Knox now at Las Positas

Kevin McCarthy
 

According to one survey, 50% percent of first marriages, 67% of second and 74% of third marriages in America end in divorce. In the business world, partnerships are formed which later split asunder. Workers in the United States average 10.5 jobs per lifetime. The point is that living life equals change. There’s even a basketball version of "the best laid plans of mice and men..." as Jordan Knox is now at Las Positas College after transferring from the Academy of Art University (AAU).

Knox ‘Ds’ up

There are certain ‘scolders’ who claim college transferring is at an epidemic level although, tongue firmly in cheek, we’ve yet to hear if the Centers for Disease Control are trying to develop a vaccination in order to combat this apparently ravaging plague.

The bottom line is that departing from one school and arriving at another is simply an individual choice generated by a multitude of factors, most, if not all, of which the general public has no clue. Any such pronouncements about matters being out of control first require a case-by-case exploration of each specific change of address prior to any pontification.

In Knox’s particular situation, he found plenty of positives at the Academy of Art University but ultimately felt it was in his best interests to experience another location.

"My first year went very good, I loved it," Knox explained. "I liked the campus and the city environment. Playing and traveling was so much fun. "The team bonded well and I met a lot of good people, including instructors Joe Fonzi and Jan Yanehiro, who taught me a lot, which I really appreciate"

As expected, the newly-minted Urban Knights struggled in action, going 0-26 on the season as a member of the Pacific West Conference. The schedule was not favorable as AAU enjoyed just one home contest -- out of ten games -- prior to league play. Knox said "Man that was tough! We had to mature as a team pretty quick, we were up and down the west coast playing on the home courts of other teams, it seemed like forever. I remember people in the stands before our games sometimes respectfully asking us where were from, and then other fans asking us to draw them a picture [because of the Art portion in Academy of Art University name]. It was crazy!"

Knox’s personal academic highlights included being the only freshman on the team to carry 15 units in his initial semester and 12 units in his second semester, while maintaining a B average. On the court, his successes included scoring a season high 19 points against Chaminade, twice leading his squad in rebounding and being tops in steals on four separate occasions.

Another Knox accomplishment was being selected to front the Official 2009-2010 Academy of Art University Basketball Media Guide -- a distinction normally reserved for an upperclassman.

But an element that concerned Knox was the limited number of available majors at AAU. "I wasn’t sure Liberal Arts was what I wanted to do for four years." As Knox elaborated, "I want to try out different things and majors."

"My parents were very supportive, we had some long talks, and I had some sleepless nights, but it was my decision to do what I think is best," Knox said.

So now he’s playing for veteran mentor Tony Costello, whose coaching bonafides include 23 years of head or assistant coaching at the community college level, the last six at Las Positas.

"I like the way things are going," Knox said, adding, "my teammates are good and the system is an up-and-down one. Coach Costello seems a bit Phil Jackson-like in that he doesn’t scream and holler a lot but takes you to the side and explains to you how to do something, with a lot of psychological, zen-like encouragement, then slaps you on the butt and expects you execute."

Here’s Costello on his newcomer: "I saw him [Jordan] play in high school so he is familiar to me. Jordan has a good feel for the game, is extremely coachable and is a pass-first type of point. Our players like playing with him being at the point."

Costello added, "What I like best is he takes defense to heart."

He concluded with "Jordan needs to work on his three-point shot, getting more consistent from there."

Las Positas plays in the tough Coast-North Division alongside perennial contenders CCSF, Chabot, Foothill and Ohlone but Knox offered "I’m expecting us to be very competitive."

One prediction we will extend is that Knox is a starter at the point this season for the Hawks. However, Knox stated "I am not assuming anything, I want to win a lot of games, and hopefully help the team get to the playoffs and continue playing for a while."

It is safe to say that the last time Knox won a meaningful game, it was as a senior at Heritage High School. Knox said, "Going 0-26 at the Academy was very hard, but we always fought hard and never gave up. Playing against the likes of BYU-Hawaii twice, Humbolt State, Chico State, LMU and Chaminade, to name a few, wasn’t easy, but we never went into a game expecting to lose."

With the change, his family can still watch him play since it a 30-40 minute drive from Brentwood to Livermore. But they will have to split time because Knox’s younger sister is a junior playing varsity basketball at Heritage High. "She’s pretty good," Knox said, "so my parents will be doing a lot of texting, giving each other updates from each game."

Regarding 2010-2011, Knox said, "My goals this season are to win a lot of games, have fun doing it, work hard to continue evolving my game which will make me and my teammates better everyday, and stay on track academically."

Come November or later next year, this won’t be the first turn in the recruiting barrel for the Knoxes. "We have experience in the process and now have a much better understanding of it," the former Heritage High star explained. "If we have a lot of team success and win, the recruiting stuff will work itself out. Nothing will come easy and nothing is guaranteed but I’m hoping my work ethic and leadership will become contagious and you already know could happen when you have 12 committed teammates working towards one goal and buying into what the coach wants. More wins than loses!"

Also, because of a joint agreement between Las Positas and the Academy of Art, the majority of Knox’s freshmen credits were transferable and he can earn his A.A. in less than a year, making his desirability at the next level even greater.

Another bold estimate: the roads to and from Livermore will be more crowded this winter with a lot of guys wearing school insignias on their shirts and looking like assistant coaches.