Big-Time Kudos to Mookie Jones

[Gonzo]

About a week or so ago there were a few posts that suggested Mookie Jones had become a sort of joke in terms of his role on the team and as a fan favorite. I do not know Mookie personally but I do live in Westchester County near his hometown of Peekskill. And I can share a story that shows how far Mookie has come as a person and how his new maturity reflects everything that is right with college sports and the entire college experience.

Several years ago when Mookie was a sophomore in high school, my son was playing CYO hoops. One evening we played a team from Cortlandt Manor which is directly adjacent to Peekskill. Before the game I struck up a conversation with some of the Cortlandt parents. At some point the topic turned to Peekskill's high school team and Mookie's name came up. An African-American woman who had not been part of the conversation, suddenly interjected and proclaimed Mookie to be a PUNK.

I was caught way off guard by the derisive tone of her voice and asked her why she felt this way. She was a remedial education teacher at Peekskill HS and Mookie was one of her students. She said Mookie put zero effort into his classes. And when called in for a meeting regarding his academic situation, Mookie showed up with a lawyer and someone she labeled as an agent (whatever exactly that meant). She had nothing good to say about Mookie and was quite vocal about it (she also labeled Hilton Armstrong as a punk while complimenting Elton Brand as first-class).

There was clearly a group of people in Peekskill hoping to turn Mookie into paydirt. I also know that at least some of the people in Mookie's camp did not want him to attend Syracuse out of concern that he would not get enough PT here. Despite this Mookie opted for Orange as we all know. And despite various displays of public dissatisfaction with the PT that he got his first couple of years, he opted to stay, also as we all know.

Fast forward to now and we have a young man recognizes his role on the team, doesnt complain at all and seems to be one of the biggest cheerleaders on the bench. Much more importantly, he has made a college degree his priority over playing basketball. He made a conscious decision to stay. The maturity that Mookie has shown cannot be complimented more. He is a big a winner as anyone on the team or at the whole university for that matter.

 

[MyMeloMyMan]

A tremendous asset to the University.

 

[All4SU]

Hopefully, his former "teacher" takes notice.

 

[ORANGEsPHK]

Nice post. I'm also very pleased to see the type of man Mookie had turned out to be. That can't be with the guidance of coaches, could it??

 

[stuckinbig11]

Yep, and his decision to pass rather than shoot last night was confirmation that he is happy in his new role.

 

[Cheriehoop]

I respect Mookie's refusal to be the butt of some of the "shoot, shoot" idiots who appear when he's playing. Last night when he entered the game he wouldn't be sucked into the role some want him to play and instead played his game including a great assist for a layup. Great enthusiasm on the bench for his teammates, getting his degree , his unselfishness - perfect teammate. I think most fans have grown to really appreciate Mookie.

 

[SBU72]

I respect Mookie's refusal to be the butt of some of the "shoot, shoot" idiots who appear when he's playing. Last night when he entered the game he wouldn't be sucked into the role some want him to play and instead played his game including a great assist for a layup. Great enthusiasm on the bench for his teammates, getting his degree , his unselfishness - perfect teammate. I think most fans have grown to really appreciate Mookie.

It seems that his own teammates are rooting for him to shoot. They looked disapointed that he did not take that wide open shot last night. I was myself, not as a joke but in the sense that it WAS wide open and fit in the flow of the game. And when he went with the flow EVEN further and passed it really did fit in well with how the team was playing.

 

[newmexicuse]

I will not disagree with all that you said. However, the level of basketball talent that Mookie was given was a gift. It was a gift that he did not maximize through hard work physically and mentally. If Mookie got as much out of himself as an Andy Rautins got out of himself he could have been a star.

I have said before and I will say again, that one day Mookie will look back on all of this with regrets. If he had put in the effort early in his career that we have seen just this summer from Fab & Dion there is no telling what he might have accomplished.

For years I posted that Mookie deserved more PT and chances. Now, I know I was wrong, every scholarship player has the chance to create his own opportunities. Mookie couldn't be bothered. For that, I cannot respect him.

