By Kenneth Miller, Publisher
Lynwood High School’s babyface freshman scoring machine Jason Crowe Jr. had more points after one quarter than Bronny James scored in his entire game in their CIF-State Regional Finals on March 7, but as one anonymous career began epically, the celebrated McDonalds All American concluded with a dud.
Bronny will have a couple of more nationally television all star games to close out a most disappointing high school career at sons of stars prep Sierra Canyon.
He never lived up to the billing of the son of arguably the greatest basketball player ever, starting his Southern California journey at Santa Monica Crossroads before transferring to Sierra Canyon in Chatsworth.
In four years, he will be remembered as the son of LeBron James who filled the seats not the stat sheet, but rarely was he even the best player on his team, frequently hampered by injuries during most of his junior season until finally getting his shot to star in a leading role during his senior season.
It all came to a crashing crescendo when the Trailblazers got blasted by Sherman Oaks Notre Dame 80-61 in the Division 1 Southern California Regional Final as the chosen son finished with a meager 10 points.
Meanwhile, east of the 10 freeway on Imperial the son of another former pro basketball player was putting on another stellar performance in the Division V State Regional Final, pouring in 40 points.
Crowe Jr. is the son of former Inglewood High standout Jason Crowe, a former journeyman professional player who spent 13 years playing professionally in Europe, South America, Iran, Australia and New Zealand.
Once he hung up his sneakers, he laced up a pair for his namesake, who has mushroomed into a rangy 6’3, 150 pound flashback to the legendary Raymond Lewis.
Ironically, Crowe cut his teeth coaching at the Verbum Dei, the private Watts Catholic school that was once the most powerful basketball program in the nation.
Junior didn’t arrive on the high school scene until this past season under his father’s helm as head coach at Lynwood, but once unleashed he displayed Steph Curry like range from downtown that has fans oohing at his every launch.
A wicked southpaw, who with a flick of the wrist can swish it through the nets with ease from 45 out, a more than adequate ball handler who can slash to the goal with furry, while also possessing the IQ of veteran player.
He scored 1,219 points this season which is the fifth most points in a single season in California history as a 14-year old, the rarest of commodities in an era of jolly old holdbacks.
During his game on March 7, one spectator suggested that Crowe Jr. was better than Bronny James, the most ballyhooed player since his father, but it’s not a far-fetched observation.
It is a fact that he is performing much better as a freshman than Bronny did in any of his four years in high school.
Another spectator opined that Crowe Jr. is the next Ray Lew, raising eyebrows from many who hailed Lewis as the greatest basketball player to ever come out of California.
Crowe Jr. will lead the Knights to Sacramento on March 10 where they will meet Tollhouse Sierra for the Division V Boys Championship at Arco Arena after emphatically erasing Santa Monica Pacifica Christian 87-65 at Lynwood in the regionals.
It was yet another introduction of the new shining star to the Southern California prep basketball circuit.
The comparisons will escalate with each pull-up and swish, but when it is all said and being Jason Crowe Jr. will be more than sufficient as chronicles his own legacy as the face of high school basketball.
