Jones dazzles, Schreacke shines and Talton scores in season debuts on college hardwood

Hannibal product Dezi Jones, right, led the Austin Peay men's basketball team to a 90-72 victory over Life University on Monday night in his debut with the Governors. | Photo courtesy Robert Smith, APSU Athletics

QUINCY — Three area basketball products enjoyed solid season debuts Monday. Hannibal’s Dezi Jones dazzled in his first game with the Austin Peay men’s basketball program. Quincy Notre Dame’s Abbey Schreacke helped the Missouri women’s basketball team open with a victory. And Quincy High School’s Jeremiah Talton reached double digits for the Lindenwood men. Jones,…

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JWCC’s Talton finds ‘great fit for me’ as he commits to play at Division I Lindenwood

After a stellar freshman season at John Wood Community College, former Quincy High School standout Jeremiah Talton has committed to play at NCAA Division I Lindenwood University. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Looking back now, the sidestep Jeremiah Talton took on his path to an NCAA Division I college basketball program might have been the best thing for him. Lindenwood University gets to see the benefits of that for the next three years. The John Wood Community College freshman swingman and former Quincy High School…

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Trail Blazers’ Talton earns Region 24 and MWAC Player of the Year honors

John Wood Community College freshman swingman Jeremiah Talton made 162 free throws — third most in NJCAA Division II this season — during a season in which he was named the Region 24 and Mid-West Athletic Conference Player of the Year. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — For the fifth straight season and the eighth time in the past 10 seasons, the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team has produced the Region 24 Player of the Year. This year, for just the second time in that stretch, the Trail Blazers swept three major postseason awards. Credit Jeremiah Talton for…

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Easy does it: JWCC shares basketball efficiently during critical stretch to earn win in MWAC opener

John Wood Community College forward Logan Robbins finishes a dunk over Spoon River College's Marquise Rue during the second half of Wednesday night's game at the Student Activity Center. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — While his players on the floor rotated back to play defense after Logan Robbins flushed a two-handed dunk off a nifty baseline bounce pass, John Wood Community College men’s basketball coach Brad Hoyt implored his bench with a familiar refrain. “See, make it easy,” Hoyt said. For a stretch of the second half…

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Talton breaks JWCC single-game 3-point record as Trail Blazers outlast Warriors in overtime

John Wood Community College freshman guard Jeremiah Talton made a single-game school record nine 3-pointers in Tuesday's overtime victory against Rend Lake at the Student Activity Center. | Muddy River Sports file photo

QUINCY — When Jeremiah Talton was deciding where the best college fit would be, the former Quincy High School all-state basketball player wanted to find a program with an offense tailor-made for his game. “I’m a shooter,” Talton said at the time. Opponents of the John Wood Community College men’s basketball team are figuring out…

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Trail Blazers pick up pace in second half, find space to excel offensively against Eagles

John Wood Community College guard Nolton Klingele, right, tries to deny the ball from Rock Valley's Jason Ernest during Friday night's game at the Student Activity Center on the JWCC campus. | Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Space equals pace. If the John Wood Community College men’s basketball players execute such a notion more consistently, the offense Trail Blazers coach Brad Hoyt has designed for this group will run more efficiently. The first seven minutes of the second half Friday night against Rock Valley College proved that point. Leading by…

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Shoot to thrill: Sizzling second half carries Illinois boys to victory in inaugural Muddy River Showcase

Illinois swingman Jeremiah Talton, left, gets hounded by Missouri guard Joshua Talton during Saturday's inaugural Muddy River Showcase at John Wood Community College's Student Activity Center. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The spirited battles Jeremiah and Joshua Talton have engaged in either on the family basketball court or during open gyms at John Wood Community College moved to a much more public and brighter stage Saturday. That didn’t mitigate Jeremiah’s height advantage. “Let me get to be about 6-foot-7 and then it would be…

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Muddy River Showcase: Boys game promises to be battle of wills with both sides loaded with talent

Quincy High School all-stater Jeremiah Talton will play for the Illinois all-stars in the inaugural Muddy River Showcase. | Photo courtesy Paul Baillaergon, Archview Photo

QUINCY — Greg Altmix floated the idea. The Muddy River Showcase organizing committee became enamored with it. And Brock Edris signed off on it. Right then, another level of intrigue was added to the Illinois vs. Missouri all-star basketball event. Quincy High School all-stater Jeremiah Talton originally declined his invitation to play in the boys…

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Search for right fit leads QHS all-stater Talton to JWCC to continue basketball career

Quincy High School's Jeremiah Talton, right, signed a national letter of intent Wednesday to play basketball at John Wood Community College. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton wanted to play for a college basketball coach he could build a relationship with beyond the court and a program that would help his game mature. He didn’t have to leave town to find the right combination. The Quincy High School all-state swingman signed his national letter of intent with John…

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QHS’s Talton de-commits from University of New Orleans, seeks ‘place that really, really fits me’

