with them, I'd like to be able to have or build a good relationship with the coaches. That'll be very important. I'd like to have a relationship with my college coaches like I have with my AAU coaches, you know, someone that I can talk to and will work with me to improve my game. That'll be what I'll be looking for on the trips.
Tell the audience a little about your father. He was a two-sport athlete, but hurt his knee as like a full or running back and never played again. That was a real shame.
Yeah, he was an All-American in high school and played for Central Florida and it was a shame, but he's fought back and he's going to get his Master's degree now from Central Florida.
I'm glad to hear that.
Oh, yes, sir, and he's graduating and looking forward to starting his own company.
That's that entrepreneurial spirit.
Yes, sir, that's why I'd like to study engineering or even architecture.
Using that mind of yours.
Yes, sir.
What are some of your goals, short-term and long-term?
Long-term, my dream is to make it to the NBA and then, short-term, is just to win the Peach Jam. That's my focus.
Those are good goals. By the way, what do you hope to accomplish in the next high school season?
I'd love to win the state title. We bring back almost our whole team and I'd just love to win the title with these guys.
Who are going to be some of your toughest competitors next year?
Well, we've been invited to the City of Palms, which is big for our school. I don't know who we're going to face there.
They always have a loaded field down there. That'll be good for your team's playoff run and also bring some exposure as well.
Yes, sir, they're always supposed to have very tough competition over there. I'm looking forward to it because I know that there are a lot of good schools out there. Hopefully, we'll be up to the challenge, but I like the challenge of it.
By the way, have you ever played against Tyus Jones and, if so, how'd you do? How would you compare yourself with him?
We played against each other at the USA. He's a great player and he's a slasher. I respect him, but I haven't spoken to him recently.
Is there a rivalry between you two or not really?
Oh, no, it's friendly. We just go out there and play our hardest. I mean, on the court, I'm not looking for friends, but, off the court, it's cool and we're just playing our games.
Who are some other point guards in your class that people should take note of?
Larry Austin. He's a great player and a great kid. We've gone against each other and he makes me go hard. I make him go hard.
Who are some other players that people should keep an eye out for in your class? Obviously, Dakari..
Oh, well, Dakari, Paul White..
Jahlil?
Yes, Okafor. I like being around all of those guys. I like them all.
What about Stanley Johnson?
Oh, yeah, Stanley, he's talented too and a funny kid.
Yeah, he's always cracking jokes.
Yeah, he is. Funny kid.
Who else?
Well, I've met and played against Andrew Wiggins, but I've never actually talked to him. I've seen him around and he's always working. He seems like a great kid. I feel like I've seen a lot of players in my class, but I really don't feel like I know a lot of them.
I remember you told me that Austin Rivers was the best player that you've played with or against. Is Rivers still the best player that you've faced?
Yes, I think so. I played with him. Not really against him. I mean I like the way he plays and how he continues to try to make other players better and improve on different aspects of his game. He's so dangerous and yet, he's not satisfied. He's hungry. I've really worked a lot on the defensive end. I've tried to make it my focus. I love to work on the defensive end. I almost don't even care about working on my offense, but I have to. I can't let that slide, but I do actually like to start out by working on my defense. I'm trying to make it better and better.
In what ways do you try to work on your defense? How would you assess your defense as of today?
It's gotten a lot better. I've been doing a lot of side or lateral movements. I want to make my lateral quickness as fast as possible. I've working on my on-the-ball defense.
Getting low?
Yes, sir, I'm getting low. My hands are active. My defense has improved a lot. My dad always tells me to start with my defense. If my offense doesn't come, well, at least, we can always give our best on defense.
Is LeBron still your favorite player?
I love the way he plays. He plays so hard on both ends. I just really enjoy watching him.
For an audience that hasn't seen you play yet, give them a little scouting report and what would say are your strengths and weaknesses?
My weakness had been that I needed to work on my left hand to make it as strong as my right.
Well, you've got a strong right. I almost wonder why they don't try to overplay your right.
Yes, my strengths are getting to basket and either dishing off or scoring. In terms of a scouting report, I'd say that if my man gets up on me, I'm going to take him to the hole and, if he backs off, I can pull up on him.
