By CHRIS BARCA
NEW YORK — The scorebook can often be deceiving.
On Sunday, it said Thomas Jefferson junior Shamorie Ponds, one of the city’s more elite high school prospects, dropped a solid 16 points in the Orange Wave’s 75-62 defeat at the hands of Long Island Lutheran at Christ the King.
But both Ponds and Jefferson coach Bud Pollard couldn’t have been more disappointed in the star’s performance.
“I thought he and the team sucked today,” Pollard said after the loss. “It was a winnable game. We sucked today.”
LuHi guard Devonte Green scored 23 points in the win. Green and his teammates will play in the SNY Invitational Jan. 23-24 at City College.
Despite scoring 16 points, Ponds scored just three points in the first half and was in foul trouble for most of the game. He scored 13 points in the second half, but six of those points came from the free throw line.
With St. John’s head coach Steve Lavin, as well as representatives from Minnesota, Seton Hall, Cincinnati, Providence and Hofstra in attendance, Ponds said his mindset didn’t change at all coming into the contest, but he knows he’s capable of much better games.
“I just have to come out and play my game,” Ponds said when asked if the presence of college coaches alters his play. “I just want to help my team get the win.”
Ponds has garnered multiple offers from Division 1 programs in recent months, with USC being the latest to make the junior an offer on Saturday. He said he isn’t letting the interest get to his head, however. The only thing he’s focused on is improving his game for the betterment of the Orange Wave.
“I’ve got to get stronger,” he said. “I can be so much better.”
Pollard, who didn’t know Lavin was in attendance, said St. John’s and Minnesota, who have both offered Ponds, “are going after him really hard” with Oklahoma also offering the guard last week.
He also doesn’t see a change in the junior’s attitude, despite all the intensifying college interest.
“I don’t think he notices who’s in attendance,” he said. “I don’t see any change in him at all. He’s a kid, he’s happy, he likes this. But I don’t think it’s changing him.”
Pollard said Ponds does not have a list of preferred schools at this point, that he’s simply in the “analyzing” stage of his recruitment.
“He doesn’t know where he might want to go,” he said, “or whether he wants to stay home or go somewhere.”
At least for now, Ponds’ focus is squarely on the success of the Orange Wave.
Photo: Brooklyn Eagle
