The Bears added some experienced local talent at the point guard position with today’s commitment from Grand Canyon University senior Jovan Blacksher.
Born in Oakland before moving to Arizona, the 5-11/165 got off to a strong collegiate start out of Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix after leading his squad to 3 state championships, averaging 15.9 points, 5.6 assists and 5.7 steals a game as a junior. At GCU where he entered as a frosh in 2019, Blacksher started 98 games, averaging 11 points per game in his career there.
Before suffering an acl injury, Blackshers’ best season was in 2021-22 where he averaged 15.8 points a game with 4 assists and 1.7 steals per game, shooting 41.5% from the field, along with a solid 39.4% from three-point range, earning 1st Team All-WAC. Following the acl injury in the 2022-23 season, Blacksher was able to come back and play limited minutes last season but was granted an extra season of eligibility and is now said to be completely healthy and recovered.
The super senior is known as a stellar defender and should bring an edge to revamped Bears roster on the defensive side of the ball.
Blacksher becomes the 10th commit of the 2024 Cal recruiting class.
No this is his 6th season after starting at GCU in 2019Pittstop said:
Since he's been grant an extra year of eligibility, does he have 2 years of eligibility left?
We should have one left, either via portal or incoming freshman, I think.dha said:
Is that our last roster spot through the portal?
Andrew Parrish has a 2024-2025 Scholarship Tracker (a Google spreadsheet) for every Division I team. He tends to be on the ball with updates; Jovan Blacksher Jr was added within an hour of yesterday's announcement.RedlessWardrobe said:We should have one left, either via portal or incoming freshman, I think.dha said:
Is that our last roster spot through the portal?
barsad said:
Some great recruiting news, I feel a lot better about our chances today than a few weeks ago.
In other threads I've said I would give my kingdom for a big man given that it's a perennial Cal weakness, and if Sissoko goes down we have no answers there (Dort not a good answer).
But if both of our PGs are one-and-dones in '24, we'd better hand that 13th scholarship to a PG with full eligibility who is willing to sit for a year and feed off the veteran knowledge of Tucker-Blacksher.
Otherwise we're just on the PG transfer merry-go-round every year.
Pittstop said:barsad said:
Some great recruiting news, I feel a lot better about our chances today than a few weeks ago.
In other threads I've said I would give my kingdom for a big man given that it's a perennial Cal weakness, and if Sissoko goes down we have no answers there (Dort not a good answer).
But if both of our PGs are one-and-dones in '24, we'd better hand that 13th scholarship to a PG with full eligibility who is willing to sit for a year and feed off the veteran knowledge of Tucker-Blacksher.
Otherwise we're just on the PG transfer merry-go-round every year.
Ruff doesn't count until next year, right? We have plenty of open schollies for '25 then, is that correct?
barsad said:
Right, but I'm talking about taking a more long-term view. Ruff will be a great addition in '25, but what PG will be distributing to him? Another 6th year grad? I am celebrating the value in transfers Madsen has recruited, but I still would like to see some investment this year in the PG or C of 2025-2027.
calumnus said:barsad said:
Right, but I'm talking about taking a more long-term view. Ruff will be a great addition in '25, but what PG will be distributing to him? Another 6th year grad? I am celebrating the value in transfers Madsen has recruited, but I still would like to see some investment this year in the PG or C of 2025-2027.
Wilkinson will be a freshman PG this Fall, so hopefully he'll be ready to take over in 2025.
But he's more of an undersized 2 than a true pg, correct?MoragaBear said:calumnus said:barsad said:
Right, but I'm talking about taking a more long-term view. Ruff will be a great addition in '25, but what PG will be distributing to him? Another 6th year grad? I am celebrating the value in transfers Madsen has recruited, but I still would like to see some investment this year in the PG or C of 2025-2027.
Wilkinson will be a freshman PG this Fall, so hopefully he'll be ready to take over in 2025.
Madsen talked about Wilkinson last night at a SoCal donor event and said he's really, really good after seeing him in person for their first two practices. He said they got a steal with him.
