College Sports: J J Reddick - Watch!

I can definitely agree with that conclusion. What I would personally love to see? the 1st team All ACC playing together. Well... of course I'm not especially fond of Chris Paul... but whatever. Against whom would they play? I... I dont know... maybe the top All conference teams in the other conferences? I suppose... it would be like... the 1st team All ACC would be the starting 5. But yeah... I feel like those would make for amazing games.
ETA... the more I think about it, the more I fade into... awe (I suppose). Can you imagine? Sean May and Shelden Williams playing... together? And Raymond Felton, who I can admit is a very talented player especially in terms of passing and dribble penetration, kicking the ball out to JJ for... a 3, 30 feet from the basket? I think I'm headed into dreamland. (Or at least, procrastination central) The 5th spot? I dont know. I would say... someone who's a superior defender maybe? Gosh according the polls and whatnot that would be Chris Paul, wouldnt it. Darn.

[Edited on 3/8/05 by wnyc5]

Things I've (recently) learned about JJ Redick... (sorry this post is... kinda long. I was just amused)
To start off, in the heat of competition within the college basketball world, fierce rivalries tend to lend themselves easily to imagining feuds between the players themselves. In the past, the hatred between Duke and Carolina was not only fan based, there was a time when (apparently) the coaches and players hated each other as well. Now, however, this does not seem the case. Sean May and Shelden Williams are apparently friends. But what makes this point relevant to this thread is that... apparently, JJ Redick and Rashad McCants are friends as well. And it extends further. Maryland likes to claim to be Duke's... rival (?... second rival?) and while there is still fan animosity, JJ Redick is apparently friends with both Nik Caner Medley and John Gilchrist. Apparently he and John Gilchrist played AAU basketball together. I find this an interesting point because it lends itself to the idea that JJ is a villein (yes I know I can't spell) among the fans, but not necessarily among the players (unlike... uh... Chris Paul... who punched Julius Hodge in the... lets play a rhyming game.) I suppose in sports... you never know... personally, it makes me ... dislike the other team's players a little less knowing that well... JJ likes them, and he's the one competing. I mean... I'm not saying that I dont still... have a certain dislike for that which they represent (I... just can't support Carolina, just as Carolina fans just can't support Duke). But the idea that some of them are friends makes me smile... and heart them just a little. or with JJ Redick, a lot. :tum:
To recap... JJ Redick is friends with... among other people (who knows who theyll come out with next)... Rashad McCants, Nik Caner Medley and John Gilchrist. Who apparently said that JJ Redick is a decent rapper. which... HAHAHAHAHA! I mean that laughter in the best way possible. and he has poems up on sportsillustrated.com. :tum:

I'm sure JJ is a good guy, I've seen him in a few interviews and he seems to be a pretty intelligent person. He's also a good sport on the court as well. It's just that he is the point guard of Duke, and alot of people just dont like Duke for whatever reasons, a few of which we've discussed. I dont know if villain is the right word, just the guy that's fun to boo. He might be more popular on a team like, I dont know, say Kansas. I'm sure he feeds off the fans whether they're cheering or booing. That's pretty cool that he's friends with some of his ACC opponents, makes you want to win that much more. Like they say, friendships are put aside when you're between the lines.

I did hear he wrote some poems but I cant picture him rapping.

:party-smiley-018:

Figured I should update the JJ section
So since the last time we've... talked... there was, obviously, the ACC tournament. Duke ran the table, beating UVA, NCState and GaTech for their 6th ACC championship in 7 years.
JJ had a horrible shooting game against Virginia, he had 15 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. He rebounded in a HUGE way against NCState (slightly in the number as well as dagger like sense), 35 points (on what is definitely very efficient shooting), 2 rebounds, and 6 assists. In the GaTech game, he had 26 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist.
Notes:
I hope no one makes fun of him for it, but I know they will... Immediately after the ACC tournament win, JJ got extremely emotional (he's definitely an emotional player) and well... cried. It took him what apparently was a visible second to get control. and honestly? I think it's sweet. That emotion is what I think drives college basketball. Emotion, passion, love of the game, heart, will etc etc.
He: hates playing the point guard spot, but was needed to do so after both Demarcus Nelson and Daniel Ewing fouled out.
The accolades for this season certainly keep pouring on in. I'm not sure what's going to happen next year, but hes definitely coming back. and if he does, he most likely will go into the "pantheon of Duke greats" (to quote something I dont remember, sorry). Not only is he 1st team All American and 1st team ACC; he, Daniel Ewing, and Shelden Williams were all named to the All ACC Tournament team. JJ received the award of Tournament MVP.
I think it's awesome what this team has accomplished, especially when most people counted them out (and understandably so... I mean... defections to the NBA, illness, injury? Had em all). I'm super proud of their efforts and wish them lots of luck in the NCAA tournament.

Congrats to JJ, he had an awesome tourney. And to be crying after the emotional win? Why would anyone make fun of him. Tears of joy, that's allowed. Just not on camera! (joke, joke)

OK, this is tacky, but I am not a lover of the Blue Devils...
JJ is fabulous

LOL

Yeah, he has been impressive. And it's quite admirable that he's sticking around for his senior year.

[Edited on 3/15/2005 by Gibbs Baby!!!]

I was at the ACC tournament in DC and all the teams are impressive to watch, but Duke tops them all. Good experience and DC rocks! I guess the reason JJ was so emotional is because last year when they were in the same spot in the tourney (championship game) Duke blew a large lead at the end of the game and lost to Maryland of all teams (I am not a fan of the Terps). Anyway, I guess he took it personally and didn't want it to happen again this year.