Who do you try to model your game after?
Well, on the court, Derrick Rose, but, off the court, I'd like to model myself after LeBron James with the camps and helping young people in the community.
What do you think is the key thing to having or developing good court vision?
Keeping your head up and looking for the big man, if possible. If he's open, you've got to find a way to get it to him or penetrate and drop it off. I don't want to be one of those guards that tries to just force a shot. As a point guard, you're supposed to distribute the ball. That's my job.
How has the experience been "playing up" in age groups?
It's been good and challenging. I think that if I just played in my age group all these years that I would've been a little lazy and I didn't want that. I've liked the challenge. I feel like every time out there, I have to give it my all.
How does the EYBL compare to your high school league?
In high school, you can get away with the little stuff, but here you can't. It's constantly challenging. In high school, we'll sometimes play against some players who could be on the circuit, but not on this constant level. High school really hasn't been that hard.
What would you like the audience to walk away knowing about you?
That I'm humble. I don't like to talk about myself. I try to be of service to others in any ways that I can help.
Community service
Yes, sir. I've done community service. I also used to play football. I was a quarterback and strong safety, but I used to be pretty good at it.
Who are some people that you'll turn to for guidance in a college decision, whenever you do decide?
My high school coach, Coach Bowlin, I love him. I feel like whenever I have problems, I can come to him with anything. He always helps me out.
I assume your father.
Oh, yes, my dad and also my mom and my family. That's my guidance.
"He who is prudent and lies in wait for an enemy who is not, will be victorious." - Sun Tzu
At fifteen, Tyus Jones, the 6'1" 175 lb point guard from Apple Valley, Minnesota, has accomplished more on the basketball court than almost all of his peers, utilizing a mix of court vision, change of pace, and advanced perimeter skills.
On a national level, Jones' coming out party was last April in Dallas when, playing for the Howard Pulley Panthers, he scorched a Seattle AAU team for forty-five points, despite being more than two years younger than his competition. He quickly followed that up by earning a spot on the ultra-competitive USA Basketball's U-16 team in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Soon thereafter, the self-described "pass-first point guard" helped lead the United States to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas 16U Championship in Cancun, Mexico. Jones broke current Duke point guard Quinn Cook's tournament assist record, dishing off twenty-eight assists to, amongst others, fellow Duke recruits Jabari Parker, Jahlil Okafor, and Theo Pinson.
Tyus has been playing varsity basketball for Apple Valley, a suburb of the Twin Cities and home of the Minnesota Zoo, since he was an eighth grader. Last year, he missed more than eight weeks (thirteen games) of the season after lacerating his kidney, when he unfortunately landed in the heel of a St. Louis Park player.
This year, the sophomore came back and lead the Eagles to a 23-6 record, scoring more than twenty-eight points per game. For the season, despite being the focal point of a variety of "junk" defenses, the precocious point guard shot an eye-popping 56% from the field, 44% from beyond the three-point arc, and better than 86% from the charity stripe. In addition to earning a MaxPreps All-American distinction and the Star-Tribune's Player of the Year, Gatorade named the sophomore Minnesota's Player of the Year, noting his performance on the court, 3.1 GPA, and charitable work with Feed My Starving Children.
In the late winter, Coach Mike Krzyzewski formally offered Jones a scholarship to Duke University. It was an unusually early scholarship offer for the Duke program, but, as a rising sophomore, Tyus Jones first captured the attention of the four-time National Champion and Olympic gold medal-winning head coach at last year's Peach Jam. Jones has already visited unofficially three Big Ten schools: Ohio State, Michigan State, and his hometown Minnesota Gophers. Tyus told BDN that he will definitely visit Duke in the future.
The sophomore lead guard comes from a tight basketball family. His affable father, Rob Jones, who is 6'6," played for Proviso East (IL) HS and the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, while his mother, Debbie, won a state title as the point guard for Devils Lake (ND) HS. His older brother, 6'2" Jadee, played for Furman and Minnesota State-Monkato. Jadee has been Tyus' trainer and the one he credits for his shooting prowess, working on repetitions and technique.
