Baker Has Set Himself Up For Schollie

Ron Bailey, Publisher

March 10, 2007 – After facing a potentially crushing blow to his basketball career early on, and additional challenges later, D.C.’s Jeremy Baker has put himself in the position to earn a college scholarship. Not bad for a kid from 4th and Delafield, NW.

Baker, a 6’2”, 205 pound point guard at Garden City Community College – known as the Broncbusters who play in the National Junior College Athletic Association’s Jayhawk Conference – has helped the team to a 19-8 record and an eventual Final 8 match up in that league’s ongoing tournament. Over the course of the campaign, statistically he has produced around eight points, four assists, three rebounds, and one an a half steals per contest. For the year, Jeremy shot over 46% from the field.

During this, his first year at Garden City, Baker shared Hampton, Appalachian State, North Texas State and Utah Valley State have all seriously recruited him, with Utah Valley State having tendered a solid scholarship offer. Recently, Cal State Bakersfield and Duquesne have also shown serious interest.

Jeremy Baker will definitely receive more scholarship interest now that GCC's season has concluded.

He could have very well never reached this point. Transferring from Archbishop Carroll to Marriott Charter School and its then newly established hoops program for the 2003-2004 school year, Baker would face what could have been a knock out blow for his basketball aspirations, which he recently labeled “To get a free education”: Then a high school junior, Jeremy was prohibited from playing hoops that year, as the team was folded due to administrative issues.

Though devastated, Baker went on to stay at Marriott, graduating in 2005. Despite two years out of organized ball, Baker kept pushing towards his goal. Helping him along the way was Walter Ray.

Ray is the founder and director of E.G.O.S. Inc., (Education, Goals, Opportunities in Sports), a non-profit devoted to helping young people – many who are often overlooked - reach college. “Jeremy is a perfect example” of the kids who greatly benefit from E.G.O.S. Inc., said Ray. “He was unsung, and very under appreciated”, in part because of his two year hiatus from organized hoops, and also due to local round ball politics.

Ray was well aware of Baker, having worked with him since before Jeremy’s teenage years.

“When he was twelve, and we were going to a team camp in Baltimore” jokingly recalled Ray of his first interaction with Baker. “Roy Hibbert (the present Georgetown University center) said ‘Can I bring my best friend?’ I haven’t been able to get rid of him since”.

It was Ray and the E.G.O.S. Inc staff that helped Baker keep pushing towards his dream, working the young man out and helping generate exposure through the creation of open gyms and participation in travel tournaments.

“If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be in this situation” said Baker, “He and Alan Ward (aka Pretty Rickey)”.

Jeremy went on to label Ray a “mentor”, which was pivotal to his success as “Not too many people have mentors that help kids who didn’t make it like people wanted them to”.

Jeremy’s dad, Michael Baker, agreed with his son’s assessment of E.G.O.S. Inc.’s impact. “Whoa” said the eldest Baker, before pausing and stating “Walter has really been a saving grace for Jeremy to be honest. Jeremy took a difficult road to JUCO basketball”.

Via hard work by all parties involved, Jeremy was able to attend South Plains Community College of Texas for the 2005-2006 school year along with a fellow E.G.O.S. Inc product, Steve Harley (who will be a scholarship basketball athlete at Nebraska in the fall).

Though he enjoyed the experience, South Plains was well stocked at the point guard position, prompting the move to Garden City this year, where Jeremy has flourished.

For the Broncbusters, Jeremy has been able to show his strengths, which he noted as “I like going to the hole”, and either finding open teammates or finishing, while playing in an “up and down”, fast break environment. Ray quickly added “Defense. Jeremy guards the best player on the other team” when queried about the young guy’s strong points on the court.

Both agree that Baker’s shooting from three point land is a point of necessary improvement. Given Jeremy’s outlook on life, which can be surmised by his statement “Keep playing hard…Keep up your dream”, there’s no doubt that will be addressed.

Such an outlook is not surprising, given Jeremy’s family. Hoops is a passion for all of Michael Baker’s six sons, one they inherited from him. “It is a family thing. I played all my life, and I’m still playing” he relayed.

The basketball bug started with his oldest son, Ryan, who the elder Baker stated “Set the bar for the rest of them”. After attending and graduating from Johnson C. Smith University, Ryan supported his young brothers and still does, even traveling to Kansas with third eldest Baker son Evan, to see Jeremy’s – who is the second oldest - most recent playoff game.

It was Jeremy, who was instrumental in Evan’s development, and subsequent earning a scholarship to Wichita State University, a move he thinks is good for his younger brother. “He always wanted to go where I went” recalled Jeremy.

Though they are definitely a hoops family, their father and mother, Sheryl Baker, have always put round ball in its proper perspective. “We always told them to use basketball as a means to an education” Michael shared.

Which is what Jeremy has done, despite challenges that may have derailed many.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com for recruiting updates on Jeremy Baker. He’s poised to be another success story coming out of the Nation’s Capitol.