Jamaal Lucas

Summer 2006 - Lucas is hired by Brand Jordan. His boss' boss is Michael Jordan. Yes, THAT Michael Jordan.

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10/29/03: "Yumi Lucas had just snuggled into her bed around midnight on a mid-summer evening when the phone rang. She rolled over to check the caller I.D. on the nightstand. It was her son, Jamaal, calling from Cincinnati. Yumi quickly told herself before picking up the phone the exact same words she had said the hundreds of other times when Jamaal's number had popped up on the caller I.D. the past two years.

"Oh, Lord, let this be the time."

It was.

"Mom," Jamaal said in his south Texas draw, "they're going to go ahead and put me on scholarship."

"What?" Yumi replied, not believing what she had just heard.

Jamaal repeated that the University of Cincinnati had decided to award him a full basketball scholarship for this season. "You don't have to worry anymore," he said.

There was a long pause. "I just cried," Yumi recalled this week. And cried.

It felt so good to cry joyful tears after crying so many painful ones as Jamaal slogged through his freshman and sophomore seasons at UC as a walk-on from Corpus Christi, Texas. Yumi shelled out more than $20,000 in out-of-state tuition and living expenses during those two years for her son to live out his long-time dream to play for the Bearcats. Stress is spending that kind of money when you are a single parent of three children and living on a secretary's salary. "His family has made a heck of a sacrifice for him to play here," UC head coach Bob Huggins said. And the investment is paying off.

Jamaal Lucas is not a charity. No one, not even the McDonald's All-Americans, are given anything in Huggins' system. Lucas earned his scholarship, and he is in position to gain a lot of playing time during his junior season. The backup point guard role is there for his taking, because it is uncertain whether sophomore Chadd Moore, who has been hampered by an ailing lower back, will be able to play much, if at all.

Moore, who was examined by a spine surgeon and underwent tests on Monday and Tuesday, will not undergo surgery for the time being, UC associate athletic director Brian Teter said. Moore could return to practice later this week, but only to participate in individual, non-contact drills. He will not play in Saturday's exhibition opener against Northern Kentucky University, but he could be back to participating in full practices next week.

With Moore's uncertainty, the UC coaches will look to Lucas to back up junior-college transfer Nick Williams. It isn't that Lucas will get playing time solely by default. "He's worked like crazy," Huggins said. "He's done everything we've asked him to do." Both on and off the court.

Perhaps nothing reflects Lucas' on-court determination more than what he has done in the weight room. Lucas, who could bench press just 165 pounds when he came to UC in 2001-02, now can bench press 320 pounds. Lucas said his work in the weight room this summer was one of the determining factors in him being awarded a scholarship.

Lucas, 6 feet 1 and 195 pounds, has noticed how that added strength is helping him play. He spent his first two seasons getting pushed around by stocky point guards Steve Logan and Taron Barker. Now, Lucas is doing the pushing. He has earned the nickname "Truck Driver" from his coaches and teammates for his ability to power-dribble and fend off would-be ball stealers. Ball protection is one of the biggest assets Lucas has to offer. It is difficult to steal the ball from a player who is that strong. (See Barker in 2002-03)

Lucas, who played shooting guard in high school, showed his ability to protect the ball when he led his team to a win in last Saturday's intrasquad scrimmage. Lucas, who has averaged four minutes in 36 games at UC, has also shown that he can make perimeter jump shots and play solid defense. "He's nothing flashy," UC assistant coach Keith LeGree said. "But he's a solid guard who doesn't hurt you. He does all the right things."

Yumi remembers when her oldest child really committed himself to doing things the right way. When Jamaal was in the sixth grade, he and some buddies were out one day being mischievous, shooting BB guns around the neighborhood. Some of the kids got caught and ended up answering to law enforcement officials. But Jamaal did not get caught, only because he threw his BB gun onto a roof and ran away.

Well, Lucas might have been better off getting caught. Yumi caught word that Jamaal was involved in BB Gun Gate, and she wanted to teach her son a lesson. So she arranged through a friend to have an official at a juvenile detention center talk to Jamaal.