If anyone thought that there might be a sophomore slump with Tyus, they've been sorely disappointed. The shrew lead guard is now at the top of the national leaders in both points (21 per game) and assists (6.55 per game), while exhibiting more vocal leadership skills. His team, the Howard Pulley Panthers, currently have a 5-4 record through the first two legs of the competitive Nike EYBL. This weekend, at the Boo Williams Complex in Hampton, Virginia, Tyus concluded the weekend with a 37 point, 8 assist, and 5 rebound performance in a win over the Bluff City Legends of Tennessee. Throughout the two live period weekends, the Duke coaches have been a constant presence at his games.
After an EYBL game, Tyus spoke with me about, amongst other things, leadership, USA Basketball, pre-game visualization, his use of change of pace, the early Duke offer, pressure to stay home for college, and his family's support.
You recently won the Gatorade Player of the Year.
It was a huge honor. It’s a humbling experience and feeling. It’s just amazing. It just goes to show that hard work and dedication does pay off and my teammates helped me with that with making shots to help us win games. My coaches setting up stuff, so I just was really proud of that honor.
It’s also a well-rounded award. I was talking to the guy that runs it and obviously basketball is a key criteria, but they’re also looking for people who won’t embarrass their brand off the court.
Exactly, exactly. My parents raised me to be the young man that I am. They keep me grounded and I don’t want to embarrass them.
You’ve been playing varsity since the 8th grade.
Yeah, it helps me because this year we had a young team that is helped because I had some experience seeing a lot of the situations in the games that they hadn’t. I’ve just got to lead and lead by example and be vocal. It’s helped a lot.
[private]
Being vocal is an issue I wanted to get to, but I want to wait a bit. Let’s talk about playing in front of your home fans. It can get really packed. Your dad, Rob, said that your home games were almost all sell-outs and obviously it’s been standing room only here.
It was great playing in front of hometown fans, like you said. We’ve got a good turnout, a lot of families have come here. It’s been a good turnout, I think we’ve shown our fans in Minnesota that we can play and we can play at a high level. We can compete and it was good. I’m impressed with how we played.
Sure, I was speaking before with Jahlil about the USA Basketball experience and we were talking a little bit about you. What are your memories of going through that experience about going through the tryouts and winning the gold medal and everything else?
Right, USA Basketball was an amazing experience. It was an unbelievable feeling to put USA across your chest to represent your whole country, the whole nation. It was an unbelievable experience. We built a great bond with our teammates. Credit goes to Coach Showalter and Coach Jones. They trained us and worked us hard and brought us together to become a family. They’re great guys.
Give the audience a sense of the tryouts. I know they were very competitive in Colorado Springs.
The tryouts were in Colorado Springs. They were very tough, very tough. Every single drill, every single play, every possession. It was unbelievable and you’ve got to come to play and you can’t take a play off because you’ll get exposed.
What’s your take on Jahlil (Okafor) and Theo (Pinson)?
They’re two of my good friends and we all in a sense, them included, bonded together. They’re great characters, they’re great students, they’re great basketball players, so everything worked out.
You had a lacerated kidney. What did you learned about yourself and basketball in the time you were unable to play?
Oh, yeah, that was a huge thing in my career.
For the audience members who may not know, how did it happen?
Oh, yeah, I got double-teamed and got pushed into a kid.
Cheap shot?
If you want to say so.. I fell onto the back of his leg and into his heel. His heel just pushed right up into my kidney and cut it.
That’s terrible.
Yeah, it was. I cut it and I ended up having to sit out for eight weeks. It kind of made me step back and see…
What did you realize?
It made me step back from the game of basketball and really what I had in front of me and what was really important and just kind of cherished the game more and just cherish everything more because the game can just go away from you. In a split second, it can be gone.
Who do you try to model your game after?
I try to take bits and pieces from, you know, all the great point guards in the NBA. Guys like Chris Paul, I think he does everything well and I try to just take as much as I can from him. And Rondo, you know he sets up his teammates incredibly well and…
He’s a great defender.
