Pennsylvania two-sport star on his way to Bucknell for basketball, but not closing any doors on football just yet.
A true scholar-athlete, J.C. Show is headed to Bucknell of the Patriot League to play basketball.
Photo by Ken Inness
Reebok and MaxPreps are teaming up to recognize the nation's most dynamic high school athletes. The month-long series continues today with a look at
J.C. Show, a rising senior basketball/football star at
Abington Heights (Clarks Summit, Pa.).
Show committed to play basketball for Bucknell in June, but leaving the gridiron behind won't be an easy task. "It was a very, very tough decision," Show said of electing to pursue hoops in college. "A month from now when football starts, I would tell you that football is my favorite sport. In January, I would say basketball."
Show hasn't completely closed the door on football, where he doubles up for Abington Heights as a wide receiver and defensive back.
See our special J.C. Show photo gallery
"I've even thought about pursuing a Master's degree so I can use my fifth year to try and play football," Show said. "I'm open to anything and I love both sports, but when somebody is paying for your education, I owe it to my teammates and coaches to be totally committed."
A deep bone bruise took the 6-foot-2 guard out of action for the remainder of the AAU basketball slate this summer, but the extra rest could be a blessing as he prepares to build on his accomplishments as a junior at the Scranton-area school.
Show was a member of the Pennsylvania Football News All-Academic Gold Team (3.8-4.0 grade point average) and earned Class AAA All-State honors on the hardwood after leading the Comets to one of the best seasons in school history.
See all the Reebok Dynamic Athletes{PAGEBREAK}
J.C. SHOW BIO
Along with his athletic prowess, Show maintains a stellar record in the classroom.
Photo by Ken Inness
Clarks Summit, Pa.
School: Abington Heights High School (enrollment 1,160)
Class: 2014
Sports: Football (wide receiver/defensive back), basketball (guard)
College plans: Committed to play basketball at Bucknell University, one of the most prestigious academic institutions in the country and a member of the Patriot League.
The Bucknell-bound Show was also recruited by schools
like Davidson and Penn.
Photo by Ken Inness
Show had plenty of options before making a pledge to Bucknell in late June. Binghamton, Davidson, La Salle, Liberty, Penn, Villanova and Winthrop had all shown interest or were actively recruiting him for basketball.
Army, Colgate, Lafayette and Yale were interested in him on the gridiron. As a lifelong fan of the Penn State football program, it was a special thrill to receive interest from the Nittany Lions and be invited to campus for a visit.
Favorite athlete: Show's favorite athletes are as wide-ranging as his athletic talent. Larry Bird, Jimmer Fredette, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Troy Polamalu, Tim Tebow and Hines Ward all earned a mention.
Tebow, in particular, stands out.
"Watching him in Denver have success and then going through adversity, I like observing how he handles everything," Show said.
Fredette is also a source of inspiration as a former under-the-radar recruit coming out of high school who reached the NBA.
Coach's kid: Show's father, Mike, is the head men's basketball coach and athletic director at Bible Baptist College in Clarks Summit. J.C. has grown up around the program his father took over in 1994.
"He's taught me everything I know about the game," said J.C., who has entertained thoughts of following a similar path as his father and pursuing coaching.{PAGEBREAK}
SHOW ON THE COURT
Show made national headlines when he hit a buzzer beater to win a playoff game last season.
Photo by Ken Inness
Show led Abington Heights to a special winter as a junior. The Comets went 27-3 and won 17 games in a row from mid-January to mid-March en route to the Class AAA quarterfinals. Heights was bounced from the state playoffs by eventual state champ Imhotep Charter of Philadelphia.
"Last year was really special, hard to even put into words," Show said of his junior basketball campaign. "I grew up playing with a lot of those guys and I think we had one of the best records in school history. We just ran into the buzzsaw in the wrong round."
Among Show's other hardwood highlights;
* Averaged 18.9 points, 4.2 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game as a junior for head coach Ken Bianchi. Poured in a season-high 33 points – including nine 3-pointers – in a December victory over Holy Redeemer.
* Earned first team Class AAA All-State honors from the Pennsylvania Sports Writers. Other first team selections included Providence signee Brandon Austin of Imhotep Charter, Virginia Tech signee Devin Wilson of Montour and fellow 2014 star Ja'Quan Newton of Neumann-Goretti.
* Shot 48 percent from 3-point range and 76 percent from the free throw line as a junior.
*
Hit a buzzer beater against Scranton Prep to help Comets advance to district championship game, finishing with a game-high 32 points.
* Helped Abington Heights go 24-6 with another Class AAA quarterfinal appearance as a sophomore in 2011-12.{PAGEBREAK}
SHOW ON THE GRIDIRON
Show is a two-way player for the Comet football team, adding major contributions as a receiver and as a defensive back.
Photo by Ken Inness
Ever the dynamic athlete, Show starred on both sides of the ball as a junior at Abington Heights. Thanks in part to his efforts, the Comets went 10-3 and reached the Class AAA state playoffs.
* Show was the go-to receiver for the Comets, hauling in 48 passes for 837 yards and 10 touchdowns.
* On the defensive side of the ball, Show recorded 62 tackles, six tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and a pair of interceptions from his defensive back position.
* Opened junior season by catching nine passes for 138 yards and a TD in 28-0 win over Pittston. Also had 100-yard receiving performance against Wallenpaupack Area.
* Showed promise as a sophomore, tallying 482 receiving yards offensively and recording 25 tackles defensively.{PAGEBREAK}
VIDEO ON SHOW
