Nojel Eastern sat on the bench with his Meanstreets team Friday, rarely allowing a basketball to leave his hands while he watched, remaining engaged in his teammates' play despite being just a spectator/cheerleader himself.
"You never appreciate the game as much (when you're playing) than when you're sitting on the sideline," Eastern said. "I just have to take into consideration that everything happens for a reason and I have to just continue to develop myself in any way that I can."
"Of course any time there's an injury like that, you might think about never playing basketball again or not being the same if you do," Eastern says now. "But once I had surgery (May 4), I kind of cleared my head and thought positive and did everything I could to stay in the gym."
He's due for re-evaluation Aug. 21, at which time he hopes to be cleared to run and jump again, which would be an important step toward his goal of being back on the court, playing again, by October.
"I'll be back as good as ever," he said.
Eastern said he's used his recovery time to watch film of himself from his sophomore season at Evanston High School and learn to "watch the game from a different perspective."
"It makes you really think about the game and become better mentally," Eastern said. "It makes you want to work harder and make everything about yourself better."
The 6-5 projected point guard holds offers already from Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Marquette, DePaul, LSU and several others.
"Coaches are still calling me and texting me, communicating with coaches and my mom," he said. "It's been a good ride even though I got hurt. I appreciate everything. I'm glad it is all still coming in and I'm going to keep preparing myself so I can come out of this better."
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Mac Irvin Fire 15-and-under point guard Kezo Brown has offers from Nebraska and DePaul and early interest from Kentucky, Duke and Illinois, among others, he said.
Coaches from Michigan State, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa and several others took in Howard Pulley's win over Impact Elite, many of them undoubtedly there to see Minneapolis area forward Theo John.
John, a 6-9 2017 forward from Champlin Park, Minn., who can play all over the floor, listed offers from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Marquette, Texas Tech and Minnesota.
"Coaches like my defense," John said. "They think I can guard 1 through 5 and they like my energy, that I rebound, that I have a motor, that I give 100 percent on the floor and am always talking.
"I'm working on my offense now. It's there, but everything can be improved."
*** Kenwood Big Man Manuel Patterson plans on visiting Illinois in August.
- See more at: https://illinois.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1783911#.dpuf
"You never appreciate the game as much (when you're playing) than when you're sitting on the sideline," Eastern said. "I just have to take into consideration that everything happens for a reason and I have to just continue to develop myself in any way that I can."
"Of course any time there's an injury like that, you might think about never playing basketball again or not being the same if you do," Eastern says now. "But once I had surgery (May 4), I kind of cleared my head and thought positive and did everything I could to stay in the gym."
He's due for re-evaluation Aug. 21, at which time he hopes to be cleared to run and jump again, which would be an important step toward his goal of being back on the court, playing again, by October.
"I'll be back as good as ever," he said.
Eastern said he's used his recovery time to watch film of himself from his sophomore season at Evanston High School and learn to "watch the game from a different perspective."
"It makes you really think about the game and become better mentally," Eastern said. "It makes you want to work harder and make everything about yourself better."
The 6-5 projected point guard holds offers already from Illinois, Purdue, Michigan State, Marquette, DePaul, LSU and several others.
"Coaches are still calling me and texting me, communicating with coaches and my mom," he said. "It's been a good ride even though I got hurt. I appreciate everything. I'm glad it is all still coming in and I'm going to keep preparing myself so I can come out of this better."
More notes
John, a 6-9 2017 forward from Champlin Park, Minn., who can play all over the floor, listed offers from Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Marquette, Texas Tech and Minnesota.
"Coaches like my defense," John said. "They think I can guard 1 through 5 and they like my energy, that I rebound, that I have a motor, that I give 100 percent on the floor and am always talking.
"I'm working on my offense now. It's there, but everything can be improved."
*** Kenwood Big Man Manuel Patterson plans on visiting Illinois in August.
- See more at: https://illinois.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1783911#.dpuf
