ISU's new PG - Too bad they get his dad too

[Webergrad02]

So Idaho State is buzzing about getting a commit a few weeks ago from Ian Fox from Redando Union in CA. I remember looking into this kid a few months ago and wondering why he hadn't signed because he did have a few offers on the table. His size and style of play reminds me of Gelaun Wheelright. He definatly likes to create for himself.

http://www.bigskyfans.com/bengals/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=5690" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9i9MNVX8R8" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Well it looks like his dad was heavily involved in his high school career and helped oust his first coach. To the fathers credit, Redando won a title the next year under the new coach. He used the coach bullying my son mantra. I am not sure you want a father with that track record close to the program. I hope Evans has a good handle on this guy.

http://winninghoops.com/pages/Breaking-News---Parent-Says-Dismissed-Coach-Was-A-Bully.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20120403/redondo-coach-dismissed-disgruntled-parent-sounds-off-on-tom-maier-who-answers-back" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Skippy]

His video reminds me of Jordie MacTavish, a scoring-first point guard with a nice pull-up jumper who played for Idaho State in the early 2000s, after transferring from Utah. His low assist numbers as a PG concern me, but he'll be a nice addition to a team that will need scoring options. He'll be competing with another good-looking freshman, Geno Luzcando from Wasatch Academy, for playing time at the PG position.

As to his dad, well there are always several sides to every story, and who knows how this coaching situation actually played out. But Bill Evans has been around a LONG time, and I don't think he's going to be intimidated by anybody's dad. He's also a "players coach," and most of his players would do anything for Bill, so I'm not expecting this to be a huge issue. We shall see.

Montana also apparently offered Fox, and at one time he was scheduled to visit there, but I don't know if ever made the trip to Missoula.

From the Cali-Hi page where Fox was named third-time all-state:

G – Ian Fox (Redondo Union, Redondo Beach) 6-0 Sr.
He may not be getting the recruiting attention of some of the other guards on these elite teams, but Fox is the epitome of a productive high school player who helped his team win big games. Fox was the leader and clutch player for a team that won last year’s Division II state title and advanced to the semifinals of this year’s CIFSS Open Division playoffs. Fox averaged 13.3 points per game and shot 40 percent on 3-pointers. He was named first team all-area by the South Bay Daily Breeze and to the all-CIFSS Open Division team.

 

[sapokama]

I hope he is very productive for ISU. I would love to see their team continue the upswing they have had since Bill Evans arrived.

As far as the "potential" issue with his dad is concerned, this isn't high school anymore, it's DI basketball. At this point it's a lot harder for a dad to bully a coach out of their job (unless, of course, that dad works for ESPN).

 

[Da Bears]

Interesting saga! Even more so that they won the championship a year after firing the coach! If the kid can play he'll get an opportunity. The level of competition on the video seemed weak!

I can't see this kid competing against Jeremy or Richaud...... :-D

 

[oldrunner]

This kid really needs to hit the weight room. He seems to have good skills, but D1 guards are going to break him. I can see why he slipped. You never know about a kid like that. He could really turn out or be a complete bust. Time will tell. He certainly can shoot the ball. :thumb:

 

[Wildcat_Fan]

I see your fox and raise you Richaud Gittens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk52lwoawNs" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sorry I will take him any day over fox.

 

[Da Bears]

I agree.... Impressive! I'm not sure Fox is athletic enough to even touch the rim! Gittens is a beast! I think he's in for a huge year!

 

[Skippy]

I agree.... Impressive! I'm not sure Fox is athletic enough to even touch the rim! Gittens is a beast! I think he's in for a huge year!

Gittens will be a very good player in the Big Sky as he develops. Fox, of course, is a different kind of player in a different kind of system. He'll be playing at the top of a 2-3 zone 99 percent of the time on defense, and he'll be playing in a faster-paced offense where he'll be able to play in the open floor more.

But I'm not convinced Fox will be ISU's starting PG, at least not next year. I think Geno Luzcando is an excellent athlete who will take some time to make the transition to the PG position, but he could be an all-conference caliber player by the end of his ISU career. Or Luzcando could move to a wing position when Chris Hansen is done.

http://www.deseretnews.com/top/2383/7/Geno-Luzcando-Wasatch-Academy-High-school-boys-basketball-A-closer-look-at-this-years-2A.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Either way, I like both Fox and Luzcando, but they will certainly take a few years to develop. Gittens, as talented and as athletic as he is, still only averaged 6 ppg last year, so very few freshmen are going to come into the league and be impact players right away.

