If you've become hardened to the way we are (Old McDonald has a team, e i e i o. With a Duke grad here and an Ole Miss xfer there, here an Aggie, there a Saluiki - e i e i o.) and you miss the way we were (Memories, light the corners of my mind.. colored pictures, local 4 Star joins the grind, "I''ll buy little Jimmy a Smith jersey.. he's a Missouri kid, he'll be here four years, count on it..... Well, Ohhhhh we got trouble... right here in River City, trouble with a capital "T" (transfer) that rhymes with "P" and that stands for Portal- you can put your readers on the nightstand and go watch Jimmy Kimmel, permission granted, right Guillermo?
Jayden Stone, packed his bags, left mom, dad, sibs, granny, all... flew from his native Perth, Australia in 2021 to Grand Canyon University to play some hoop. After a couple of seasons, he found himself only playing 8 minutes a game, averaging 3 points, in other words, a DEEP HOLE. (Grand Canyon.. Foghorn might say, "That's a joke son.") While he appreciated their frankness, it wasn't fun to hear... "you won't be in our plans next year, but, ya wanna be the team manager?"
Fly home? Give up? Dream over
Nope, not yet, have mercy.... as in Detroit Mercy.
He done pretty good there. First, Athletic Director's Honor Roll.... Started 13 games his first year, averaged 14 points.... Second year, WOWZER, averaged 21 points a game, second in the league... 22nd in the Nation... Picture perfect post card to send back home? Well, except except, Mercy only won one game (MERCY), they got ridda the coach, AD, 3 professors, the Band Leader and a custodian.......AND.... Jayden, having one more year of eligibility, wanted Arizona insteada Grand Canyon... or Michigan insteada Detroit Mercy. The Best. I want to try to make it with the best.
West Virginia it is! YAY! BIG 12 BASKETBALL! "What's that?" they asked from back home... "It's a good thing, the biggest stage in the US." He was a good player. A good person. And then......
And then it happened.
Before the season ever got started - he fell and landed ON his head on the court. Devastating. Injuries to his head and neck - and, the worst, the loss of movement on his left side. 10,000 miles away from home - he was laid up in the hospital. Randy Meador, West Virginia's Athletic Trainer for 40 years, was a Godsend. D1 Basketball took a backseat to, will I be able to lead a normal life?
Siezures. ICU. Weeks, months of physical therapy. "You know, when you're focused on (small steps), he would buy into that." Meador said. "You know, we might not be ready for tomorrow, we might not be ready for the next game, but you're getting better each week, and that's just what we need. Cause the brain is either gonna get better or worse, so let's keep building off that."
"And it was really my grandma and my mom that kept breathing life into me," Stone said. "Always telling me to keep quoting scripture, realizing you can if you have faith for it, you know, to believe..... Just give God the glory, even if it doesn't happen the way you think it will."
PTL, Jayden Stone has recovered. Not in time to play at West Virginia... The Head Coach up and left for Indiana.... No team offer to return.. begs asking "Should we get all bent out of shape at these kids for their movments? I, for one, am happy of the fact that Jayden can just move! Both sides!
He thought he was 'done' in the US. Back to Perth. Then, Missouri Assistant Coach Kyle Smithpeters comes along. "We have a place for you." "I was, and am, amazed."
This blog is not finished. Neither is the Jayden Stone story. In six games for Mizzou, he was averaging 13 points, shooting 42% from 3 point range - darned if he didn't hurt his hand in practice and is now forced to recoup again, this time, 4 to 6 weeks.
PLEASE KNOW: I am Missouri biased. I admit. Still, I love life, basketball, good stories, people who work hard, and GOOD PEOPLE. He is all of the above. Below is a youtube preseason interview that tells the story of Earth here from Perth..WAY BETTER than I.
To me, if gives a wonderful look inside athletics... a wonderful look at a wonderful human who simply wants to do good, be good, be a good person, teammate, family member, etc.
It'll take up 12 minutes of your life. I promise, it's worth it.
Love, Victurd
I lied. Thirteen minutes. You're gonna have to copy and paste.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMYiL6CScGM
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