"The man was real hard on him," Yumi said. "He gave him an earful. I had to leave the room because I couldn't stand it.

"Ever since that day, he got his head right."

It wasn't like Lucas spent his childhood doing unconstructive things. He has always been determined to make it. When he was 4, Jamaal absolutely refused to allow his mom to drive him to preschool, instead deciding to walk the mile or so. He walked to school every day until he was old enough to drive himself. "He would get so mad if I tried to give him a ride," Yumi said. "I had to hide around the corner so I could watch him walk to school. Jamaal would walk to school in the rain, sleet or snow."

Determination got Lucas to UC. He fell in love with the Bearcats while in middle school. He noticed while watching a game on television that the Bearcats were wearing Jordan apparel. Lucas has worn Air Jordan shoes for most of his life.

Mick Cronin, a UC assistant coach at the time, sent Lucas some recruiting letters as he was starring at Corpus Christi's Roy Miller High. Lucas, a second-team all-Texas selection his senior season, met Cronin during a summer tournament in Houston. Although Cronin left UC to become associate head coach at Louisville in April 2001, Lucas did not give up on his mission to play for the Bearcats.

Things seemed promising to Lucas when, less than two weeks after Cronin's departure, point guard Kenny Satterfield bolted early to enter the NBA draft. But UC used that scholarship to sign Barker out of junior college. Despite the fact that he had Division I scholarship offers from Tulane and Texas A&M, Lucas decided to stick with pursuing UC. "It was what I wanted to do in my heart," Lucas said of sticking to his mission to play for UC. "Yeah, I could've gone somewhere else, but I probably wouldn't have been happy. I wanted to challenge myself."

Lucas recalled that his uncle, Kevin Bruce, knew UC assistant coach Keith LeGree from their days of going to school at the University of Louisville. Bruce called LeGree to inform him of his nephew. LeGree arranged for Lucas to come to Cincinnati to check out the campus and play in some pickup games.

Lucas proved he could at least be on the roster. But he knew he had to prove himself every day. He had to prove himself to the coaches and to his mom.

Although it would be a financial burden for her, Yumi told Jamaal that he could go play for the Bearcats as long as he worked hard in his classes and on the basketball court. Yumi, who works as an administrative assistant in the circulation department at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, developed a plan to get Jamaal through school. She took out some school loans. She got some help from Bruce, her younger brother, who lives in Louisville. She held off buying some things for Jamaal's younger brother, DeRay, 16, and sister, Kiarra, 12. She got some overtime hours in at the newspaper.

Jamaal lived up to his end of the deal. His first fall at UC, he earned Bearcat Scholar Athlete honors, which is awarded for having a 3.0 grade point average or better. "He was making the grades, but if he hadn't he was going to have to come home," Yumi said.

But Jamaal was bothered by the fact that his mom was so burdened. Remember his determined nature? That came from Yumi, who had Jamaal when she was 15 years old. She had taught him to be independent, and having someone else pay for school and living expenses didn't sit well with Jamaal.

Yumi said Jamaal pondered getting a part-time job to help pay for DeRay's and Kiarra's school clothes. Jamaal said the burden that was on his family bothered him so much that he thought about quitting in January.

"I was just worried about my mom and little brother and sister," he said. "I just want them to be taken care of. I don't want to see her worrying about them."

But Yumi was determined to keep Jamaal determined to stay put. Bruce also encouraged his nephew to stick it out. LeGree, who Lucas says he often confides in and appreciates very much, has been there to offer constant support, too.

"Even if I wanted to leave, (Yumi) probably wouldn't have let me," said Lucas, who has maintained better than a 3.0 gpa in psychology (old major) and social sciences (new major). "She always told me just to work on my classes and basketball, and she'll handle the rest. I really don't know how she did it.

"I think it's all helped me to become a man. Even though she may not tell me, I know it had to be a struggle. So I just want to do the best I can to pay her back." Said Yumi: "He's handled his business."