Yeah, exactly, and he anticipates and everything like that. He anticipates everything well on the floor. And then there’s Russell Westbrook..
Well, by the way, you might shoot a little better than Rondo at this point.
(laughs) With Russell Westbrook, I love to see how he uses his explosion and just gets his team where they need to go. And there’s all kinds of little things you can take from different point guards’ play because they’re in the NBA for a reason.
You come from a bit of a basketball family. Your father, your mother, and your brother all played at various levels. How do you think that helps you and differentiates you from other players?
Yeah, it helps a lot because any one of my relatives I can go to and talk about basketball just like they’re all behind me and support me in any way I need and whatever I do. They’re all there for me. So, you know, being born and raised in a basketball family, it’s helped me love the game and just pushed me.
Does it make you more competitive when you’re growing up in a family like that?
Yeah, definitely. I was trying to compete with my brother, my cousins, everyone who was older. I just was always trying to compete with my brother in everything. I was just trying to hang with them as much as I could and I think it just helped. It really turned me into a competitor. Yeah, now that I’m older I can hang with them. We’re much more competitive.
You guys must kill with two-on-two at the local YMCA.
(laughs) It’s competitive. We always go back and forth.
What was it like when you first beat one of your older relatives?
It kind of just told me that I was getting there. I was getting bigger, I was getting older.
It was a first step.
Right, right. It felt like a big deal.
In terms of leadership, what was it like being the captain of the team this year as a sophomore?
Being captain was a good honor. It was big being named leader of your team and you’ve got to set a good example. I think I do that well and guys are looking for you to lead and you just got to be on point and you’ve got to be ready to lead them.
You wanted to be more vocal this year. You mentioned it a little bit earlier as well.
Yeah, I mean, you can never communicate too much.
Particularly with a young team.
Yeah, exactly, especially on a young team, you’re being just vocal and communicating, it makes it a lot easier for everybody. Than if you are being quiet, just being vocal it starts up top and everybody else communicates.
Are you loud or more quiet by nature?
I would say I’m more laid back and quiet by nature. So it’s just something that’s out of my element to be more vocal. You know, I’d rather lead by example, but I just have to be more vocal. It’s something that I have to constantly work on and have to step out of my comfort zone and be vocal.
Another important issue with point guards is leadership. We talked before about you being named captain, but how would you assess your leadership skills at this point?
Leadership is obviously important. You’re the leader on your court at all times and I’m just a point guard and just try to take that and go with that.
We talked before about all the fans showing up to support you in high school and here. Would you say there’s a lot of pressure for you to stay home for college?
There is. There’s been a lot of pressure to stay home, but I’ve just got to take it in stride. You just go through this once and you just have to have fun with it.
I was at your game last year in Dallas where you scored over 40 points (45 points). Shooting is obviously one of the things you do relatively well. How do you account for your shooting and what is your shooting regimen?
Oh, yeah, I just try to put up as many shots as I can in the off-season, just work on repetition. You know, you can never put too many shots up. There’s never too much repetition.
How did you learn how to shoot originally?
My older brother was a tremendous shooter and he worked with me a lot and, you know, it just worked its way out.
You try to mentally and visually prepare before the games. That’s something unusual for a kid your age.
Oh, yeah, I just kind of get into my own zone and where I want to go with the ball and how I want to pass it. A lot of guys are just different. I don’t know. It’s the way I feel I need to get ready for the game and it’s worked for me. Some guys goof around, some guys are very serious, and some guys are off on their own. It’s a matter of trying to be comfortable with how you feel.
What about your use of change of pace?
Oh, yeah, definitely change of pace is very important to me. I’m trying to work on my change of pace because it makes it hard for guys to try to stay in front of you.
It’s kind of like in baseball where if you’re a changeup pitcher, it makes your fastball look a lot faster.
Yeah, that’s a good example.
What do you view as your strengths and weaknesses right now?
My strengths are just seeing the floor and being that true point guard out there. My weaknesses are, you know, you can always be a better defender. I’ve just got to work on the little things, like being a good leader out there. Those little things are always very important.
You get a lot of junk defenses thrown at you, particularly in high school ball. How have you adjusted to the different defenses?