 

[rosconey]

looks like a team of kids who figured "it" out sooner rather than latter

 

[orange79]

However, the level of basketball talent that Mookie was given was a gift. It was a gift that he did not maximize through hard work physically and mentally.

How do you know this? Why couldn't it be that he just wasn't as talented as people thought?

 

[Flacusian]

I don't know him personally. I can only draw my own opinion based on what I have read and observed over the past few years. My eyes tell me that he is a young man that has come a long way and has learned that acceptance is the key to most all one's problems. That's not to say one should settle for less, it's just seeing things for what they are and developing a world view in which one is comfortable. I think that the respect that Mookie obviously enjoys from his teamates is all all I have to see to know that he has his act together. Perhaps at some juncture he may be needed as the season plays out and he certainly contributes in practice every day. Cast my vote as one who sees him as an admirable young man who has learned much during his stay at Syracuse.

 

[stuckinbig11]

For years I posted that Mookie deserved more PT and chances. Now, I know I was wrong, every scholarship player has the chance to create his own opportunities. Mookie couldn't be bothered. For that, I cannot respect him.

Alternatively, you could have flogged the coach that thought he had more talent than he does. Do you KNOW that Mookie did not give it his best?

 

[newmexicuse]

Alternatively, you could have flogged the coach that thought he had more talent than he does. Do you KNOW that Mookie did not give it his best?

I think you can start with his level of physical conditioning that is obvious to the eye. I think you can also look at the on court effort over the years in his cameos, particularly the general lack of it on the D end. You can also look at some of our prior year team's that lacked the depth of this team. There were opportunities for PT available. Maybe Mookie worked hard in his own way, but it should be clear that he did not go the extra mile to transform himself in the way that guys like Andy, Dion, and Melo have done.

 

[Antiprodigy]

i would love to have seen him go the post grad route, and have played a year somewhere else. It would have been interesting to see if he could have had basketball success elsewhere. He seems to be happy, I hope for his sake, he is. In the end, that's the only thing that really matters.

 

[RF2044]

I will not disagree with all that you said. However, the level of basketball talent that Mookie was given was a gift. It was a gift that he did not maximize through hard work physically and mentally. If Mookie got as much out of himself as an Andy Rautins got out of himself he could have been a star.

I have said before and I will say again, that one day Mookie will look back on all of this with regrets. If he had put in the effort early in his career that we have seen just this summer from Fab & Dion there is no telling what he might have accomplished.

For years I posted that Mookie deserved more PT and chances. Now, I know I was wrong, every scholarship player has the chance to create his own opportunities. Mookie couldn't be bothered. For that, I cannot respect him.

This is an incredibly poor, unnecessary post.

What the hell is wrong with you?

 

[orange79]

This is an incredibly poor, unnecessary post.

What the hell is wrong with you?

I so totally agree. I just don't get it. Mookie must have s*** in his pancakes. Personally, I see someone whose hopes and dreams didn't pan out as he originally hoped and instead of pouting, embraced both the oppportunity and the role he was given. Best of luck, Mookie. Thanks for your effort.

 

[JackBauer44]

I will not disagree with all that you said. However, the level of basketball talent that Mookie was given was a gift. It was a gift that he did not maximize through hard work physically and mentally. If Mookie got as much out of himself as an Andy Rautins got out of himself he could have been a star.

I have said before and I will say again, that one day Mookie will look back on all of this with regrets. If he had put in the effort early in his career that we have seen just this summer from Fab & Dion there is no telling what he might have accomplished.

For years I posted that Mookie deserved more PT and chances. Now, I know I was wrong, every scholarship player has the chance to create his own opportunities. Mookie couldn't be bothered. For that, I cannot respect him.

Did Mookie sleep with your girlfriend? I'd be pissed too, he's not exactly a 10, but that's just wrong man.

Mookie obviously went through the same thing that many high school basketball players who sign with a d-1 team go through. He went from being the big fish in a little pond, to being a SU and thinking he was very deserving. Ultimately, he did what many people are supposed to do in college. Grow up, mature, and become a man. I couldn't be happier with Mookie this season and think he has turned into a model teammate. Kudos to Mookie.