The Mis-Education of Noah Baldwin (2027 - ???)

[chosenone58]

Before I could do another thing, campus security pulled up and you can only imagine how it looks. 6 foot 3 inch tall guy standing over a 5 foot 5 inch tall female on the ground crying hysterically.

Noah walked right into that one. I see Derek ain't teach his nephew the ropes.

Noah's dad and Derek have beef. He only got the kid for a few weeks in the summer time. He could only do so much.

[The JZA]

Before I could do another thing, campus security pulled up and you can only imagine how it looks. 6 foot 3 inch tall guy standing over a 5 foot 5 inch tall female on the ground crying hysterically.

Noah walked right into that one. I see Derek ain't teach his nephew the ropes.

Noah's dad and Derek have beef. He only got the kid for a few weeks in the summer time. He could only do so much.

Phone call. Text. E-Mail. Letter. Post card. A manual on how to avoid women like Ciara, something lol

[chosenone58]

Noah walked right into that one. I see Derek ain't teach his nephew the ropes.

Noah's dad and Derek have beef. He only got the kid for a few weeks in the summer time. He could only do so much.

Phone call. Text. E-Mail. Letter. Post card. A manual on how to avoid women like Ciara, something lol

Some things you gotta experience for yourself. You know these kids think they know everything

[The JZA]

Noah's dad and Derek have beef. He only got the kid for a few weeks in the summer time. He could only do so much.

Phone call. Text. E-Mail. Letter. Post card. A manual on how to avoid women like Ciara, something lol

Some things you gotta experience for yourself. You know these kids think they know everything

[chosenone58]

[chosenone58]

Redemption Season

“Let’s go, gentlemen.” Coach St. Jean began clapping in our direction as we circled around him at the start of practice.

“Before we get started, I would like to say welcome back to Noah Baldwin.” My teammates clapped and cheered. “Let’s try to make it to the end of the season this go ‘round, huh?”

“Yes sir, Coach. All the way to the big dance, baby.”

That got cheers from my teammates.

“Layup lines, boys, let’s get to it! New season starts now. First game is in six weeks. We have got a lot of ground to make up. We got some new faces in here that we need to get up to speed and some old ones that need to get back in shape. I want five laps around the court and then lay up lines.” He blows his whistle and we take off.

“Point guards lead from the front!” He yells.

I kick it up another notch and overtake everyone by half a lap in no time. After the work I put in this summer, practice is going to be cake.

###################################

2 hours later

“Good first practice, guys. We got some work to do. Looks like some of you took the summer off. We’ll change that before November. Baldwin, my office now.”

All the players look at me as if I’ve just gotten in trouble. I wave them off and walk into coach’s office and shut the door.

“What’s up, Coach?”

“Take a seat. You look good out there, son. Looks like you’ve been using your time off for good.”

“Yes, sir. I didn’t want to miss a step. I have a lot I want to accomplish this year. For the program and for myself.”

He types a few keys on his laptop. “Grades are looking good.”

“Plan to keep them that way.”

“Good. I want you to be a leader on this team. I know it’s a lot, but I also know we don’t have you for very long. We got a couple freshman guards coming in and I want you to work with them. I’m leaning on you, Martin and Mitchell to anchor this team. Can you handle that?”

“We got you, Coach.”

“Alright, get out of here and go shower. See you tomorrow.”

[chosenone58]

Baldwin Could be the Linchpin to a Tournament Run for St. John’s


St. John’s Red Storm are coming into this season as a dark horse favorite for many analysts with the return of their star point guard Noah Baldwin II. Over the course of the Red Storm’s first 13 games of last season, Baldwin put together solid averages of 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game. He also proved to be an efficient scorer with shooting splits of .448/.375/.794. Putting his off court struggles behind him, if Baldwin can harness the success displayed early on last season that bodes well for the future of this program.

With Anderson Fuller leaving and the team facing slightly higher expectations, Baldwin will need to fill a bigger role and take the next leap in his development. The possibility is there for him to be at the forefront of an NCAA Tournament team.

There are several reasons to believe that Baldwin could be the centerpiece of a resurgence for St. John’s program. The most obvious of these is that he is a budding star with a high ceiling. Due to his size and skill level, he can be a matchup nightmare at the guard position.

Of course, his per-game numbers were great for a freshman, but he also showed flashes of being a go-to star as well. If those flashes can become more of the norm, then he has the makings of an All-Big East performer. If he is able to make that jump, that will make life easier for all of the teammates around him.

Namely, incoming freshmen Conner Bridges and Vince Pike, who are both local products that the fanbase is very excited to see take the court. While not the most highly-rated duo in recruiting rankings, these two could both be impact players from Day 1. Being able to fill background roles around Baldwin and Jermaine Antoine will not only help them contribute but will also help with their growth as they won’t be forced into roles that they cannot handle.

Veteran standouts Julian Martin and Michael Mitchell will also benefit from this as they will be able to immediately become “stars in their roles”. More specifically, Martin can showcase his impressive shot-blocking while developing his offensive game, and Mitchell can fill the much-needed sharpshooter role on the perimeter.

With the middle of the Big East all expected to be jumbled together next season, a few teams will have to break through and move into the upper half of the standings. My question is…why not St. John’s? Even with the loss of Fuller, they have a respected head coach entering his second year with the program and a potential star duo in Antoine and Baldwin.

On the whole, it feels as though St. John’s has its fair share of strong role players on the roster for this coming campaign. Those players just need the star to work around, and Baldwin could be that piece to revolve around on both ends of the floor. Antoine could also be a go-to star, but Baldwin’s potential for a Year 2 jump in all facets of the game is difficult to ignore.

St. John’s, even without Fuller, has a solid roster capable of potentially competing for an NCAA Tournament bid. If Baldwin takes a big leap in Year 2, then the Red Storm could be on the list of most surprising teams in the nation. The opportunity is there considering the massive exodus of senior talent that the Big East just experienced.

[The JZA]

Showing off at practice with that clean dome.

Rearing for a big year at St. John's

[chosenone58]

NOTE: Not giving a full college season, just a few recaps here and there and some prospect updates.

[chosenone58]