Box and Won Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 This was posted on STLToday: "FZW basketball player Jared Swopshire has left the St. Louis area to attend the IMG Academy in Florida, to 'better his chances of making the NBA'." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 the kids' mom and/or dad bought a bunch of b.s.! Maybe he will get homesick and come back home! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StLouBlue Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 This is just a sad statement on society. Here is a kid that has a chance to get his college paid for at probably a wide range of schools and instead he is only focused on the NBA. What are the parents thinking? A good college education that will increase his chances of having a successful career in whatever field he chooses should be the priority over taking a shot at the less than 1% of kids playing basketball that will make the NBA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risky1 Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 I guess that his parents feel that he has a chance at the NBA. $30,000 a year is a lot of money. But also remember that he must first play at least one year of college ball before the NBA. He could come back for a year at SLU, but will probably go ACC or SEC. I am certain that they are counting on him getting a full ride to college and then the big payback of NBA. He will need to get serious about his body. He is too skiny for even their H. S. programs. As for acidemics, they take three classes a day and a study hall. Does anyone have any idea who the play? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Risky1 Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 Sorry, my typing and spelling suck today. I need a drink. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted August 18, 2006 Share Posted August 18, 2006 The acedemic program there is top notch. I think the plan for the kids there is to stay an extra year and then enter the draft. You don't have to go to college. You just have to be one year removed from your graduating class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slufanskip Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Isn't it an age limit or a requirement to be 1 year removed from HS... not a requirement to have 1 year of college ball Official Billikens.com sponsor of H Waldman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluecrewfinance Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 unfortunately, this seems to be a way around the intentions of the "no high school kids" rule. College hoops and all of the players would probably be better for these guys staying in school, even for just a little bit longer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted August 19, 2006 Share Posted August 19, 2006 Seriously, if you're a kid with middle-of-the-road academics, and you fully believe (as they all do and as I've said before) that you are the next Jordan, exactly why are you sitting in Western Civilizatio 101, College Composition, Algebra, or even Chemistry for Non-Science Majors? Instead, you are barnstorming around the country, playing ball, with the Ipod in your ears, playing Street Thugs or X games VII on the PSP, and putting in the time having fun while waiting for the miniscule one-year time period to lapse. What are you going to do? What appeals as a better life to you? I'll even bet you that the "hey, if I don't get drafted I can go hang out with some European pro team for a year and hit the big time then" attitude is also out there. The view that Americans have of the European leagues is that its easy money because they can't be better athletes than us despite the fact that USA world domination of basketball is under severe fire right now. Which will again go away once LeBron and Wade and Co. win the current Wolrd Games we are in now. Then there is the NBDL which won't pay better but it still beats listening to a Father Boskin droll on and on for three hours a week in Judiasm, Christianity and Islam. While I agree that the talent level of college ball will always be on the up and up if these athletes stayed in school, I believe that the game might be better served if they weren't a part of it to begin with. While there is probably something to be said for a Jordan or a Carter or a Wade to stay three or so years, I would argue that there is very little left in the college coffers when a Marbury, a Hughes, a Wagner, a Francis, a Hardaway or a Wingfield come and go for a one-and-done. The bottom line is the betterment of the person and that person's lot in life. We all know that only 1% of the millions of kids playing basketball make it to the utmost levels. We also can agree that most kids believe it will be them there as soon as possible. We know there are many more failures than there are successes. So to me, most of the parents and kids and the handlers of these kids are rolling the dice so to speak to get their piece of the pie. There is no looking at a backup plan which to me, a college degree would be. Lonnie Baxter ws just picked up in DC for discharging a firearm in the vicinity of the White House the other night. A pretty decent college player with a national championship, some NBA time on teams pulling in a paycheck bigger than most and his lawyers have decided to let him sit it out in the DC holding cells for a while to think about where his life is going. Another of the many different stories about how this life stlye, even if achieved for a fleeting moment, doesn't guarantee anything. Us older guys know why the college degree is needed. Society and the big bucks are making it this way. Maybe if he doesn't make it, he can tour on the And1 group. I hear those guys are really athletes who just didn't