Netflix’s Newest Hit

By Ashton Slaughter

Photo via IMDB

“Last Chance U” has been one of Netflix’s most popular shows ever since the first season came out back in 2016. The outline of the now Emmy-winning show was very intriguing to people, as it seemed to be the perfect mix of sports and reality TV. For those of you that don’t know, the show is based around junior college athletes, or JUCO as it is more often referred to, as their whole season is being documented by Netflix. This show captures the hardships the team faces, the obstacles they overcome and emphasizes why it’s some of the athletes last chance to play (hence the name of the show). All five seasons of the show were great, as the teams were from places all over the country such as Mississippi, Kansas and California. These states were documented by showing several high-powered JUCO football teams. I personally loved each and every one of these seasons, but I think their newest spinoff: “Last Chance U: Basketball” is even better…and here’s why.

For starters, I have always preferred basketball to football, even though they are my two favorite sports. I also only played basketball, so these could be reasons why the show connected with me more, as I understand what could be going through a basketball player's mind rather than a football player. 

The show is set in Los Angeles, California, and the college the viewers get to follow is East Los Angeles College (ELAC). The Huskies are led by head coach John Mosley, a family-man who loves the game of basketball and cares for his players. When comparing him to the football coaches seen in the previous seasons, Mosley no doubt is the best coach in the series. The group of talented players is headlined by Joe Hampton, a former Penn State player that wound up at ELAC after failing drug tests at Penn State when he fell into a depressive state. Although he is a major hothead on-the-court, you can tell he has a genuine heart off-the-court. The show also highlights Deshaun Highler, a fiery competitor that is the captain of the Huskies. Highler is driven by the memory of his late-mother, who passed away from cancer, and his girlfriend, Kiera, who is also shown in the documentary. And last but not least, KJ Allen is also documented as the most athletic, classiest and kindest player at ELAC. He is arguably the most talented player there. 

Photo of Deshaun Highler, captain of the ELAC Huskies. Photo from POPSUGAR

Although viewers intimately follow the team throughout their winning season, we also get a glimpse of the team off-the-court. One of my favorite moments from the show is when the team goes on a team bonding trip to the woods. While in the woods, you see the players do impersonations of the coaches, talk about their favorite musicians and get scared of what creatures may be waiting for them in the dark. Personal moments like this make you feel deeply connected to the team, which only makes you want to cheer for them harder while they're on-the-court.

Photo of the team laughing during their team bonding trip in the woods. Photo from IndieWire.

If I need to persuade you even more, my whole family sat on the couch and binged this eight episode season in a day and a half. It is undoubtedly must-watch TV, as this show was an absolute slam dunk. If you are in need of another show to watch, go start “Last Chance U: Basketball.”