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton, right, received a release from his national letter of intent with the University of New Orleans and is in the process of selecting a new college home. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — The lure of an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship led Jeremiah Talton to make a hasty decision. He vows not to make the same mistake twice. The Quincy High School all-state swingman and Muddy River Sports Player of the Year received a release from his national letter of intent with the University of…

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Boys Basketball Player of the Year: QHS’s Talton puts character, maturity and joy on display

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton is the Muddy River Sports Player of the Year after a record-setting season leading the Blue Devils to the Class 4A super-sectionals. Photo courtesy Matt Kamp

QUINCY — So much of what Jeremiah Talton accomplished throughout his senior season boiled down to character and commitment, and his maturity as a player and a leader came to the forefront. Yet, there was still a kid in him, just the way it should be. Never was that more evident than after a Tuesday…

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Talton receives IBCA first-team all-state honors, Stephens and Klingele honored in Class 1A

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton, right, was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A all-state first team. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s senior season ranks as one of the best produced by a Quincy High School boys basketball player in the last quarter century. It’s fitting then he is only the second player in that span to receive first-team all-state honors. The 6-foot-6 Talton, who led the Blue Devils to a 28-6 season,…

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Blue Devils’ Talton named Western Big 6 MVP, joined on all-conference first team by Longcor

Quincy High School's Jeremiah Talton was named the Western Big 6 Conference MVP, as voted on by the league's coaches. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s impact on the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s success went far beyond points scored and 3-pointers made. Every coach in the Western Big 6 Conference felt that. It made it easy for them to vote for Talton, the 6-foot-6 senior swingman, as the WB6 most valuable player, the first season…

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Big game in the Big Easy: Quincy’s Talton commits to the University of New Orleans

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton verbally committed to the University of New Orleans on Friday. Photo courtesy Paul Baillaergon, Archview Photo

QUINCY — Cameron Bergman knew what was potentially transpiring as Jeremiah Talton chatted with University of New Orleans assistant basketball coach Kris Arkenberg following Tuesday night’s game against Galesburg. So Bergman, a senior on the Quincy High School boys basketball team, waited around to find out if there was any news. “Did you get it?”…

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The Devils made him do it: Talton powers QHS to outright WB6 championship with determined effort

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton scored a game-high 29 points Tuesday night in leading the Blue Devils to a 65-57 victory over Galesburg that clinched the Western Big 6 Conference championship. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton decided to act a little devilish. Envious of those who made winning a Western Big 6 Conference championship a point of pride within the Quincy High School boys basketball program and greedy enough to want to win the first WB6 crown of his career outright, Talton took that as inspiration and…

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Blue Devils maintain focus, Talton finds rhythm, and momentum is building following victory over Crimsons

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — With a monumental conference victory in its rear view and an outright championship to fight for looking ahead, the Quincy High School boys basketball team could have been caught lollygagging through Saturday night’s game. That didn’t happen. The Blue Devils scored the game’s first 15 points, held Jacksonville scoreless for the first…

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Blue Devils find footing after first quarter, figure out way to finally beat Statesmen

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton led the Blue Devils with 18 points in Saturday night's 62-54 victory over Webster Groves (Mo.) at Blue Devil Gym. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Coming off of its first Western Big 6 Conference setback of the season Friday night against Moline, the Quincy High School boys basketball team had less than 24 hours to wipe the memory clean. It turns out a few extra minutes were needed. Like eight extra. A slow first quarter offensively pinned the…

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Wharton wipeout: Blue Devils’ opportunity to go undefeated in WB6 ends with loss to Maroons

Moline freshman forward Trey Taylor, right, scores the first basket of Friday night's Western Big 6 Conference game while being defended by Quincy High School's Sam Mulherin. Matt Schuckman photo

MOLINE, Ill. — Momentum began to teeter in the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s direction Friday night when back-to-back baskets preceded the third quarter mask timeout. All the Blue Devils needed was a defensive stop or two when play resumed to sustain it. “(Assistant coach Bruce Bonness) mentioned that if we’re going to go…

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Shooting down records: Talton breaks Douglas’ single-season 3-point mark as Blue Devil romp

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton made seven 3-pointers in the first half Tuesday night against Alleman and in the process broke the single-season 3-point record with 69 made treys. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — Had Andy Douglas wanted to keep his single-season 3-point shooting record just a little while longer, he could have benched Jeremiah Talton after the senior sharpshooter made his fifth trey Tuesday night. “I should have,” Douglas said with a laugh. “That would have been hilarious.” Even if Douglas had taken Talton out, he…

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Talton finds rhythm, Blue Devils avenge loss at Roy S. Anderson Gym by barraging Railsplitters

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton made the second-most single-game 3-pointers in program history by making eight in Saturday night's 45-25 victory at Lincoln. Photo courtesy Paul Baillaergon, Archview Photo

