Las Vegas Review-Journal (Sunday)
This Springer more action than talk
Local ‘late bloomer’ finds his stage to be summer league play
When your father’s name is Jerry Springer, you get overshadowed at times.
It’s the same situation for Je’Rell Springer on the basketball court, where the 6-foot-6-inch Shadow Ridge High School swingman feels he’s been a bit overlooked in a group of Nevada’s top prep recruits led by Bishop Gorman’s Charles O’Bannon Jr. and Centennial’s Troy Brown.
“I’m not going to say any names but a couple of them, I feel like I played very well when we played their teams,” Springer said. “I showed that, if I’m not better than them, I’m right next to them.”
For the record, Springer’s father is named Jerry Springer, but he’s never hosted a tabloid TV talk show.
“I get that a lot,” Springer said, smiling. “People read my report card and they’re like, ‘No way! That’s your dad?’
“I just joke around with them, ‘Yeah, that’s my dad, the talk show host.’ ”
Springer, who ESPN ranks the state’s No. 5 recruit behind O’Bannon, Brown, Centennial’s Isaiah Banks and Bishop Gorman’s Christian Popoola Jr., has started to make a name for himself.
“He’s a late bloomer,” said Melvin Bray, Springer’s AAU coach for 702 Attack. “Two years ago, nobody heard of the kid. Now he’s getting on the map and that’s a testament to him. He puts in the work. A 5 a.m. workout. A 6 a.m. workout. I told him the sky’s the limit as long as he continues to work.
“He has so much upside, and he’s a yes-sir, no-sir type of kid. His character, that’s not a question.”
Springer has one scholarship offer, from Pacific, and also has received interest from UCLA, Southern California, Weber State, Tulane and, most recently, UNR and UNLV, which he said is his dream school.
“I’ve always wanted to go to UNLV since I was young, driving past the Strip and seeing the billboards and stuff,” he said.
Rebels assistant coach Eric Brown attended Springer’s Fab 48 tournament opener Thursday at Sierra Vista.
Despite coming off the bench because he was nursing a sprained ankle, Springer still compiled 22 points, nine rebounds and four assists while leading his team to victory.
“It’s my last (AAU) tournament, so I’ve got to play through it,” he said. “I’m hoping to just open everybody’s eyes and show them I should be up there with some of the top players.
“I’m just trying to put on a show and show them that I belong and that I can do everything and that I’m not a selfish player. A lot of coaches tell me I’m too unselfish. They want me to take more shots but I like to get my team involved.”
His all-around game was on display in the first Fab 48 episode of the Je’Rell Springer Show as he threw down a breakaway dunk, drained a 3-pointer from the corner on which he held his follow-through and made a nice no-look pass under the basket for an assist.
Bray raved about Springer’s versatility and ability to play every position on the floor.
“He can handle the ball, he can shoot the ball, he can post up and he can create for others. He’s very unselfish,” Bray said. “He’s a stat filler, man. The kid can wake up and get 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.
“After this tournament, a lot of schools are going to be on him. He’s just starting to get noticed. Most people have him third (in Nevada) after (O’Bannon) and (Brown), besides the Findlay Prep kids. But that gap is closing.”
On his Twitter account, Gary Trent Jr. has three pictures pinned to his profile, all capturing a one-on-one matchup against four-time NBA Most Valuable Player LeBron James and the caption, “Turn your idols into your rivals.”
The 6-foot-5-inch shooting guard, who ESPN ranks as the No. 9 recruit in the nation in the class of 2017, is hoping his new school provides him a jumpstart to an imminent meeting with “The King.”
Trent announced he was transferring from Apple Valley High (Minnesota) to Findlay Prep on July 15, and is getting an early taste of Las Vegas this week playing for the Howard Pulley (Minnesota) AAU team.
“The main reason for me going to Findlay was just helping me for my future,” Trent said. “It was the best move for me and my family. They’ve had several players in the past make it to the level I want to go to, whether it’s college or the NBA. And it can help me, so I just want to go there, play, learn and get the season started.”
Trent averaged 25.9 points per game for Apple Valley last season, and is coming off a gold medal in Spain with the USA men’s basketball Under-17 team that also featured locals Troy Brown (Centennial) and Markus Howard (Findlay Prep).
“They answered questions that I had about Vegas,” Trent said. “Nothing really too big. But those guys are great players and know the city. They’ve said positive things about it. … I asked (Howard) how his experience was, how the coaching staff was. He had nothing but positive things to say about it. He said it helped him and helped his future.”
Trent, whose father played nine years in the NBA, is being recruited by several schools, including Arizona, Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan State and Ohio State.
“His ability to score is as good as anybody in the country,” Findlay Prep coach Andy Johnson said. “One of the things that’s really underrated with him, and he doesn’t get enough credit for, is the way he makes his teammates better.
“The biggest thing, is he’s a winner. He’s won a state championship. He’s won gold with Team USA. His team advanced at the Peach Jam. We’re just excited to have that winning mentality that he brings.”
Trent joins three other players who announced this summer they would be joining Findlay Prep in the fall: Reggie Chaney (Texas), Chris Giles (Texas) and Justin Roberts (Indiana).