Googling UB’s JUCO Transfers Montell McRae and Autumn Jones

By now you’ve seen the releases from UB Basketball, where the Men have added JUCO transfer Montell McRae and the Women Autumn Jones, and where you get the usual quotes from Oats and Jack and rattled off team and individual stats.

Here’s more.

(1) Those nitpickers of you out there who never learned how to spell Javon McCrea’s last name? I haven’t forgotten and now you’re in luck. Enjoy.

(2) Looking at highlight videos, McRae reminds me of David Kadiri, and not just because he comes from the same school, nor because Nate Oats made the same comparison. He’s got quick-twitch hops, which makes for a bunch of alley-oops, but also some nice blocked shots and decisive movements after getting the ball. This video is from his high school senior season:

(3) Before heading to South Plains for JUCO, McRae had a smattering of D-I attention, mostly from programs that I consider below the Bulls: St. Peter’s, St. Francis, UMBC, Manhattan, Cleveland State, UTRGV, Chattanooga, and Kent State.

(4) I wouldn’t worry too much if McRae’s JUCO stats look a little low. No one on South Plains really got more than 20 minutes a game, and if you consider that, 6 points and 3 rebounds in 13 minutes a night doesn’t look bad at all. 64% from the floor is pretty swell, too.

(5) UB will be Autumn Jones’ third school in three years. On one hand, she must be excelling to so clearly make her case to move up the ranks. On the other, it makes finding info a bit tougher. But you can’t argue with NJCAA Honorable Mention All-America as a freshman.

(6) That freshman season is ridiculous for Jones, who is clearly comfortable playing a gunner role (over/under on FLJ preseason Steph Curry comparisons?). That year saw her take 509 shots while shooting nearly identical percentages from distance as from inside the arc.

(7) That said, last year at Pensacola State, the long-range numbers and minutes went down for Jones, as she dropped below 30% from beyond the arc. Still, in limited time (14 minutes a night) she averaged nearly double-digit scoring, four rebounds, and two steals a game.

(8) It’s hard to find video of her, in large part because of a swing dancer with the same name who is apparently from Pensacola. On numbers only, I think the recent UB comparison is Karin Moss. There’s a little bit of everything even in limited time, including a high turnover number and as many fouls as assists and steals.

(9) You of course trust a coach after completing a full recruiting cycle to have her system in place and bring in players who fit it, but it’s still nice to see that Pensacola liked to run last season.

(10) I’ll close with this quote from Jones in that article: