June 1, 2007 – The ball is advanced down the court by [Troy Franklin, Jr.] a 5’10”, 170lb guard. He’s dribbling quickly, passing opponents attempting to stop his advancement. But this product of Baltimore, MD is not just blowing by guys, sizing up the defense and his teammates in the process: He’s doing so with pizzazz, patting the ball between his legs, taking it behind his back, looking off defenders.

Baltimore has long been known to produce guards with such style and panache, with names like Sam Cassell, Kevin Braswell, Mugsey Bogues, and last by not least, cousins Shawnta Rodgers and Kevin “Stink” Norris coming to mind. But the scenario presented above is not a blast from the past, it’s what junior Troy Franklin, Jr. – dubbed by i95Ballerz.com The B’More Blur - did in April’s Weber Easter Hoop Fest championship.

Franklin, who has played competitive hoops with the Baltimore Stars since he was around seven years old, has always been an exciting player. In some ways he was raised to be. “I’ve coached him all his life” shared Troy Franklin, Sr., the young guy’s dad, with a slight laugh. “My style has always been to be encouraging of a freestyle, up and down style. I would encourage a little flair”.

Attending Baltimore’s Mt. Carmel High School where he averaged 15 points and 5 assists per contest while leading the Cougars in points, assists, and steals, the exciting young Franklin continued his trademark style, where he has attracted serious recruiting attention.

Franklin, seen here during last season's Bullis Holiday Tournament, had individual game highs of 29 points, 11 assists, and 10 steals last year for the Cougars.

According to the elder Franklin, the schools to have offered scholarships to date are “Towson University, George Mason, Toledo”, while those expressing strong interest are “College of Charleston, Wagner, Niagara, UNLV, and Marshall”. Florida State, Penn State and Stanford have scouted ‘Lil’ Troy inconsistently.

When might the family decide? Troy’s dad indicated “I don’t know, he is going to do the circuit, going to do July (a crucial open period for recruiting). Initially, we were going to close this thing out, but now want to review all options”.

Those opportunities may grow exponentially, as Franklin not only played well during the April evaluation period, but has embraced the need to improve. Those around him have plotted the course.

“I think over the course of the summer, we are going to work on some things” shared Duane Davis, a long time Stars coach. “He needs to get a little bit stronger, and as far as basketball I.Q. will improve his clock management. His skill level is at the top, and we are trying to get him to close out games strong”.

The elder Franklin has no reason to believe Davis will not help his son successfully modify his game, as the latter “has done an excellent job of teaching him”. From Troy Sr.’s perspective, ‘Lil’ Troy needs to improve his decision making, or specifically his “recognition of situations”; i.e. learning when to score and when to utilize his teammates, as with Mt. Carmel, much of the scoring responsibility falls on his shoulders.

“He’s always been a point guard and a good passer” elaborated ‘Big’ Troy. “With (Henry) Sims, (Terrell) Vinson, and (Isaiah) Armwood (all talented Stars teammates), feeding those guys gives him some options”.

“If you have a Henry Sims”, the 6’10” center who recently committed to Georgetown, continued the Franklin’s patriarch, “on the block, you don’t have to put the cape on. Sometimes this game is all about simplicity”.

Franklin Sr., commented on their family's college requirments for Troy (above). "We are looking for the best academics and an immediate opportunity to play...We will pick best situation…dreams don’t die".

Though the Stars didn’t prevail in the April match up presented above, one against East Coast travel team power Triple Threat, the young Franklin led all scorers with 17 points, while also feeding his teammates and at times dictating pace – not a small feat given their opponent Triple Threat’s contingent of at least five future high to mid Division I level guards.

Davis was proud of the performance, stating “He played great. He really stepped up to the challenge”. The young man’s father was not surprised. “Guys like Brandon Jennings, or Chris Wright, those guys have had more games on a bigger stage” he opined, “but Troy has had decent success against those guys”. Resultantly, he expects similar output in the future.

If the young guy can do that consistently – which by all indications will happen – his list of schools will surely grow. And maybe, just maybe, future generations of Charm City ballers will put him in the esteemed class of fellow B’Mo guys like Cassell, Rodgers, and most recently the University of Illinois’ Chester Frazier.

Check back with i95Ballerz.com on not only The B’More Blur’s improvement, but recruitment as well.

Reprint from i95Ballerz.com 

Ron Bailey, Publisher