LINCOLN, Ill. — Jeremiah Talton could tell during pregame warmups Saturday night the right ankle he had tweaked 24 hours prior wasn’t going to be an issue. “It’s actually feeling pretty good,” the Quincy High School senior swingman said. “As soon as I got out there, I wasn’t feeling anything.” He also knew he had…

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Beyond the Boxscore: Talton adjusts to physical defense, Blue Devils regain series control, Raiders look to rebound quickly

Quincy High School’s Jeremiah Talton, left, shoots while being challenge by Quincy Notre Dame’s Alex Connoyer during Saturday night’s game at the Pit. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton hurt. Understandably so. Friday night, in the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s 63-49 victory over Moline in Western Big 6 Conference play at Blue Devil Gym, the Maroons chose to defend the league’s leading scorer by putting a defender chest-to-chest with the 6-foot-6 swingman. Talton got bumped on every cut…

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Liquor Booth Shot of the Game: Jeremiah Talton finishes alley-oop dunk

Quincy High School's Jeremiah Talton throws down the second of his two dunks last weekend against Sterling at Blue Devil Gym. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton’s breakaway, one-handed dunk in the third quarter last Friday night against Sterling added the punctuation mark to another blowout by the Quincy High School boys basketball team. Yet, it was his alley-oop dunk in the second quarter that kickstarted the rout. The Blue Devils led 26-17 when the Golden Warriors called…

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King of the treys: Talton eclipses Smith’s record as QHS’s career leader in 3-pointers

Quincy High School senior swingman Jeremiah Talton rises to throw down a one-handed dunk during the third quarter of Friday night's 68-40 victory over Sterling in Western Big 6 Conference action at Blue Devil Gym. Photo courtesy Mathew Kirby

QUINCY — Each milestone Jeremiah Talton reaches and record he breaks serves as incentive for his younger teammates to shoot to surpass him. It won’t be easy. One game after becoming the 22nd player in the history of the Quincy High School boys basketball program to score 1,000 career points, the 6-foot-6 swingman reached another…

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Blue Devils open WB6 play with complete effort in dismantling Panthers

Quincy High School's bench reacts to a 3-pointer against United Township during their game at the Panther Den on Friday night in East Moline, Ill. Photo courtesy Meg McLaughlin/Dispatch-Argus

EAST MOLINE, Ill. — With United Township boys basketball coach Ryan Webber absent Friday night, the Panthers struggled to stay disciplined and couldn’t contain Quincy High School’s Jeremiah Talton in suffering a 70-39 loss in the Western Big 6 Conference opener. Webber was out with an undisclosed illness — Abel Zertuche filled in as head…

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Blue Devils show composure, Talton provides finishing touch on tourney title

The Quincy High School boys basketball team celebrates winning the championship of the 50th QHS Thanksgiving Tournament with Saturday's 73-53 victory over St. Mary's. Photo courtesy Linda Douglas

QUINCY — Based solely on the youthful aspect of the Quincy High School boys basketball team’s roster, composure isn’t an attribute most fans would associate with the Blue Devils. After this weekend, composure might be one of their strengths. With St. Mary’s of St. Louis constantly subbing players to run fresh bodies at Quincy and…

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Talton’s career-best scoring effort highlights return of QHS hoops and Thanksgiving Tournament

Quincy High School sophomore guard Tyler Sprick, center, pressures Lake Forest Academy's Shaedon Simpson as the Blue Devils' Jeremiah Talton lurks during Thursday night's game in the 50th QHS Thanksgiving Tournament. Photo courtesy Samantha Carmean

QUINCY — Jeremiah Talton left no chore undone Thanksgiving night. He even mopped the floor. With the Quincy High School boys basketball team leading Lake Forest Academy by 15 points with 4 minutes, 37 seconds remaining in regulation Thursday night, Talton slid into the middle of the lane and drew a charge on Caxys guard…

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Youthful Blue Devils to follow Talton’s lead as they turn page looking for future success

Junior guard Reid O'Brien, left, and senior swingman Jeremiah Talton will play significant roles for the Quincy High School boys basketball team this season. Matt Schuckman photo

QUINCY — It’s been nearly half a century since Bob Seger released “Turn the Page,” a song often covered by bands as acclaimed as Metallica that continues to be heard on classic rock radio stations. It might even be adopted by the Quincy High School boys basketball team as this season’s mantra. After enduring a…

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Blue Devils’ Talton uses recruiting to teach his younger brothers to dream big

Quincy High School senior shooting guard Jeremiah Talton visited four NCAA Division I schools during the summer and has received a scholarship offer from Western Illinois University. Submitted photo

QUINCY — The pursuit of the right college basketball program to call home drives Jeremiah Talton, but he found a deeper mission as he traveled throughout Illinois and Iowa visiting schools this summer. It centers around his three younger brothers. “I want them to see they can do big things, too,” Talton said. That’s why…

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