Oh, yeah, I think I’ve seen them all. It just comes with the territory from our team’s success. You know, when we get success, you just have to go with it and figure out a way for your team to win.
Do you watch a lot of basketball? I know Rubio is another popular point guard around here. Do you watch a lot of college or pro basketball?
I do. I watch as much basketball as I can, both college and pro.
What about being a passer versus scorer? You’re sort of known as being a scoring point guard with your AAU team, but for USA Basketball, you were much more of a facilitator as a passing point guard.
I actually think I’m a pass-first point guard, but I just try to take what the defense will give me. If the defense gives me points, I’m going to take it, but if the defense gets up on me, I’m going to pass it immediately and I’ll hit the open man. I love to set up my guys. It just makes it fun, it makes it easier. I love to just, you know, get your team going.
So, all things being equal, you like to have a great pass over a great jumpshot?
Yeah, exactly.
Who do you turn to for guidance whenever you make big decisions?
My parents, they’ve been there since day one and they really have my best interest at heart.
You’re quite lucky to have both parents.
Yeah, I’ve also got my grandparents, as you can see right behind you. My grandparents are right here, my aunts are right there, they’re all here to support me. I’ve got a great core group of people. I feel very comfortable with them. I really like to listen to their thoughts on things.
I mentioned before about that forty-five point game. That game sort of helped to put you on the map to a degree. What was going through your mind and what do you remember about that day?
It was just one of those days where I was just feeling it and our coaches are always like if you’re feeling it, just go with it. Don’t let up. They just say that if we’re feeling it, just keep going with it, so I just kept putting it up and it just kept falling. It was just incredible.
In terms of a timeline, when would you like to decide by?
I’m waiting, I’m not trying to rush into my recruitment or anything. I’m not looking to give an immediate commitment. I’m looking to survey things and looking deeply into everything. So it’ll be just a little while.
Have you taken any visits?
I’ve taken unofficials to Ohio State and to Michigan State.
And probably Minnesota too.
Yeah, and to Minnesota as well.
What would you like the audience to know about you away from the court?
I’m just a laid-back kid, I like to have fun. I’m not trying to draw a lot of attention to myself. I’m trying to be laid-back and do the right thing. I’m not one of those kids who is a trouble-maker or anything like that. I’m just pretty laid-back and I keep to myself.
You've grown up in Apple Valley.
Yeah, I grew up in Apple Valley. We have the Minnesota Zoo. It’s a nice community to grow up in.
What’s your current size?
I’m about 6’2,” 175.
Before we were talking about change of pace and I remember reading that one of the reasons you wanted to add that to your game was because you may not be the fastest guy…
Yeah, I’m definitely not the fastest guy, so I felt like if I could just add that to my game, I’d just be a lot more difficult to try to stay in front of, rather than if I rely on my straight-forward quickness.
Lastly, can you talk about the Duke offer and what you know about the program?
Yes, Duke has offered me a scholarship. I’m very grateful to them for that. Coach K is a legendary coach and he’s an unbelievable coach and Coach Wojciechowski and Coach Capel are great guys. I saw the Duke coaches watching. They've coached a lot of great players. It will be interesting to see what happens with this recruiting period.
Were you surprised by the offer? It’s much earlier than they usually give players scholarship offers...
Yeah, actually, I was. I guess it was earlier than they traditionally do offer kids. I just feel very blessed and I just feel very humbled that they’re even recruiting me and I never thought that I'd be recruited by any of the big-name colleges and so I feel very blessed to have them even interested in me.
Any thoughts on visiting them in the future?
Yeah, eventually, definitely. I want to take an unofficial there.
What are some future tournaments you will be playing in for fans who want to catch you? Obviously EYBL…
Yeah, EYBL at all of the locations, then at the end of the month, I’ll be in California.
Lastly, what are you hoping to show coaches this year?
I’m just hoping to show them my hard work and just the little things, like boxing-out and getting on the floor and just the little things.
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore is not an act, but a habit.
