BOOM! 6'8" big man Ja'Vier Francis Commits to Coogs - with comments on his decision

Comments on Ja’Vier Francis and his commitment to Houston :

Marcus Sloan , President / Scout, OTR Exposure, says of Francis: "7’4 wingspan. ELITE timing on blocked shots and tip dunks. He can contribute immediately as a rebounder, defender, shot blocker.

Sloan continued, “Just turned 17. Still young; raw. I think it’s great for UH. If he stayed at Westbury Christian, he’s the #1 player in the city. UH basically got the #1 and #2 (Walker and Francis) players in the city.”

Jim Hicks , of RCS Sports says of Francis: "He’s a looooong drink of water! Arguably the best shot blocker in Texas this past season. In order to really appreciate Ja’Vier, you have to focus on his defensive presence. His arms are very long; and, he maximizes every inch of that length.

Hicks added, “He is reliable from mid-range inward. The offense is rapidly improving but currently a bit on the raw side for most Power 7 interior prospects. (Ja’Vier’s) decision (verbal to Houston) is a very smart move considering the direction of Houston’s program.”

Herb Baker of 1st Option Sports commented, “He’s a 6’7” rim running big that blocks shots, rebounds, and dunks everything around the basket. I’m not sure how soon he will play at UH; but, he’s a good kid that will work hard and do the right thing. He just turned 17 a couple of months ago; so, his best basketball is definitely ahead of him."

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Thanks for the info KG. As soon as we actually get a game (any sport) i’ll be Subscribing to ESPN+ through your link.

Other coogs that have waited, help this man out! He gets great info for us!

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Give me wingspan over height every day of the week. The distance to the top of your head doesn’t make near the difference in rebounding and shot blocking as your standing reach does.

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At 17, he could grow some more !!

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That deserves a BOOM!

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This kid totally fits into our system…i love what i see!
Glad he’s a coog!!

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I have said for years if you get a 6’8 center that can play you can win in college basketball. We just need the bigs to defend and rebound any offense is gravy we always have guys that can put it in the hoop with the quality of guards that this staff continues to recruit.

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Exactly!!

i dont know if its coach speak, but 6’7 with a 7’4 wingspan is INSANE…almost not human…almost certain those numbers are inflated (that height/wingspan ratio would have been #1 in the nba combine last year), but if its close would be amazing

just turning 17, if he can either add weight or grow a few inches would be elite…he transferred to montverde the returning #1 team in the nation, so he should be getting elite weight training
also montverde has 2 5stars bigs, and 2 OTHER top 40 bigs…getting minutes there will really be really telling, if he became a starter would be huge statement… honestly looking at their roster transferring there kinda makes little sense to me but a lot of opportunity to prove himself if he can defy the odds

a few highlights of him shooting, while the percentages of his probably arent great, if its something he can develop that’d be big
https://twitter.com/theJayfrancis10/status/1309893228846616578

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The buzz where I was at today was why ‘go to Montverde to go to UH as that was the purpose of leaving Houston.

He needs some weight and not sure of back handling but he has potential. Will he stand firm on his commitment is the question as family will play a huge part.

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Once he announced he was transferring to Montverde I thought he was looking to get more offers. I understand the move from a development standpoint but if he doesn’t play it will seem like a waste. He has a high ceiling and is still young so thats definitely a plus.

On a sidenote, the local HS scene in Houston needs to get better at coaching and developing or more kids will be leaving. Compared to Dallas its lagging behind.

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His averages as a JR

14 points

11 Rebounds

9 Blocks

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Wow, he averaged nearly a triple double. And so he and our incoming freshman (Kiyron Powell) both likely ranked in the Top 5 in the nation last season in blocked shots.

NINE blocks per game???

Holy Cow!!!

He’s the next OLAJUWON!!!

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Is it 9 blocks or 9 assists per game? The Chronicle story said 9 assists, but that could be their error. Either way, glad he committed to the Coogs!

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it was typo in the chron…its 9blks per game, where he led the state in blks per game

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glad to have him

Typo ??

Blocks… assists…

You are being kind.

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everyone has their big men playing guard. It’s all about the guard spot in Houston.

HISD surprisingly has some bigs but the ones I know of want to handle the ball all the time and won’t post up and are built thin.

The good bigs in the burbs get plucked from public schools and are at charter schools but they aren’t posting up but play more aggressive. That’s the only difference.

There’s a big with a nice body in Katy and he plays in the paint but is raw in terms of post play.

Akeem Olajuwon has a son out there lol we’ll move on

I’m thinking the 9 assist average must be a mistake. Those are Bill Walton numbers. But I’ll also take an average of 9 blocks. Those are Olajuwon nunbers.
Either way glad a player that has a 7-4 wingspan at age 17 is committed to UH.

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