'21 TN PG Kennedy Chandler (Tennessee commit 08.14.20)

#854
#854
How in the world did Kenneth Lofton Jr. end up at La Tech? That dude is handful. Think of a pudgy version of Grant Williams. He was #11 for Team USA, 6-7 and 275 lbs.
 
#855
#855
cncchris33 said:
How in the world did Kenneth Lofton Jr. end up at La Tech? That dude is handful. Think of a pudgy version of Grant Williams. He was #11 for Team USA, 6-7 and 275 lbs.
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I think as much as anything it shows what a year in college does for a player even against highly ranked guys a year younger with no college experience…he wasn’t heavily recruited by anyone and while he had a good year at La Tech it wasn’t as if he just absolutely dominated the league.
 
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#856
#856
bleedingTNorange said:
I think as much as anything it shows what a year in college does for a player even against highly ranked guys a year younger with no college experience…he wasn’t heavily recruited by anyone and while he had a good year at La Tech it wasn’t as if he just absolutely dominated the league.
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True, he didn’t “dominate”, but he still averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg in only 22.8 mpg. That translates to a pretty absurd per-40 for a pudgy freshman who didn’t get an offseason due to COVID. Similar numbers to what Grant had as a FR with fewer minutes, albeit against lesser competition.

Just crazy how a kid like that can still fall thru the cracks in this day and age. Not like he is from the middle of nowhere, either. Port Arthur is near Houston, TX, and has churned out several pro athletes across multiple sports, including J’Covan Brown, who played for Barnes at Texas.

Lofton was a guard early on in high school and then hit a late growth spurt necessitating a move to the paint, which may partially explain his lack of recruitment.
 
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#857
#857
cncchris33 said:
True, he didn’t “dominate”, but he still averaged 12.2 ppg and 7.5 rpg in only 22.8 mpg. That translates to a pretty absurd per-40 for a pudgy freshman who didn’t get an offseason due to COVID. Similar numbers to what Grant had as a FR with fewer minutes, albeit against lesser competition.

Just crazy how a kid like that can still fall thru the cracks in this day and age. Not like he is from the middle of nowhere, either. Port Arthur is near Houston, TX, and has churned out several pro athletes across multiple sports, including J’Covan Brown, who played for Barnes at Texas.

Lofton was a guard early on in high school and then hit a late growth spurt necessitating a move to the paint, which may partially explain his lack of recruitment.
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Unfortunately for LT he will probably be a likely candidate to transfer to a bigger name program, kind of a good example as to how that rule can really hurt the smaller programs.
 
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#858
#858
bleedingTNorange said:
Unfortunately for LT he will probably be a likely candidate to transfer to a bigger name program, kind of a good example as to how that rule can really hurt the smaller programs.
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Funny you mention that because I originally had it typed out in my last post.

“I wonder if he considered transferring after his FR season success with the new rules.”
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I deleted it from that post after researching it and not finding anything indicating it.
 
#863
#863
walkenvol said:
When I went to school that would be U20, but they’ve come out with new math since then
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Same. Participation Trophy-era has changed a lot. Kids reclassifying up or down to get a better ranking, etc. When I played AAU in the mid-2000s I played on one of like maybe 4 programs in the entirety of East TN. I wasn't on the best program, I wasn't on the worst. Now there's 45+ programs in just the Knox Co and surrounding area. It's crazy what introducing $ to equations and getting promised "exposure" for little Suzie who's the 8th player off the bench of the JV team as a Junior can do.
 
#864
#864
JelloPuddinPup said:
Same. Participation Trophy-era has changed a lot. Kids reclassifying up or down to get a better ranking, etc. When I played AAU in the mid-2000s I played on one of like maybe 4 programs in the entirety of East TN. I wasn't on the best program, I wasn't on the worst. Now there's 45+ programs in just the Knox Co and surrounding area. It's crazy what introducing $ to equations and getting promised "exposure" for little Suzie who's the 8th player off the bench of the JV team as a Junior can do.
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All of this equating to a “participation trophy society” is beyond a reach.
 
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#866
#866
JelloPuddinPup said:
Era, as in referring to a timeframe, not society as in referring to a specific group.
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Hwo does a “participation trophy era” equate to ssomeone reclassifying or more AAU programs? BHH reclassified and his ranking dropped, I highly doubt ranking mattered at all when he reclassified.
 
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#868
#868
JelloPuddinPup said:
Same. Participation Trophy-era has changed a lot. Kids reclassifying up or down to get a better ranking, etc. When I played AAU in the mid-2000s I played on one of like maybe 4 programs in the entirety of East TN. I wasn't on the best program, I wasn't on the worst. Now there's 45+ programs in just the Knox Co and surrounding area. It's crazy what introducing $ to equations and getting promised "exposure" for little Suzie who's the 8th player off the bench of the JV team as a Junior can do.
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There's more aau programs because the game of basketball is growing and more kids in east Tennessee are interested in playing. It gives kids something productive and safe to do with their free time. I don't see the issue.
 
#869
#869
JelloPuddinPup said:
Same. Participation Trophy-era has changed a lot. Kids reclassifying up or down to get a better ranking, etc. When I played AAU in the mid-2000s I played on one of like maybe 4 programs in the entirety of East TN. I wasn't on the best program, I wasn't on the worst. Now there's 45+ programs in just the Knox Co and surrounding area. It's crazy what introducing $ to equations and getting promised "exposure" for little Suzie who's the 8th player off the bench of the JV team as a Junior can do.
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I love when folks complain about Participation trophies like kids themselves created it. 🤣🤣. Also how is it a bad thing that more kids are able to play AAU? You never know who is able to develop and be an actual good player.
 
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#871
#871
My goodness, fine I'll explain this a bit as you're all getting hung up too much on one phrase. I used that terminology to represent the last 10-15 years (which is when participation trophies became a thing as more millennials became parents with kids in sports). AAU has changed drastically because of the $ poured into it more so than the sport becoming more popular. The main point was things develop and change (U20 means 20 and under now, etc).

It was purely a reflection (with personal commentary) back on how things have evolved and what is more commonplace now, which is there are more AAU programs now, there is an abundance of reclassifications up/down now and things have generally been altered to allow for more $ than simple accomplishment.

Sorry, back to Kennedy Chandler.
 
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