-Aristotle
Semi Ojeleye was born in Overland Park, Kansas and his family's tale is one of the American Dream. His father, Victor, arrived in Kansas from Nigeria, looking to do an internship and residency at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Ojeleye now operates as a family physician in Ottawa, Kansas, roughly fifty miles south of Kansas City, Kansas, with his wife, Joy, a registered nurse.
The Ojeleyes had two boys, Victor and Semi. Victor, the oldest, was heavily involved in community service, became Ottawa High School's all-time leading scorer, and was valedictorian of his graduating class. After not receiving much basketball interest coming out of Ottawa high school, he opted to do a postgraduate year in North Carolina, where he played under veteran coach, Chris Chaney. It was there that then Kansas St. assistant coach, Dalonte Hill spotted the 6'5" Ojeleye and ultimately convinced him to walk-on for his home state Kansas State Wildcats. Victor wound up being a reserve player for the Wildcats, led his teammates in Bible studies, and was an All-Academic Big XII winner in each of his three seasons, culminating in this season's inaugural Dr. Loge Award for the Big XII Conference's highest academic honor. This May, he will receive his degree in Finance and Accounting before joining Koch Industries.
Semi Ojeleye was blessed with the same genetics and work ethic as Victor. He's been a 4.0 student, but will shatter Victor's basketball records for the Ottawa Cyclones. The 6'6" wing averaged nearly nine rebounds and thirty-three points per game this season, never scoring below twenty-five in a single game, while leading Ottawa (KS) to a third consecutive Class 4A State Title game. The high water scoring mark for this season came when he knocked down eight three-pointers and hit all ten of his free throws for a fifty point game and a win in front of Missouri Coach Frank Haith.
This season, Semi, a devout Christian, played all five positions for Coach Jon McKowen's Cyclones and knocked down seventy-eight three pointers at nearly a forty percent clip on the season. In the state semi-final game, Ojeyele grabbed fourteen rebounds and scored thirty-two points. In, ultimately, a close 56-52 loss to Basehor-Linwood in the Championship game, Ojeleye, who has tried to slowly convert himself from more of a post player to a perimeter force, scored thirty-two points and snagged twelve rebounds. For his efforts, the 6'6" junior, who now has 1,811 career points and helped his team to a 24-2 final record, earned an All-State distinction.
This AAU season, Semi, who would like to major in engineering, will once again compete with Mo-Kan Elite on Nike's EYBL circuit. The past two weekends, at least one Duke coach has observed his playing. This weekend, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski watched the versatile wing play in person. He is scheduled to visit UCLA and Wisconsin, the first high-major school to offer him a scholarship, in the coming months, but is hoping that his play this AAU season will garner more interest beyond the primary Big XII and Pac-Twelve options.
Semi spoke with me after a close EYBL game about a variety of issues.
Let’s start with your background.
My parents are from Nigeria, but I was born here.
In Kansas
Yeah, in Overland Park. My father came over to be a doctor.
Oh, well, congratulations.
Thank you.
Were you in a bit of a zone that day when you had the fifty point game?
Oh, yeah, my teammates got me involved and I just had my stroke that day. I just thank God because it was just one of those times when everything just clicked.
Last year, I thought you had more of an inside game than an outside. Do you feel like you’ve expanded your game and developed more of a mid-range game?
Well, I’m 6’6.” So, I’m not going to play center at the next level and I felt like I had to adjust. I feel like I’m going to become a guard. So, I felt like I had to develop more guard skills. So, I had to work on my handling and my shooting a lot.
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And have you improved?
Yes, I feel like I have.
Academically, I heard you were a 4.0 student. Obviously, your father is a doctor, so genetically, you should be a good student.
(laughs) Yeah, I take pride in my work and my academics. I want to have something that I can fall back on, because I know how difficult it is to make it to the professionals.
Your older brother is at Kansas State. What advice has he given you about going through this process?
Yeah, he’s been a good big brother to me. He’s gone through the whole thing and he’s taught me how much more physical it is and how rigorous it is and how I have to keep getting my body in better shape. My
You can always count on an exciting buzzer beater shot at any session of the Nike EYBL tour and I've seen some memorable ones from the likes of NBA bound Michael Gbinije in the past. Each time the result is the same in that one team wins on a players heroics and his teammates erupt and mob him on the court in their splendor.
