Terry shows off his hoops genes, plus hard work, for MJC

The conversations are filled with so much basketball insight that Blake Terry takes notes afterward.

He listens intently to Claude Terry, his grandfather, because Claude’s name virtually means basketball in Modesto. He was one of the best shooters produced by the Modesto City Schools and, later, set scoring records at Stanford.

So Blake, a fast-improving sophomore at Modesto Junior College, listens. And learns.

“He tells me to shoot the ball higher, with more arc,” Blake said. “He says to imagine a dot just above the center of the rim and focus on that.”

It worked for Claude, whose 20.6-point career scoring average remains a Stanford record 42 years after his last game. Later, Claude played in the ABA and the NBA for six years and parlayed that into coaching stints at Cal State Stanislaus (1984) and Seattle Pacific.

Simply, Blake Terry is fortified by serious basketball genes, and he acknowledges the heavy baggage they can bring. His father Shane was an All-Stanislaus District selection at Modesto Christian.

“It’s like we pass it on from generation to generation,” Shane said. “My father beat up on me on the court, so I beat up on Shane. It’s about all I can do against him now.”

Add it up, and it means a lot of expectations stacked on Blake’s shoulders.

“I think it’s a good pressure,” Blake said. “I was glad (his dad and Claude) were here last night.”

Indeed, both Claude and Shane live in Phoenix, Ariz. – they started an oil company together there and eventually sold it – and made a point to watch Blake and the Pirates during their loss to Napa Valley on Tuesday night at the 77th MJC Tournament. Blake scored 17 points that night and at times it seemed as though he had switched physiques.

Claude sat in the bleachers and witnessed first-hand the major hoops progress by his grandson. Blake scored 17 points that night.

Blake’s playing time was limited as an MJC freshman. His minutes increased as the season wore on, but he understood the hard work ahead.

“I didn’t play him enough. He should have gotten 15 to 20 minutes a game from mid-season on. I told him that,” MJC coach Paul Brogan said. “His time did go up toward the end.”

Still, Blake hit the off-season full-speed. He toiled in the weight room and now weighs about 195 pounds, more than 20 pounds bigger than a year ago. The 6-foot-2 guard is better equipped to deal with the bump-and-grind of collegiate basketball.

“I got thrown around a lot last year. I had to get stronger,” Blake said. “I could have sat down and pouted about not playing much. But the hard work is paying off.”

He also spent many hours perfecting his shot, his ball-handling and how to create space between him and his opponent. Working without the ball and watching film also filled his regimen.

The results are startling. He’s averaging 14.4 points per game with a free-throw percentage over 80 percent. More important – as the only returner on his team – he’s also asked to lead. So far so good.

“He’s setting a great example for how hard you have to work on the court, in the weight room and in the classroom,” Brogan said. “He’s the type of student-athlete we want to represent our program.”

For his part, Claude has told Blake about athletes with similar skill-sets. One of the best was Scott Brooks, the East Union High graduate and today the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brooks, only 5-10, was told at each level he lacked the physical and athletic tools. So he outworked the process.

Fast-forward to the Columbia College Classic nearly two weeks ago before MJC’s game against Reedley. Blake plodded through a routine warmup but was more relaxed than usual. It was a good sign.

He netted his first two three-pointers and, suddenly, he discovered a new gear. Before he was done, he connected on 10 of 15 shots (5 of 8 triples) en route to a career-high 31 points during a 73-66 Modesto win. Blake reached a new level and, of course, more confidence.

“Last year, I thought too much,” he said. “Now I try to be calm and have a clean conscience.”

His grandfather noticed.

“You never know how good you’ll be until you maximize your talents,” Claude Terry said. “I’m really happy for Blake. He’s a great kid and a great student. He’s got to be his own person, and he will. He’ll continue to get better because he has his head screwed on straight.”

Blake exemplifies the 3-7 Pirates, a hard-working team trying to find their identity, who play in today’s consolation bracket game at 6 o’clock against Mendocino.

Claude Terry’s grandson has made great inroads from his days as an All-Southern League star at Waterford High. Better still, he’s eager to find out where it leads him.

This story was originally published December 17, 2014 at 5:21 PM with the headline "Terry shows off his hoops genes, plus hard work, for MJC."