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Is it just me, or does Jalen seem to have really elevated his game? I know 2 games is not a big sample - but he has been a beast under the basket against some pretty good competition, has shot well outside, gives it up when he needs to, is passing well, and even handles the ball pretty well for a guy his size. I am thinking Brown is pleasantly surprised with where his game is right now.

I think he is much happier now and was not a Doherty fan at all.

There is a ton more smiling everywhere up and down that bench. I sense 110 % buy in (and who wouldnt?)

Nothing against Doh - i like him - but they are playing to their strengths now. It has really changed JJ's game for the better.

He also probably has a little more freedom now to make plays

Pony_Fan wrote:I think he is much happier now and was not a Doherty fan at all.

He committed to play for Doherty, so how much could he really not like him? He's still got a long way to go in the basketball IQ department, but he's going to be a damn good player by the time he graduates, and probably a 4 year starter even with Larry's guys coming in. Anybody else cringe last night when he immediately went up for the shot behind the basket after rebounding Manuel's free throw with just a few seconds left? He definitely got bailed out with a foul.

mavsrage311 wrote:

Pony_Fan wrote:I think he is much happier now and was not a Doherty fan at all.

He committed to play for Doherty, so how much could he really not like him? He's still got a long way to go in the basketball IQ department, but he's going to be a damn good player by the time he graduates, and probably a 4 year starter even with Larry's guys coming in. Anybody else cringe last night when he immediately went up for the shot behind the basket after rebounding Manuel's free throw with just a few seconds left? He definitely got bailed out with a foul.

It looked like he was intentionally drawing the foul, not a bail-out, now whether he could or should have done something else, now that is a good question.

^^ would have been less questionable if he made at least one free throw.

He is easily my favorite player. I did cringe when he went up for the shot and if you watched on tv you would have seen a pretty upset Larry brown after that play.

The exuberance of youth. He is pretty tough on the offensive boards. Thank god we have a coach that lets him go after offensive rebounds - no offense to Doh.

He was going to leave SMU if Doh stayed here so that is how much he didn't like playing for him.( his AAU coach had many schools asking about his possible transfer) He loves to rebound and especially on the offensive side and last year was frustrating for him. He is a big time talent and suffice it to say if he had been 6'6 in HS instead of 6'4, he would have been a even bigger recruit and may not have gone to SMU. The sky's the limit for this kid...love him. He is much more mature this year...you can see the way he handles himself on the court.

I really hate to say I told you so.......

Jalen was a pretty highly regarded prospect coming out of HS. He had something like 15 offers including Arkansas, Colorado and Creighton

mavsrage311 wrote:

Pony_Fan wrote:I think he is much happier now and was not a Doherty fan at all.

He committed to play for Doherty, so how much could he really not like him?

Players routinely dislike the coaches that recruited them. Doherty knows this better than any. He was fired at North Carolina for this very reason.

LA_Mustang wrote:Jalen was a pretty highly regarded prospect coming out of HS. He had something like 15 offers including Arkansas, Colorado and Creighton

We know that LA_Mustang....but growing an additional 2 inches AFTER his HS season could have put him in a different stratosphere if he had that height BEFORE his senior season. A 6'6 2 or 3 is much higher in potential, than a 6'4 2 or 3 is my thought. It changes a recruit from a high mid major to a High D-1 prospect IMHO. When he was thinking of transferring, he had something like 50 schools interested according to his AAU coach.