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

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 Talton’s parents — Jermaine and Maria — and his siblings accompanied him to a handful of NCAA Division I campuses with programs interested in landing the 6-foot-6 shooting guard who has the capability of being a dynamite defender.

The Quincy High School senior visited four schools — Western Illinois, Illinois State, SIU-Edwardsville and Drake — and came away with a good grasp of what he hopes to find.

“A place where I have a good relationship with the coaching staff and the team,” Talton said. “I want a place where I can come in and play my role. I’m always going to be a shooter, so I’m looking for an offense that revolves around shooting. Just a place where I can come in and have an impact.”

WIU is the only school to offer Talton a scholarship to date, but more will come.

“It’s been fun, but a little stressful too at some points,” Talton said. “I really just want to enjoy basketball after high school.”

The honorable mention all-stater found that enjoyment this summer with MPJ Elite, a program based in Columbia, Mo., and sponsored by Denver Nuggets swingman Michael Porter Jr.

“This summer, I gained a lot of confidence and matured a lot also,” Talton said. “Last season, the COVID season, it was tough. Just being able to go out and play and really enjoy basketball again helped me.”

Last winter, the Blue Devils struggled through a 3-12 season with Talton facing double- and triple-teams at times. He averaged 18.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, leading the Western Big 6 Conference in scoring and finishing second in the league with 14 blocked shots.

His ability to shoot the basketball isn’t being questioned by college recruiters. They’re asking: What else can he do?

That’s why he concentrated on agility and ballhandling throughout the offseason.

“I can shoot the ball and I know teams are going to run me off the line,” Talton said. “So just being able to create my own shot, get to the rim and create for others will be a big thing for me next year.”

He’s confident in his versatility.

“I can do a lot of things and you can put me in different spots and I can still impact the game,” Talton said. “I can impact the game on the defensive end just using my length and rebounding. I can create shots for other people because I’m a scorer and defenses treat me that way.

“It opens up a lot for other scorers.”

Arguably the most underrated part of his game is his defense, something college coaches are suddenly starting to realize.

“I was sitting in the office with the Drake coaches and the first thing they noticed was how many charges I took on my highlight tape,” Talton said. “Those things definitely stand out to them. You’re showing you put your teammates before yourself.”

His humility runs as deep as his drive, and that’s a combination college coaches relish.

Where that leads him remains to be seen, but he knows all eyes will be on him this winter and his approach to looming months of preparation shows he’s mature enough to handle it.

“Stay in the gym and get ready for the season,” Talton said. “I just have to be ready to play my game and help my teammates play their game.”