Civil Bear said:But he's more of an undersized 2 than a true pg, correct?MoragaBear said:calumnus said:barsad said:
Right, but I'm talking about taking a more long-term view. Ruff will be a great addition in '25, but what PG will be distributing to him? Another 6th year grad? I am celebrating the value in transfers Madsen has recruited, but I still would like to see some investment this year in the PG or C of 2025-2027.
Wilkinson will be a freshman PG this Fall, so hopefully he'll be ready to take over in 2025.
Madsen talked about Wilkinson last night at a SoCal donor event and said he's really, really good after seeing him in person for their first two practices. He said they got a steal with him.
Cal commit Jeremiah Wilkinson put up HUGE numbers in his senior season. The lefty guard is explosive off the bounce and wins at every level.
— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@atlgreenlight) March 6, 2024
33.5PPG | 5.2REB | 4.8AST
🏆 Led TSF Prep to a 27-4 record
🪣 Season-high 57PTS in one game
🎯 48% FG, 41% 3PT, 82% FT
(🎥: @crosevilla) pic.twitter.com/fsTzR3aJel
I disagree. >30 points with <5 assists is shoot first and shoot second.MoragaBear said:Civil Bear said:But he's more of an undersized 2 than a true pg, correct?MoragaBear said:calumnus said:barsad said:
Right, but I'm talking about taking a more long-term view. Ruff will be a great addition in '25, but what PG will be distributing to him? Another 6th year grad? I am celebrating the value in transfers Madsen has recruited, but I still would like to see some investment this year in the PG or C of 2025-2027.
Wilkinson will be a freshman PG this Fall, so hopefully he'll be ready to take over in 2025.
Madsen talked about Wilkinson last night at a SoCal donor event and said he's really, really good after seeing him in person for their first two practices. He said they got a steal with him.
I don't think so. He put up great PG numbers his senior season.Cal commit Jeremiah Wilkinson put up HUGE numbers in his senior season. The lefty guard is explosive off the bounce and wins at every level.
— GREENLIGHT MEDIA (@atlgreenlight) March 6, 2024
33.5PPG | 5.2REB | 4.8AST
🏆 Led TSF Prep to a 27-4 record
🪣 Season-high 57PTS in one game
🎯 48% FG, 41% 3PT, 82% FT
(🎥: @crosevilla) pic.twitter.com/fsTzR3aJel
Given how much he scored he was extremely ball dominant, which I am factoring in. But I am mostly going on having seen him play. He did not show much vision.MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
Why would someone want to argue something they did not think was true? That is just silly. I would not be surprised if a friend was keeping stats and pumping them up. I have seen Wilkinson play, and he did not show good passing ability. I would not say anything if I had not.Pittstop said:MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
Some folks will find a way to rationalize arguing against any stat you can post in support of certain athletes' particular skills, despite the obvious skills indicated by those stats. Is Steph Curry a PG? His career apg average is 6.4 (in '48 minute' NBA games, over 15 years). I would say 5 apg, in '40 minute' hs games, THIS early in your bb career (with many years of growth and development to improve on before ever hoping to get to Curry's level) is pretty damn promising in a PG prospect.
sluggo said:Why would someone want to argue something they did not think was true? That is just silly. I would not be surprised if a friend was keeping stats and pumping them up. I have seen Wilkinson play, and he did not show good passing ability. I would not say anything if I had not.Pittstop said:MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
Some folks will find a way to rationalize arguing against any stat you can post in support of certain athletes' particular skills, despite the obvious skills indicated by those stats. Is Steph Curry a PG? His career apg average is 6.4 (in '48 minute' NBA games, over 15 years). I would say 5 apg, in '40 minute' hs games, THIS early in your bb career (with many years of growth and development to improve on before ever hoping to get to Curry's level) is pretty damn promising in a PG prospect.
Honest question here as I didn't see him play, but how good were his teammates? Also, did his team need him to score?sluggo said:Given how much he scored he was extremely ball dominant, which I am factoring in. But I am mostly going on having seen him play. He did not show much vision.MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
I look forward to seeing what the truth is. I hope he has developed his skills.