And Yumi really enjoys doing business with UC these days. "I got a bill from the school the other day," she said, chuckling. "It was like zero (balance due). I was like, 'Yes!' I was very happy." - CincyPost.com



10/14/01: "From the time he was in eighth grade, Jamaal Lucas knew he wanted to play basketball at the University of Cincinnati. He grew up in Texas but saw enough of the Bearcats on television to appreciate their style of play. The 6-foot-2 guard was recruited by Tulane and Texas A&M but chose to walk on at UC. He was one of two new non-scholarship players introduced at Midnight Madness. “I could have had a scholarship,” Lucas said. “But there isn't any use in being somewhere if you don't really want to be there. I knew I wanted to be here, so I took my chances.” He averaged 21.2 points, 5.5 assists and 3.4 steals a game and was second-team all-state as a senior at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas. His uncle attended Louisville and knew UC assistant coach Keith LeGree, who started his college career with the Cardinals before transfering to UC. The uncle called LeGree and told him about Lucas, who said he intends to contribute. "I'm going to play,” he said." - Enquirer.com

6/22/01: "Jamaal Lucas had his heart set on the University of Cincinnati, and nothing - not scholarship offers or the lack thereof - was going to change his mind. Despite only being offered a spot on the team as a walk-on, the Miller High School (Corpus Christi, Texas) star has decided to play for UC this season. Lucas - who will attend UC on a partial academic scholarship - will be a Bearcat after dismissing several scholarship offers from junior colleges and strong interest from other Division I schools, including Tulane and Texas A & M-Corpus Christi. "I could have gotten a basketball scholarship to play other places, but I really wanted to play for Cincinnati," Lucas said. "I like their style of play, and I feel like even though I'll be a walk-on, I'll have plenty of chances to shine." The 6-foot-2 Lucas, who averaged 20.1 points and 4.1 assists per game as a senior, said Tulane and Texas A & M-Corpus Christi both showed interest during the recruiting process. "I visited Tulane, and it just wasn't for me," Lucas said. "A&M-Corpus Christi was interested, but I had to get away from here." Lucas was named first-team All-South Texas as a senior and All-Metro MVP as a junior. He was also a second-team all-state pick last season (Jason Maxiell was on the First Team). Lucas, who projects to be a point guard in college, said he has wanted to play at UC since his junior year, but was wary of going to the Bearcats and sitting behind All-Conference USA point guard Kenny Satterfield. But when Satterfield declared for the NBA draft last month, Lucas started packing his bags. "I was waiting to see if Satterfield would leave or not, and when he finally decided he was going pro, I called Cincinnati. But it was too late; they had already given out a scholarship to another guard," Lucas said. "I looked at who they have, and I feel confident that I can compete with those guys." - Cincy Post

6/21: "a 6-2 guard from Corpus Christi (TX) Miller High School will also walk-on for the Bearcats. He averaged 20.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals and was named second-team all-state as a senior by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches. Lucas was also recruited by Tulane and Texas A&M." - Rivals Hoops

7/18/00: Lucas is playing with a summer league team at the Adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas. The name of the team: the Calallen Bearcats. He also plays with the Corpus Christi Panthers.

Summer 2000: "Think you'll be pleased with Jamaal, he is a short 6'2 or a tall 6'1 with 7'0 wing span...long arms!! he can scores in every aspect of the game (shooting 66% from 2pt range !! 80% @ F.T. & 35% from 3pt range) half court offense, Transition (great finisher) from the off Bd's and from the Def end. He is very unselfish, makes the play in front of him, never looking someone off for his own shot, which is becoming uncommon in today's players! He leads our club in assists, over 5 per game. Plays very strong and under control and a great penetrator, we run some clear-outs for him because he can take anyone off the dribble in various ways but won't shoot it just because of the set call (notice his FG%!!)Has dunked in Transition, out of our half court set by lob calls or simple clear outs & penetration, and caught balls coming off rim, off Bd's and thrown down. He knows the importance of the Def end and enjoys guarding ! We'll put him on other teams leading scorer, either perimeter or interior doesn't matter. He is a go to guy...wants the ball late or in tough spots @ any time or situation. This is my 4th year @ Miller (and @ H.S. level ) we are 105-21 and he's been a big part of 3 of those seasons, lettering and playing 6th man role as a Freshman. Again, think our team next year will be better than this squad, so he may be close to be the biggest reason for 120 wins during his HS career !! He has already passed the test, scoring over 1,010 on his SAT and will retake and score higher I'm sure. He is an Honor-Roll student, taking Honor classes not the regular curriculum.

