The Ja'Vance Coleman love fest

By Jeff Christian

and Darrell Copeland
The Collegian

For two seasons, Fresno State guard Ja’Vance Coleman torched opposing defenses from nearly every spot on the basketball floor.

Entering his senior season, Coleman had a 17.2 points per game average and was only three points shy of reaching 1,000 points for his Bulldogs career.

Unfortunately for Coleman, a senior season that was supposed to put an exclamation point on his career has been nothing short of a disaster.

Darrell Copeland III: There’s nothing like a little good news from the department of the Fresno State basketball team. And this news has that chicken soup for the soul kind of feel. Of course I’m talking about the return of Coleman, who has missed the last two Fresno State games due to personal reasons. To Ja’Vance: I really missed you. Thank you for rejoining the family.

Jeff Christian: I’ll second that DC3. It just wasn’t the same without No. 34 out there embarrassing defenders and constantly adjusting those baggy shorts.

DC3: I know what you’re saying, but if we’re gonna get specific about it, technically, Ja’Vance hasn’t embarrassed a defender for quite a while. But that’s why I’m holding out hope for the new Ja’Vance, or the new Ja’Vance who plays like the older Ja’Vance; the really good one. And the whole baggy shorts deal, he’s gotta do something with his hands while guys are shooting free throws.

JC: It’s obvious that Ja’Vance’s struggles this season have been most likely due to injury and confidence battles and the pressure of meeting demanding expectations. Imagine the pressure of having to perform at the highest level in front of your hometown fans and family.

DC3: You see, that’s one of the reasons why I love Ja’Vance so much, because he cares, even if he’s not playing at the level he’d like. Maybe he has more of a future in the NBA than most skeptics claim. He’d be perfect in one of those NBA Cares commercials. If I was a little kid, I’d be lovin’ it if Ja’Vance was holding me up like a trophy or reading me a book. Man, I love Ja’Vance.

JC: Yeah, if you talk to Ja’Vance’s teammates, they’ll tell you that he’s a great teammate and that he is always quick to offer encouragement. That is why we must take it upon ourselves to encourage Ja’Vance in his time of need.

DC3: Man, I can’t wait for Thursday’s game. The P.A. guy is gonna be doing a lot of “Ja’Vance! Coleman!” That means I’ll be doing a lot of ‘Yeah Ja’Vance’s!’”

JC: Yeah, I hope the fans at the Save Mart Center are dead silent when Fresno State has the ball so the only thing we hear is the swish of the net on a Ja’Vance 3-pointer.

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