 

[oldrunner]

You are right Bengal. Making a splash as a freshman is hard to do. However, these two guys will have that chance at ISU for all of the reasons you mentioned. What Evans is doing at ISU reminds me of what McCarthy did a WSU a few decades ago. He is bringing in shooters and ball handlers who were not quite athletic enough for some other teams, but who will fit into the system he is employing. With players like that and just one good athlete, WSUs teams did well under McCarthy. I suspect that ISU is looking for that one good athlete. That formula will work in the BSC. It doesn't work quite as well when you go up against teams with more athletes.

;-)

 

[Webergrad02]

I know we have made Ian Fox and his dad RUHS an inside joke on this forum. But I watched the documentary Trophy Kids last night on Netflix and it made me feel very bad for him. HBO did an expose on this film last year but it did not include any footage of Ian and Jon Fox. The full documentary on Netflix chronicles Ian's sophomore year of high school, and shows you first hand how Ians dad got his high school coach fired. The surprising thing is that Ian's teammate Derek's dad was a bigger jerk than Jon. The pressure on these kids was insane!

A word of warning, this documentary is extremely painful to watch. The parents featured are horrible to their kids. I couldn't watch the whole thing, but it will make me think twice the next time I get vocal at a youth sporting event.

 

[n.ogdencat]

I know we have made Ian Fox and his dad RUHS an inside joke on this forum. But I watched the documentary Trophy Kids last night on Netflix and it made me feel very bad for him. HBO did an expose on this film last year but it did not include any footage of Ian and Jon Fox. The full documentary on Netflix chronicles Ian's sophomore year of high school, and shows you first hand how Ians dad got his high school coach fired. The surprising thing is that Ian's teammate Derek's dad was a bigger jerk than Jon. The pressure on these kids was insane!

A word of warning, this documentary is extremely painful to watch. The parents featured are horrible to their kids. I couldn't watch the whole thing, but it will make me think twice the next time I get vocal at a youth sporting event.

Guys who are trying to relive their lives through their sons. To bad that academics is only important for the purpose of staying eligible and nothing more. These kids will never been NBA players, or for that matter, professionals at a level where they can really make a living. Playing college ball is an opportunity to get an education and to utilize that knowledge in a profession other than athletics. By the way, I was over on the Bengal forum the other day and I saw that Jon Fox is still slumming over there trying to cause fights. What a turd.

 

[sacstateman]

Tal...I go to ISU forum often but I haven't seen RUHS on there since early in the year when he reported on Ian now playing at Fullerton JC....you may be thinking about another poster on there who seems to be attached to their freshman Gary Chivchiyan...I think your thinking about a poster named "cscsbballcoach"....

 

[Webergrad02]

Tal...I go to ISU forum often but I haven't seen RUHS on there since early in the year when he reported on Ian now playing at Fullerton JC....you may be thinking about another poster on there who seems to be attached to their freshman Gary Chivchiyan...I think your thinking about a poster named "cscsbballcoach"....

Have you watched this documentary yet Sac? It's crazy. It sheds a whole new light on the Ian Fox situation. But the sad part is that little golfer girls dad will make you want to throw something through your TV.

 

[sacstateman]

I haven't seen it...after reading your comments about it, I'm not sure that I want to watch it....I coached little league for quite a few years and the reason I quit was the parents...the kids were great to work with but the parents were a pain in the #$$......

 

[n.ogdencat]

Tal...I go to ISU forum often but I haven't seen RUHS on there since early in the year when he reported on Ian now playing at Fullerton JC....you may be thinking about another poster on there who seems to be attached to their freshman Gary Chivchiyan...I think your thinking about a poster named "cscsbballcoach"....

Okay...well, you are right, it has been awhile since RUHS has visited, but he was slumming/trolling and puffing his chest over his son's accomplishments on ISU's board. He was trying to call out ISU fans and start keyboard fights. All I know is that RUHS is a turd.

I have read some stuff from the other guy too. He makes me laugh. We've had a few parents/associates on this board over time. Most have been really great and have wonderful insight. I actually can't say anything bad about any of them. Weber's been, well, uh, fortunate in that sense. We did have one go off a bit last year, but when your loved one is being attacked, it makes sense.