From the day he was shot, one day after his 15th birthday, Jaquan (Son Son) Lynch has known what he wanted: to play Division I college basketball.
That unfortunate event was his wakeup call, the 17-year-old Coney Island native said, the motivation he needed to stop hanging out with the wrong crowd, improve as a student and push himself on the court.
It was the start of him making quick, prudent decisions — just like the one he made Sunday afternoon.
On the bus ride home to Brooklyn from Reading, Pa. for Hoop Group Team Camp, Thomas Jefferson’s 6-foot combo guard verbally committed to Florida International and new coach Richard Pitino, the son of legendary coach Rick Pitino.
“A lot of kids don’t get this opportunity and to go through something like I did, it’s a blessing,’ he said.
Lynch’s stock has been on the rise since his brilliant junior season ended. Stony Brook and Eastern Illinois have been actively recruiting him, Hofstra, Quinnipiac, Dayton, UMBC and Canisius also offered scholarships and Drexel, Rutgers and South Carolina were interested.
FIU, however, made it clear he was their top choice, Jefferson coach Lawrence (Bud) Pollard said. Pitino, who has previously spent time as an assistant at Louisville under his father, for Billy Donovan at Florida and also at Duquesne and Northeastern, came to Reading and watched every one of Lynch’s games. Afterward, he told Pollard Lynch was “his guy.”
“He was their priority,” Pollard said. “Coach [Pitino] said he was and his actions said he was.”
Lynch was drawn to FIU, in part, by the presence of newly named assistant coach Kimani Young, the former athletic director at local AAU giant New Heights. The two have known each other for years and Lynch was one of the first calls Young made after he got situated.
“He had a big role,” Lynch said. “I knew when I go out there, he’ll hold me down, make sure I stay on track.”
One Division I coach who was recruiting Lynch thinks he can be an all-conference player at FIU when it moves into Conference USA next July. Known for his clutch shot-making, unselfishness and high basketball IQ, Lynch averaged 20 points, four rebounds and three assists per game last year for the Orange Wave, leading Jefferson to the Brooklyn AA regular season crown, borough title and PSAL Class AA finals at Madison Square Garden.
“He’s real shifty with the ball, he attacks the rim real well, his shot needs [some work], but he defends,” the coach said. “He’s a tough kid, he plays really hard.”
Lynch will be part of a massive rebuilding project at FIU as the Florida school went just 26-65 the last three years under former coach Isiah Thomas.
He’s fine with that — the hopes weren’t high at Jefferson before this past season began, either.
“Hopefully we can get to that tournament and a lot of other good stuff,” he said. “I feel FIU is the perfect match for me. Coach [Pitino] is very good. He told me I can go there and be successful. They’ve been telling me how I fit in their system.”