catch a break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Griffster Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I'm pretty sure the IMG academy is darn good education too. http://www.imgacademies.com/custompage/def...tompageid=13570 It's pretty darn expensive too. Cg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taj79 Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 It's a high school ... maybe a freaking good high school compared to some of the crap offered by today's public educational facilities, but a high school nonetheless. You don't get anywhere with today's high school diploma and its almost debatable that you can stop with today's undergrad degree as well. Some sort of post-graduate work is almost a requirement in today's day and age of wrok place competitiveness. No .. Mr. Swopshire is banking on parlaying the talent he has into the next level ... which would be one of the big conferences and then into the mega-bucks that is the NBA. The school don't mean much in this equation. Rather, it is a means by which to accomplish the end. The NBA is the pot of gold at the end of the Swopshire rainbow. I guess if you're going to follow the dream, you've got to make all the investments you can to do that. Again, given the really high odds that make the NBA, nice to know that your dream is completely focused because the small success rate will demand total committment on both the kid and the family's part. I am certain almost no one goes to IMG to get into the Warton School of Business or the Unversity of Chicago Grad School. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jjray Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Just a terrible choice by these parents on several levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Does going to IMG Academy means he has to skip college? He's not really a high-major recruit as of now, SLU just offered a few weeks ago. I think it's an excellent way to get his recruitment up so he can go to a high-major basketball college for free and hopefully have a maximum of 4 years, minimum of 1 year to build his draft stock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orange Julius Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 It was a situation that he felt he couldn't pass up. The chance to go to a school that works out and aids in the development of some of the top players in the game today. It is also a first rate education and an opportunity to play against better talent year around. He will have quality coaches working with him to develop his game but it will also give him the opportunity to live away from home in a controlled environment so college won't be such a shock for him. This is going to be an excellent opportunity for him as far as basktball and academics are concerned. I am also willing to bet that he will have the opportunity to attend an ACC, SEC or Big East school when all is said and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 I don't follow the NBA.....anybody know how many IMG Academy grads are currently playing in the NBA? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cheeseman Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Taj, your ignorance of public education as a whole is startling. Just as there are some poor public systems there are also poor private schools. Before you make such sweeping generalizations you should at least be knowledgeable on the topic and you clearly are not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billiken_roy Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 orange julius said about jared shopshire attending img: "I am also willing to bet that he will have the opportunity to attend an ACC, SEC or Big East school when all is said and done." i would guess from what i have read about young mr shopshire that would have been the case anyway. my question is how does the cost justify the result? he was a high major prospect anyway, and he was in a fairly good school district already, ie would have likely made the necessary grades to get in school. if you think that it is still a better academic position, the parents could have paid tuition to sluh which imo is just an awesome college prep scenario for about $20k less per year and likely been in the same position for high major college both academically and athletically. why not say what is likely the real reason. a chance to be rubbing elbows with the dreaded agents who tell parents what they want to hear and promise the big dream. it will be interesting to see how this plays out until college time for jared. if he isnt starting for kentucky his freshmen season, i would say it was a stupid decision. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
3star_recruit Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 A 6'7 180 lb small forward who doesn't do anything particularly well is not a slam dunk high major player. Swopshire needs to improve either his outside jumper or his ballhandling for that to be the case. Maybe the FZW coach was pushing to be a power forward? In any case, there simply aren't any programs in the St. Louis area with a reputation for developing big wing players. If his parents have secured a financial aid package or have the dough outright to send Swopshire to a big-money prep school then more power to them. Tommie getting to play point at Hargrave is certainly paying dividends for him and us. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davidnark Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 As a SLUH alumnus, I agree that it is excellent academically and as a college prep, but if my kid was a big time basketball prospect, SLUH would not be the best place for him to hone his skills. It pains me to say this, but for a big time basketball prospect who is a good student, Alumnifan's alma mater (DeSmet) would probably be a much better choice. Regardless, how can you fault the kid and his parents for picking a situation that should enable him to develop and succeed both athletically and academically? