Baron & McClanaghan Return to Their Roots
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
You’re a young basketball player in Rhode Island and you really want to learn how to shoot. Why not go to one of the best?
This Friday at Bishop Hendricken High School in Warwick, boys and girls between the ages of 9-18 can do just that when former URI star Jimmy Baron and trainer to NBA stars Rob McClanaghan return to their alma mater for the first of what they hope will be an annual shooting clinic.
Basketball fans in Rhode Island know Jimmy Baron all too well. From his exploits in high school at Bishop Hendricken to his URI and Atlantic 10 record-breaking shooting skills, Baron is arguably the best shooter to have ever come out of this state. And that’s saying something when Joe “Sonar” Hassett also calls Rhode Island home.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTRhody fans who watched Jimmy play at the Ryan Center remember that opposing teams had to pick him up at midcourt or else suffer the consequences of his deadly range. How many times did Baron drain a long distance three from the CVS logo on the Ryan Center floor some 30-35 feet away from the basket? The answer is - lots!
McClanaghan may not be remembered as quite the sharp shooter as Baron but he was also a terrific player at Hendricken who went on to earn himself a spot on some very talented Syracuse basketball teams from 1998-2001.
What McClanaghan does now should be of particular interest to young basketball players. He helps train some of the NBA’s biggest and brightest stars.
“I have been working with Rob since I graduated from high school and the results speak for itself. His system and guidance have made me an NBA All-Star and I will work with Rob my entire career.”
Wonder whose words those are? Try 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls. You read that correctly. The man voted the best player in basketball this season is trained by none other than McClanaghan himself.
He’s not the only star in McClanaghan’s stable. There’s Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love and Al Horford, just to name a few.
Put McClanaghan and Baron together for 6 hours (9am-3pm) on the floor and it should make for some pretty good basketball instruction you would think.
While Jimmy Baron has yet to realize his dream of playing in the NBA, he has had a very successful career overseas thus far.
Baron currently plays for Lagun Aro GBC in Spain from the ACB League which is considered among Europe’s best. This past season he set the league’s all-time free throw shooting record while finishing 4th overall in scoring.
So if you know a young boy or girl who has aspirations of being a great shooter, you may want to have him or her stop by Bishop Hendricken on Friday because it will be an opportunity for them to learn from some of the best in the business who also happen to be homegrown talent.