Jamaal is a very athletic player who can hurt you at both ends of the court. He is a good slasher/scorer and can really finish on the break. He will take the ball strong to the hole and can hit the perimeter shot as well. On defense he can defend the 1, 2, or the 3." - Georgia Elite Bo Williams notes


4/1/00:
http://www.caller.com/2000/april/01/today/local_sp/3993.html

Miller boys basketball coach Kevin Wall has no doubts that Jamaal Lucas can take his game to the next level. It's not that bold of a prediction when you consider the junior guard stuffed the statistics sheet with 15 points, six rebounds and four assists per game. Texas Hoops, a magazine dedicated to Texas high school basketball, lists Lucas - the Caller-Times' All-Metro Boys Team MVP - as one of the state's top 20 juniors.
Lucas is one of two Miller players to have been named to an honor position on this year's All-Metro Team. When Wall talks of that next level, he means the world of Division I college basketball. However, Lucas has a couple of definitions for the clich‚. "I want to make sure (Miller) doesn't get knocked out so early in the playoffs," said Lucas, who admits to still being upset about his team's disappointing exit in the Region IV-5A quarterfinals after a 29-3 season and a No. 4 state ranking. "We've got to make sure that doesn't happen again."
That's Lucas' team definition of the next level. He also shares Wall's vision of a more personal next level. Lucas' early success has already drawn letters from schools like CINCINNATI and Tulsa. "It's kind of exciting to have all these schools looking at you," Lucas said. "I think I can fit in pretty well at a big school, but I have to keep working on my game." That's an attitude that comes as no surprise to Wall.
"Jamaal has very high expectations for himself," Wall said. "He made 72 percent of his free throws, but he thinks he should make 92 percent. He shot 44 percent on his 3s, but he thinks he should be making at least 50 percent. That's the type of player he is, and that's the type of player every coach loves to have on his side. That mentality is what's going to help him get to the next level."
Propelling his team past another playoff disappointment will have to wait until next year, but stepping up his game to the college level is a work in progress. For players, summer camps are a must these days. Don't go, and no matter what you do back home, colleges will have heard about you. That's why Lucas plans on having a busy summer. "This summer is it for me: this is where I have to establish myself with all the colleges that will be watching," Lucas said.
Lucas thinks his overall game is what will leave a mark with coaches after this summer. "A lot of the players that I'll be playing with and against will want to go and shoot the ball a lot, but I want to be different," Lucas said. "I like to go out and do the fundamentals. I know coaches like to see that, so hopefully I can impress them by doing all the little things."
That's the same unselfish attitude that led Miller to its state ranking. At face value, Lucas' 15 points per game may look a bit pedestrian, but stats don't tell the entire story of his game.
"He's such a solid all-around player and he's so unselfish; that's why you can't just look at the stats with Jamaal," Wall said. "He deserves a lot of recognition because he sacrificed his stats for the team. He could have easily averaged a lot more points, but he didn't have to. He rebounded. He passed. He defended. He did everything."
Lucas did all that after adjusting to a different position. Next year, he'll change positions again, but it will be a welcome change. As a sophomore, the 6-foot-2 Lucas was forced to play in the post. This season, he was moved to shooting guard. As a senior, however, he plans to play point guard. "I'm definitely a guard, but I was playing inside just because of my height," Lucas said. "I'm kind of a combo guard because I penetrate and create for others, but I also shoot. I'll have to play the point in college and that's what I play in the summer, so it will be a good move for me next year."
From Wall's perspective, who better to bring the ball up the court than his best player? "He's versatile enough that we could play him anywhere on the court, but I think he's best suited to play the point," Wall said. He's going to get the ball and run the show for us next year." That's when Lucas plans on taking his team - and his game - to the next level." - Corpus Christi Caller


9/99: Played on the Houston Jaguars AAU squad with Field Williams and Taliek Brown (UConn).