Thanks. Yes, things change. It is encouraging that Madsen says this.MoragaBear said:sluggo said:Why would someone want to argue something they did not think was true? That is just silly. I would not be surprised if a friend was keeping stats and pumping them up. I have seen Wilkinson play, and he did not show good passing ability. I would not say anything if I had not.Pittstop said:MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
Some folks will find a way to rationalize arguing against any stat you can post in support of certain athletes' particular skills, despite the obvious skills indicated by those stats. Is Steph Curry a PG? His career apg average is 6.4 (in '48 minute' NBA games, over 15 years). I would say 5 apg, in '40 minute' hs games, THIS early in your bb career (with many years of growth and development to improve on before ever hoping to get to Curry's level) is pretty damn promising in a PG prospect.
This is all in response to me posting:
"Madsen talked about Wilkinson last night at a SoCal donor event and said he's really, really good after seeing him in person for their first two practices. He said they got a steal with him."
He seemed to take a major step forward his senior season so old video may not tell the tale.
I'll get clarification on if he's playing 1, 2 or both.
Yes, it is not selfish if you are the best player to shoot a lot. When I saw him he was not head and shoulders above his teammates. But if he really scored over 30 a game that must have changed as a senior.01Bear said:Honest question here as I didn't see him play, but how good were his teammates? Also, did his team need him to score?sluggo said:Given how much he scored he was extremely ball dominant, which I am factoring in. But I am mostly going on having seen him play. He did not show much vision.MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
I look forward to seeing what the truth is. I hope he has developed his skills.
I think of Jaylon Tyson last year. He put up almost 20 points per game last year because the team needed him to do that. A good portion of the offense also ran through him because the team needed a ballhandler. His efficiency rating was lower than it would've been had Cal had a point guard who could distribute and hit him with the ball in stride. But is he an inefficient player? Absolutely not! Tyson was a stud! He carried the team offensively for many stretches during the year. But his efficiency rating suffered (especially for s wing player) because of the role he was asked to play.
sluggo said:Yes, it is not selfish if you are the best player to shoot a lot. When I saw him he was not head and shoulders above his teammates. But if he really scored over 30 a game that must have changed as a senior.01Bear said:Honest question here as I didn't see him play, but how good were his teammates? Also, did his team need him to score?sluggo said:Given how much he scored he was extremely ball dominant, which I am factoring in. But I am mostly going on having seen him play. He did not show much vision.MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
I look forward to seeing what the truth is. I hope he has developed his skills.
I think of Jaylon Tyson last year. He put up almost 20 points per game last year because the team needed him to do that. A good portion of the offense also ran through him because the team needed a ballhandler. His efficiency rating was lower than it would've been had Cal had a point guard who could distribute and hit him with the ball in stride. But is he an inefficient player? Absolutely not! Tyson was a stud! He carried the team offensively for many stretches during the year. But his efficiency rating suffered (especially for s wing player) because of the role he was asked to play.
If those efficiency numbers are real then he is a knock down shooter. Let's see. Call me skeptical.Pittstop said:sluggo said:Yes, it is not selfish if you are the best player to shoot a lot. When I saw him he was not head and shoulders above his teammates. But if he really scored over 30 a game that must have changed as a senior.01Bear said:Honest question here as I didn't see him play, but how good were his teammates? Also, did his team need him to score?sluggo said:Given how much he scored he was extremely ball dominant, which I am factoring in. But I am mostly going on having seen him play. He did not show much vision.MoragaBear said:
5 assists a game is a lot for a prep player
I look forward to seeing what the truth is. I hope he has developed his skills.
I think of Jaylon Tyson last year. He put up almost 20 points per game last year because the team needed him to do that. A good portion of the offense also ran through him because the team needed a ballhandler. His efficiency rating was lower than it would've been had Cal had a point guard who could distribute and hit him with the ball in stride. But is he an inefficient player? Absolutely not! Tyson was a stud! He carried the team offensively for many stretches during the year. But his efficiency rating suffered (especially for s wing player) because of the role he was asked to play.
35 ppg on 48% FG and 41+% 3pt, plus 82% FT. Doesn't sound 'inefficient' at all, tbh.
I'm hoping he can be the Unicorn that can play BOTH. Then we can finally run the mythical 4-out-2-in offense and the 2-3 zone and 1 defense!MoragaBear said:
I'll get clarification on if he's playing 1, 2 or both.
