Thomas Jefferson has fallen behind in the arms race.
While traditional Brooklyn AA powers Boys & Girls and Lincoln added a series of Division I-caliber standouts through transfers, the Orange Wave stood pat, promoting junior varsity standouts instead.
“We’re playing Moneyball,” Jefferson coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard joked. “We’re going with homegrown guys, and they deserve it.”
Instead of a bunch of well-known big names, Jefferson is going with youngsters and little-known holdovers. Basically, the makeup is the opposite of its most recent teams, which flopped in the postseason.
“We’re trying something new,” Pollard said. “We don’t have big names, but have a lot of quality.”
Senior wing Thaddeus Hall, one of the city’s top shooters who averaged 11 points per game last year, is the one recognizable name. He’ll be joined in the backcourt by juniors Jalen Evans and Jaquan Lynch. Sophomores Mike Watson and Patrick Brown, both called up from the undefeated junior varsity, will see time off the bench.
Lynch received plenty of time last year while Evans saw limited minutes behind graduated starters Davontay Grace and Tyquan Goodlett. The onus will be on the 6-foot-4 Hall as the lone experienced senior.
“I have to do a good job being a leader,” he said. “Not just scoring the ball, but setting up other guys. I have to be defensive minded. … We’re smaller. This year we have to play a lot of defense.”
Jefferson is, indeed, smaller up front. Six-foot-6 senior Ed Ogundeko, 6-foot-4 junior Jermoine Faison and 6-foot-4 forward Ramel Wicker will be counted on in the paint. Pollard has been encouraged by the play of Ogundeko, a rugged forward new to the team.
“He’ll help us tremendously,” the coach said. “He’s a shot-blocker, a rebounder. He’s gonna play really big minutes. He does a lot of small things.”
Despite the new names, Hall has high hopes. Over the summer, Jefferson beat several of the city’s top teams, such as Cardozo, Boys & Girls and Lincoln. While many of the PSAL’s top programs are working in new guys, Jefferson is very familiar with each other. Even the JV callups know one another well.
“I think we have better chemistry this year,” Hall said. “We’re a young team. Everyone listens to the coach and everybody is willing to do what it takes to win.”
Hall has been surprised by the lack of fanfare Jefferson has received. He couldn’t understand why it was left off top 10 lists by a few local Web sites. But he doesn’t mind.
“It’s cool, I like being the underdog,” he said. “It makes us work harder.”
Even Pollard doesn’t know what he has. So much of the team has never been through a varsity season before, has never faced the pressure of Boys & Girls, the intensity of Lincoln, the talent of South Shore. He said Jefferson could finish sixth or seventh in Brooklyn AA, or it could surprise people and shock the expected top teams.
“Our team is pretty good – we can compete with anybody,” Pollard said. “People don’t expect a lot of us. … The guys here are gonna be around for a while. They don’t have to wait to make a statement.”
