Pondexter is special on and off the court
For a reporter covering AAU basketball, dealing with kids that have bad attitudes and large egos is nothing new. In fact, it's expected.
The top prep basketball players have been ranked for years and deal with constant phone calls by the media, most of which are basically begging the kid to reveal where he'll eventually attend college.
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It's no wonder why so many future college basketball stars think and act like they're big time already. Because of that, when you find a kid with a good head on his shoulders that's completely respectful and polite, you appreciate him that much more.
That's exactly the case with Quincy Pondexter a 6-foot-7 super athletic small forward from Memorial High School in Fresno, California.
Pondexter has plenty of reasons to be arrogant. He has a father - Roscoe Pondexter that is a basketball legend in Fresno. The elder Pondexter was the 17th pick in the third round of the 1974 NBA Draft after playing a year for Long Beach State head coach Lute Olson.
Roscoe's son appears to be following in his footsteps. Quincy Pondexter is filled with potential and is well on his way to a long basketball career which could very well take him to the NBA one day.
Pondexter's Memorial High School finished second in the CIF State SoCal Division IV this year and his EBO/EASports AAU team is one of the best in the country.
With everything going Pondexter's way on the court, the fact that he's so humble off of it makes him that much more special.
"I used to be that kid," Pondexter said of the typical me-first athlete. "But I realized that I was getting into a trap. I had to have a positive attitude. I didn't want to disrespect the game of basketball."
Those values were instilled in Quincy by Roscoe, who claims that he doesn't miss a game that his son plays in. In fact, much of Quincy's family was at Pangos this weekend to watch him play in a camp that had no more importance than any other game the small forward will perform in this summer.
Still, the Pondexter family made the four hour drive to Cypress, California, when Quincy could have just as easily gotten a free plane ticket to attend the event. Quincy, realizing his dad has been through this before, appreciates the support.
"It's important to have someone there to keep me levelheaded," Pondexter said.
If it's up to Roscoe to keep his son levelheaded, he's done an admirable job. But it's clear that he's also taught his son plenty about the game that he once excelled at.
Quincy Pondexter is one of those rare kids that hustle on every play. Each game is played like it's going to be Pondexter's last and – especially in All-American camps – it's rare to find anyone showing so much heart.
It's that extra effort that makes Pondexter such a great defender, especially during a full court press. It's that extra effort that gave Pondexter's team about six extra points a game because he would go straight to the rim after each shot his teammates took and didn't go a game without a put back dunk.
While Pondexter certainly is an up and coming prospect, we're not talking about a player that's about to go straight to the NBA. Shooting is an area that needs to be worked on and so is playing under control.
But if and when Pondexter becomes better in those two areas of the game, the sky is the limit for the Andre Iguodala clone.
And if the Pondexter family had their way, Quincy would probably play college basketball in the same arena that Iguodala did just over a year ago. Ever since his one season coaching Roscoe and his brother, Clifton Pondexter, Olson has made a lasting impression on the family.
"I've always rooted for Arizona," Quincy says. "Because my dad tells me so much about Coach (Olson)."
"I have a lot of respect for that man," Roscoe added.
Quincy says that he grew up watching players like Mike Bibby and Miles Simon playing at the U of A. Being an Arizona fan his whole life, Quincy wasn't shy about what it would mean for him to follow in his father's footsteps and play for Olson.
"It would be good," Pondexter said. "Actually, it would be a pretty big deal. Not many kids have the opportunity to play for a school like that.
"It's amazing that I grew up watching Arizona and I might I have the chance to play there. It's an honor."
That opportunity was almost ruined for Pondexter early in his high school career. As a freshman, Pondexter didn't take school seriously and he's been working hard in the classroom to make up for it ever since.
At one time it was a question mark if he would even qualify, but now Pondexter shouldn't have a problem. Because of that, Arizona and Washington have extended scholarship offers and several more should be on the way.
"After this semester's grades come in, I should have a 2.75 to a 3.0 GPA," Pondexter said. "I was young and had some mishaps in the classroom, but everything is fine now."
With his grades in order, a college decision can't be too far away for Pondexter. He claims that he wants to visit Arizona, Washington, Kansas, UConn and Georgia Tech, but probably won't go on more than a couple of visits before committing.
Months ago, after an unofficial visit to Arizona, it appeared that Pondexter was close to committing, but that never happened. Pondexter reopened his recruitment a little bit and said he would visit a few more schools before making a decision.
This weekend, Pondexter got a taste of what his future would be like at Arizona. He teamed up with future Wildcats Nic Wise and Jordan Hill in the Top 20 All-Star game and said he had fun with both of them.
"We had great chemistry out there," Pondexter said. "Nic is really good. He's a great point guard."
If you ask Wise, Pondexter's decision will be an easy one.
"Don't worry, he's coming to Arizona," Wise joked.
Wise may have been kidding, but the Pondexter family seemed serious about Quincy someday playing for Arizona. From the head coach to the city of Tucson, Quincy feels that everything is a good fit.
"I really like the feel of Tucson," he said. "It's a small town and I like that. I don't want to go to a school in a big city; I'm kind of a small town kid."
Moments later, Pondexter is hanging out with Wise and Hill. A reporter asks the three of them to stand together for a picture and while the two future Wildcats give angry looks for the photo, Pondexter has a big smile.
"I have to smile," Pondexter said. "I'm always smiling."
Wise and Hill look at each other and immediately smile as well.
Being such a quality and talented kid, you can bet that Pondexter is going to give some head coach have a big smile the second he commits to his program. The question is whether or not that school will be Arizona.
With an offer from Lute Olson in hand, it's all up to Pondexter about whether or not he'll jump at that dream to someday be a Wildcat.
One thing is for sure – no matter where Quincy Pondexter goes to school, the program is going to be getting an outstanding basketball player. More importantly, that school will be getting an even better kid.
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-Josh Gershon, Senior Writer
GOAZCATS.com
JGAZ23@aol.com