A few years back, I travelled to San Antonio, TX to watch Drive Nation (former NBA player Jermaine O’Neal’s basketball club) play. While watching the 6th grade basketball group run, there was one player who immediately jumped out as a talent. As with any eleven or twelve year old, he was skinny, making mistakes and missing easy shots. Where he was great though, was his feel for the game of basketball and what was going on around him while playing the game. His pace was not erratic and his IQ was high.
I gazed over the spectators to see if I could identify his parents. No luck. I walked down to the baseline and started talking to a parent I knew. I asked about the kid who turned out to be Jerry Easter (c/o 2025 Toledo, OH). His father was in the corner, minding his own business watching the game. He wasn’t screaming or shouting. Just watching. His father, Jerry Sr. and I talked for a good while about his son. Great guy with great energy, definitely something you look for in determining whether a kid is recruitable and stable. No coach wants to deal with a player with unruly parents, especially college coaches, and if they do, the player is so good it doesn’t even matter.
Easter has since turned into a dynamo on the basketball court. In his class, he has the best natural feel for how to play. Good passer, plays with pop and unselfish. He applies pressure to teams as an offensive player. Also a football player, he’s physical, and like other top guard prospects he can shoot. It’s worth catching him play today if you can. He’s one that has a bright future.
