April 21, 2010
Check out Semple
Unlike cows in Berkeley, there really is hoops -- good basketball -- played in northwest California. It’s certainly a lightly tread area for most recruiters but, no, the basketball stands aren’t made out of redwoods and neither are the rims actually peach baskets imported from Marysville. To buttress our assertion, we offer up Arcata High’s Jordan Semple, the 2009-2010 most valuable player of the Humboldt-Del Norte Conference as chosen by the Eureka Times-Standard.
‘Underrated’ describes Semple
Arcata went 23-7 in 2009-2010 with Semple averaging 18 points, six rebounds and three assists a contest, while shooting 49% overall and 31% from long distance. The Tigers season concluded with a 66-63 playoff loss to Modesto Christian in which Semple scored a bountiful 29 points.
An All-NorCal selection in Division IV this past season, Semple was described thusly after a skills development event by well-known basketball trainer Jeremy Russotti: "Jordan is what every coach at the next level is looking for when it comes to potential. He is a legit 6-foot-6, can handle the ball, solid in the triple threat position, very smooth around the basket, and has a nice shot. His release point on his shot has risen from last year, making him that much harder to guard..."
A 3.3 grade point average and a 25 score on the ACT rounds out Semple’s attractiveness.
Asked what he perceived as his best basketball skills, Semple replied, "My shooting and my driving plus my ability to play the one, two, three and even the four positions." He’s hoping this versatility works strongly in his favor in the move to the next level.
Looking to major in international business and kinesiology, Semple already displays a beyond-his-age wiseness in examining the differences between high school and club team basketball. Noting these aren’t absolutes, he said "One [high school] is more serious and the other [club team] is less. With high school, there is more of a binding to your school and your team while with AAU it more of a show and earning respect."
Another aspect of Semple’s wisdom is the web site he created -- www.jordansemple.net -- in order to provide recruiters easy access to his basketball and education résumé. Here’s his reasoning behind it: "It wasn’t easy to do and it’s not automatic that it will get your name out but it kind of helped me get into the system. With where I live, you need to more recognition. There’s always the possibility of falling between the cracks but colleges will find you if you are good enough."
As for recruiting, Chico State and Humboldt State have offered Semple with interest from Sacramento State and CSU Bakersfield.
He is looking for a college offering a stable program whose coach is really into the game -- very serious -- and one using a high tempo style.
It’s true that northwestern California isn’t ground zero for basketball recruits but, when one appears, it’s better to take a look rather than rely upon any old geographic bromides.