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 >I don't follow the NBA.....anybody know how many IMG Academy >grads are currently playing in the NBA? I only know of Ricky Sanchez from the 2005. He made the leap straight from high school to the pros. It would take a lot of research to see how many guys went there for high school, then D1 and then the pros. They train a lot of professional athletes though. There have been some great high school combinations like Prince and Chandler at Dominguez, Ford and Ewing went to high school together. Joe Forte and Steve Blake. Charlie V and Luol Deng. Those teams were nothing compared to an Oak Hill, a Mount Zion or a Lauringburg, but they were pretty good. Charlie V and Luol Deng went Blair Academy, which sounds like a prep school, but I cant confirm that. Is it better if kids hook up and make super teams that win and get kids on the best AAU teams come the fall and draw scouts to their high school games? Or is it better for the talent to be more spread out? I know there was a lot of movement at Fort Zumhalt West. Wiss and Davis in, Belger, Fischer, Swapshire out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thetorch Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Kevin Garnett Al Harrington Jamaal Tinsley Jeff Foster Primoz Brevec Ron Mercer Jonathan Bender Brad Miller Tyronn Lue Kwame Brown Brendan Haywood Etan Thomas Erick Dampier Adonal Foyle Chauncey Billups Steven Hunter Harold Jamison Erick Barkley Lawrence Funderburke John Wallace P. J. Brown Travis Hansen Matt Bonner Chris Bosh Rick Rickert Reece Gaines Jared Jeffries Dahntay Jones Melvin Ely Travis Outlaw Fred Jones Ndudi Ebi Tito Maddox Randy Holcomb Koko Archibong Stephane Pelle Maceo Baston Vince Carter Michael Bradley Antonio Davis Anthony Carter Chris Jeffries Larry Hughes Dermarr Johnson Lindsey Hunter Jelani McCoy Mamadou N'diaye Morris Peterson Milt Palacio Jerome Williams Lavor Postell Jahidi White Tayshaun Prince Zendon Hamilton Michael Stewart 2004 NBA Draft Picks: #13 Sebastian Telfair – Portland Trailblazers #14 Kris Humphries – Utah Jazz #33 Lionel Chalmers – LA Clippers #38 Chris Duhon – Chicago Bulls #52 Romain Sato – San Antonio Spurs Free Agents: Erick Barkley (#28 ’00) – Blazers/Spurs Cookie Belcher – Hawks/Italy Matt Carroll – Notre Dame/Knicks/Spurs Noel Felix – Fresno St./Suns Marlon Garnett – Santa Clara/Spain Venson Hamilton (#50 ’99) – Rockets/Italy Zendon Hamilton – St. John’s/Europe/76ers Chris Haslem – Wyoming/Belgium Harold Jamison – Heat/Clippers/Cavs Lorenzo Johnson – Colorado St./Europe Quincy Lewis (#19 ’99) – Jazz/Israel Kevin Lyde – Temple/NBDL Will McDonald – USF Michael Ruffin (#32 ’99) – Sixers/Spain Kenny Satterfield – Nuggets/Sixers Damon Thorton – NC State/Europe Ugonna Onyekwe – Penn John Wallace (#18 ’96) – Knicks/Raptors/Suns I don't believe all of these guys attended the academy full time for a whole year. Still from this list it doesn't appear that attending this academy is a sure bet to NBA stardom. There are a couple all stars and a few starters but a lot of these guys suffered from ideas of granduer and went NBA way too early, now I see why, they attended this academy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VTIME Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 >A 6'7 180 lb small forward who doesn't do anything >particularly well is not a slam dunk high major player. >Swopshire needs to improve either his outside jumper or his >ballhandling for that to be the case. Maybe the FZW coach >was pushing to be a power forward? In any case, there >simply aren't any programs in the St. Louis area with a >reputation for developing big wing players. If his parents >have secured a financial aid package or have the dough >outright to send Swopshire to a big-money prep school then >more power to them. Tommie getting to play point at >Hargrave is certainly paying dividends for him and us. Tommie always played pg in high school. Guys like Mark Howlett, Bennie Lewis and Demario Smith played the wing. Tommie was omly 6'0 his freshman year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tseugnekillib Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 nark, someday, you will realize what a pleasure it is to have your children at home for their high school years. Nothing is finer than watching your high school aged sons and daughters grow and mature. That would be tough to give up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianstl Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 Are you sure all those players went to the academy? I think that might be a list of players that use the IMG agency for contract representation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaleJarr Posted August 20, 2006 Share Posted August 20, 2006 "Tommie always played pg in high school. Guys like Mark Howlett, Bennie Lewis and Demario Smith played the wing. Tommie was omly 6'0 his freshman year". Not totally true, Tommie always had the skills to play the point, however Coach Bennie Lewis used Tommie primarily at the 3 during his freshmen season. After Lewis' forced resignation Coach Brooks used Tommie at the 3 as Alonzo Nelson, Mark Howlett and Will Rodgers were the guards for Tommie's last 2 seasons. Tommie did however assumed the role of point-forward during crunch time. One other note* I don't believe Joseph Forte played with Blake in HS or college. Forte did play with the Kentucky guard Keith Bogans Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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