Bethune-Cookman guard Joe French focusing on improvement in second season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — College basketball has often been regarded as a hub to develop emerging and young talent. It鈥檚 that final hurdle before entering the professional landscape. As it is with most institutions, some make it through to the gates of basketball bliss while others remain on the periphery or abandon the sport altogether.
In order to avoid a total collapse, it鈥檚 imperative that the young athletes select the best program and coaching staff to help guide them to achieve their desired goals as student-athletes. In the case of Bethune-Cookman Wildcats鈥� Joe French, he believes that he has made the right choice.
The 6-foot-5 guard is in his sophomore year and has already been granted the green light to express his game. Last season, he appeared in 30 games and started in 14 of them. Joe French averaged a reasonable 8.5 points per game while leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in three-point shooting at 43.5 percent.
He鈥檚 a player that comes off the bench with an explosiveness that rivaled any freshman. He scored 24 points on his debut shooting 6-for-10 from beyond the arc in the season opening game versus Johnson. He followed up that impressive outing by posting 19 points versus Omaha and 21 against Trinity Baptist. His impressive freshman season was capped off by being named in the MEAC All-Rookie Team.
Joe French is considered by his head coach, Ryan Ridder, as one of the premier shooters in the state, if not the country. The head coach has certainly backed up his words by permitting French to shoot at a high rate. A license that was awarded based on merit given the sophomore鈥檚 stellar rookie season. The same allowance has been bestowed on French this season.
Joe French has started in all the games and has taken the most shots. Unfortunately, he seems to be suffering from an early case of second-year syndrome whereby his percentages have slightly dipped. He has a 41.4 field goal percentage which isn鈥檛 worrying. In fact, it鈥檚 a perfectly reasonable percentage for a guard to have but given that expectations have risen, after his tremendous rookie season, that number feels flat. What鈥檚 equally more worrying is the drop in his three-point percentage. He went from having a 43.5 three-point percentage to 31.6.
Although the warning signs are present, there鈥檚 no cause for alarm. It鈥檚 perfectly natural for a rookie to experience a slight bump on the road in his developmental path. The important element to remember is that he鈥檚 with a coaching staff that believes in his abilities and wants to see him succeed. As was evident in his freshman year, the shooting ability is there but it seems that Joe French is facing a confidence issue. It鈥檚 an intangible but overpowering sensation that can sway a shooter鈥檚 percentage points. He just needs a big game for the shots to fall his way and then he will rediscover his impactful form.
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