Ish Wainright, who was recently offered a schlorship at Duke, took his turn on Saturday and his three point buzzer beater gave Team Takeover a one point victory. And it was a key win with his team dropping close games earlier, so you might say it was a timely shot, indeed. BDN caught up to Wainright moments after the victory where we got his thoughts on what had just happened, the Duke offer and the recruiting process in our newest interview offering. And be sure to see Andrew Slaters' most in depth interview three days earlier with Wainright where you can get to know one of six 2013 offers.
Day Two of the Nile EYBL Session II is in the books and it was a long one where the coaches were in the gym all day and night. It's hard to figure out where to start tonight in that my head is swimming from information overload. Let's start with Tyler Ennis who is still [private] on the radar and while he is listed as a PG, he shows off more shooting guard skills to me despite being just 6-3. I spoke with him after his game. And then there is Andrew Wiggins who if NBA rules allowed would go straight to the league. Of course Duke has interest but this will not be an easy get, so I would call that interest somewhat luke warm in that they know it would be quite the battle.
I was impressed with Wayne Selden (2014) today and he's going to be a good one, I secured a video chat with him. Duke has a lot of interest in him but it is too early for them to concentrate on that class which includes Theo Pinson. The interest is there for Pinson but they know he is a long ways from making his decision.
Boo Williams continued their slide and will likely not make it to the Peach Jam or the EYBL finals, dropping to 2-7 with a loss to Mokan. Al Freeman has not been impressive in the event which I said from day one and I have yet to see him use his potential in a good way. When his offense struggles he allows it to effect his whole game and while he had a good game tonight shooting the ball, his other stat totals were again, non existent. I don't think Boo uses him right. Anthony Barber is good, but not good enough to earn an offer at this point. He is a PG that cannot really pass that well and the chemistry with Freeman ia average at best. And Try Williams continues to regress with many questioning his work ethic.
Julius Randle improved his stock and that is hard to do when you are ranked 2nd in your class. His handle is nice for a big man and he dominated when he did take it to the paint. He told BDN he had so many triple teams he decided to take his game to the perimeter and it seems to be working. Yes Matt Jones is better and he told BDN he is now 6-5 but the same weight. I have vid interviews with both.
I spoke with ex ACC official Larry Rose for a good long time and what a chat we had. He is head of MEAC officials now. I laughed at him being ragged in Cameron back in the day.
I watched a bit of Jahlil Okafor and his game is about the same as it was a year ago in that he needs to be more aggressive. A ton of folks really pick my brain about Duke now and I found myself giving disinformation to a couple of the more obnoxious types:)
Semilore Ojeleye. Semi is pronounced Shimi. I sat with Coach for part of his game and he like him a lot as do the assistants. I was tipped off they thought he could be offer material on Friday and had a brief chat with him on video. Great kid. His game? Nice. Great stroke from 3, solid, strong finisher on dunks. Listed at 6-7, but said he is 6-6. And guess who he pulled for when he grew up but don't they all;(. Anyhow, love his game and want him in royal blue. Unique player with incredible background, smart, solid student -- the whole package.
Ish Wainright is a defender supreme who can guard almost anyone and wants all challenges. Coach wants to see more offense from him. He was a beast tonight and hit a three point shot at the buzzer and Team Takeover finally won and that meant we got to talk to him, yay. Yes, that was sarcasm in that his coaches are a trip an then some.
Coach was upset about the injury to Derrick Rose and spoke of the challenges in filling the Team USA roster. Of course. Dwight Howard is out too but all the studs are expected to play. He's been on the road non stop and came in late from Arkansas where he saw Austin Nichols score 35 points, grab 15 rebounds and swat 7 shots away in a single game. Yeah, he's good.
Okay, that's all I have got off the top of my head but I have yet to get to my notes. I will close it out tomorrow before taking that four hour ride back, so do not expect a whole lot on Sunday evening. However, the video interviews will balance well with Andrew and the many interviews he still has. [/private]
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