I figure the Maryland experience was part of why he was overcome with emotion after the game... but I also think (though obviously theres no way I could be sure) that it's just the way he is. In really really really big games, it seems that he is that much more driven by emotion (case in point... after both the UNC loss and that scene right after the Wake loss where he had to stop and collect himself). I think it's necessary as a floor leader... it doesnt seem like he's overly emotional while he is playing (it's not written on his face), but if you see the huddles, he's very animated and passionate. Competition just gets some people going, and I think thats the case with JJ... he's a fighter, I think, and it's visible in the way they speak of their tough wins... that they were won on heart, and will. It also definitely manifests itself in those touches of... cockiness in his step during the game... But generally, I think the general passion and emotional investment is what distinguished college games from paid games. Sure, everyone wants to win... but on the professional level, it seems that if you dont win? eh. its okay. you'll still get paid. But I think yes, it was that much more personal what with the Maryland situation (evidence in support? look for his postgame comments)

PS... this is what I found when I was clicking around (it was one of those A to Z lists that they do)... "J is for J.J. Redick, the fabulous shooter for Duke. What you may not know about Redick is that he's a noted trash-talker who has worked hard to keep his emotions under control on the court."


[Edited on 3/16/05 by wnyc5]

PS...

JJ Redick named ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR!!!!!

I'm happy for him. I think he deserves it. and he's SO cute too.

I may be a newcomer to Sportz Tawk, but a bandwagon jumper for Duke basketball I am not. I have been a college BB fan and serious Duke fan since I was a young girl. But you make a good point, jumping on a bandwagon is not representative of a true fan.

I started the thread, but i won't be jumping on the bandwagon at all, i can't stand any type of Basketball to be honest. Not that i'm knocking it, JJ and Duke are most prob a great team but i wouldn't know..





[Edited on 17/3/05 by TRD]

Oh. heeeh. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to seem like I was accusing anyone of being a bandwagoner at all. It's totally not my opinion on it... I just loved the quote (I had issues with the quote signs). I apologize if anyone was offended... yeah, it was super amusing especially since that's what... I guess happens this time of year. There arent usually such clear references to it (to my knowledge) although I would assume everyone in the game/watching the game knows its going on. Personally, I actually enjoy hearing from other Duke fans... goodness knows the stuff that comes out of some people (I read a letter posted on another site where the person was basically just a Duke hater writing to tell ... all Duke fans that he hated them and wished them a horrible life). And it's definitely more than okay to not like basketball... I have sports I dont care for (ultimate frisbee? i totally deny that that's a sport. although my friends adamantly disagree) Though it reminds me of this article I was reading recently; it apparently interviewed Andris Biedrins of the Golden State Warriors... and one quote that I remember was... "Shown an NCAA Tournament bracket sheet after practice Tuesday, Biedrins had no idea what to do with it. When asked if he'd entered a "pool" this year, he presumed it had something to do with swimming and said no.
But that didn't stop him from filling out his first brackets, even though he admitted he could name just one player in the tournament.
"J.J. Redick," he blurted proudly. "Every day I hear about him. Great shooter." "
I'm not sure if it was... real... but I sure was amused. Its all good in my mind really, to each his/her own. To reiterate... I'm sorry if anyone thought I was accusing them of being a bandwagoner (I'm not) ... I just liked the quote cause the sentiment is... kinda true.

Hehe i wasn't offended at all, people most proberbly write bad stuff about JJ and Duke as they are jealous to be honest. I know you get rivalrys in all sport, with certain teams disliking each other. But deep hatred and stuff some people write is going a bit too far.

I actually did the March Madness brackets and being a Brit i don't follow basketball at all (quite a few do follow it), but i'm currently sitting in 3rd place which is a shock. I don't watch the games and could most prob name 2 or 3 players out of all the teams that are playing lol!

So how is JJ doing in the tournament so far?

Heeeh. I did the brackets too... and I stink at doing em. I mean... I've done them before and yeah, I'm never very successful. Stupid Wake. Killed my brackets. Its all good really, I'm happy cause Duke has been advancing. It's hard for them this year, as it has been all year what with depth an all. But they've got a lot of will and heart and whatnot so we'll see. By the way... do you know where in England/London they might show the tournament/Duke games? I'm not sure where I'd be but I might be studying abroad next year at this time.
With JJ... he's been having a tough time of it in Charlotte. The entire Duke team has, perhaps in part because (although they're only 2 hours away from campus) the arena was clearly (and somewhat vitriolically) pro UNC. To the extent that you could totally hear boos over the television. I mean... the team was apparently booed when they walked into a restaurant in Charlotte. Anyway, JJ had a season low 7 points against Delaware State, and against Mississippi State, he had 16 but was only like... on 5 of 17 shooting. The guy on him was really... if you were going to have anyone guard JJ, that's the kinda guy most people would want... tall, athletic, long wingspan. It was good defense. But JJ's been playing heady defense and especially toward the end of the game contributed on... that end. Really, that's how theyve been winning the games, defense. He's also been a really good and vocal leader (as he needs to be... as he's a co captain). In the game... impressive were Daniel Ewing and Shav Randolph, Shelden Williams was awesome as he so consistantly has been this year. Hopefully the changes in venue will bring back JJ's shooting form (and the week break will probably help).
JJ was recently (today?) named to the Rupp All American Team... and is a candidate for that award. He's also up for the national player of the year award (the Naismith). This year actually, theyre counting a fan vote (something with text messaging). So yeah...

Numbers for JJ's final game of the season -

13 points
2 assists
3 rebounds
4/14 field goals
3/9 3 point shots