By Brian Roe, Sports Writer
Colt Walker’s high school buddies won’t believe he’s playing college basketball. No, he won’t be lighting it up in front of a full crowd in Moody Coliseum, the ACU cheerleaders probably won’t be anywhere around and the game is not scheduled to be broadcasted on KACU.
But that’s the beauty of ACU’s new junior varsity program: it gives marginal athletes an opportunity to shine and serves as a recruiting vehicle for the university.
This year ACU added junior varsity sports to its athletic program-a program that now includes JV football, JV baseball and JV men’s and women’s basketball.
Jared Mosley, ACU’s associate athletic director, said JV sports are a welcome addition to the athletic department. Mosley said he is excited to add JV sports to the department.
“The goal is to recruit and bring new students to ACU through the use of junior varsity sports,” Mosley said. “This year, we already have some students who came to ACU just to play junior varsity sports with hope that they can make it to the varsity level before they graduate.”
This hope that Mosley speaks of is alive and well in the mind of freshman Colt Walker. Walker said he came to ACU for one reason: basketball.
“I sent ACU a tape and talk to the coaches over the phone about playing and they convinced me to come and give it a shot with the JV,” said Walker, who played basketball all four years at Whitney High School. “After a visit to campus, I received a letter recruiting me for basketball, and here I am.”
Walker said he thinks JV sports can be useful in many different ways.
“I want to go into coaching after I graduate from college, so hopefully I can play JV here and improve my skills and knowledge of the game,” Walker said. “And even though JV sports will be beneficial, I still plan on competing for a spot on varsity by next year.”
Head basketball coach Klint Pleasant said players will be given a chance to move up from junior varsity to varsity.
“The freshman team is made up of 15 incoming freshman who will practice and compete in about 15 games,” Pleasant said. “They will have a chance to move up to the varsity if in fact, our coaching staff feels they can contribute.”
Mosley echoed these thoughts.
“Junior varsity will allow the coaches to evaluate borderline talent and give even more players the opportunity to compete at the varsity level in college,” Mosley said. “But either way, the player can say he or she competing in athletics at ACU.”
JV basketball games began Saturday.
The JV football team finished its season at 3-4, dropping its final game to Cisco Junior College 18-15 Oct. 20.
Sophomore football player Jeffrey Thigpen said junior varsity is a great source of development for the football program.
“I think it is a great addition because JV gives younger players a chance to get some playing time and have a chance to learn the speed of the college game,” Thigpen said. “There is a huge difference between scrimmaging in practice and playing full speed in a game.”
Thigpen, who is playing both JV and varsity football, said his JV experience has already helped him.
“It’s definitely helped my game by competing against other players that have a similar skill level as me,” Thigpen said. “I think JV is a great stepping stone for players to show coaches exactly what they can offer the team.”
In baseball, the junior varsity will be closely watched with recently promoted assistant coach and former ACU All-American baseball player Brandon Stover slated as the JV head coach. Stover, who completed his eligibility in 2002, will be in charge of 30 freshmen playing on the JV baseball team.
Players on the JV baseball team hail from all parts of Texas and also players from parts of Oklahoma, Colorado and even Oregon.
The JV baseball team began its fall season on Sept. 8, winning 13-4 over McMurry’s JV team. The team went 4-1 during the brief fall season and will begin play in the spring season on Feb. 16 in a game against Hardin-Simmons University.
One noticeable thing on the JV sports front is that three men’s teams exist while women’s basketball is alone in representing women in junior varsity.
Mosley said ACU is not violating any Title IX rule.
“If students and/or players asked us to add a particular sport we would definitely research it and see how it plays out,” Mosley said. “If students came to us and were serious about wanting a JV sport, we would at least look at it.
Thigpen said he is pleased with JV sports.
“I’m really glad ACU added JV sports and I really think ACU will be happy when more players develop and participate at ACU because of JV,” said Thigpen.
Getting more participants is the entire reason that junior varsity sports were created: to recruit more students to ACU. Participation is important and junior varsity sports will allow freshmen to be more active.
“From a freshmen standpoint, they will get the chance to tune their skills in junior varsity and show the coaches what they are made of,” Mosley said.
From Colt Walker’s standpoint, JV sports are the reason he is at ACU.
“The main reason I chose ACU was because of the basketball program and the opportunities I will get here,” Walker said.
Walker’s friends may not believe it, but he will suit up and play basketball this year for ACU. And it’s all because of JV sports.
