The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

March 22, 2008

MSU's Jackson is picking up the scoring

By Dave Morrison

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — That Mountain State point guard Jarvis Jackson has turned into some kind of scorer for the Cougars in the NAIA tournament isn’t a surprise.

After all, he is a player who has been known to score points aplenty in the recent past.

His senior year of high school, Jackson scored 41 points in the South Carolina state championship game.

And he was a scorer in junior college, when he played shooting guard.

Knowing that, the appropriate question might be: Where has this been all season?

The Mountain State point guard, who had 17 Saturday in a 72-51 rout of Azusa Pacific in the NAIA quarterfinals, averaged just 8.2 points per game during the regular season.

In the NAIA tournament he is averaging 19.7 points, and he is averaging 16.2 in the postseason.

This from the guy who is the nation’s fourth-leading assist man?

“Jarvis is a special talent,” MSU leading scorer James Spencer said. “Yes, he’s picking up his scoring. But it’s not strange. He scores a lot in our pickup games all the time. His job during the season was to run the team. And he did that. He’d score most of his points when things broke down or if the shot clock was winding down. It wasn’t that he couldn’t score. He just didn’t need to.”

According to Spencer, Jackson has come up big because he is almost impossible to guard one-on-one.

“I haven’t seen a person who can guard him one-on-one,” Spencer said. “He just blows by people because of his speed. If people are going to hug me or Adron (Marshall), Jarvis is going to get the ball to the basket or feed the post players. It would be a mistake for teams to think Jarvis can’t score, though.”

Ironically, Jackson calls himself “the fourth option on this team.”

He’s probably right about that, being behind Spencer, Marshall and Jason McGriff, at least earlier this year.

Lately, though, he has been option No. 1.

Like his three-pointer after he missed a free throw early in the second half against Azusa Pacific. It was a shot that got the Cougars rolling.

Early in the year, he likely would have reset the offense.

Not now. When he is feeling it, he knows it.

“I was surprised how open I was,” he said of the shot. “But I’ve been shooting the ball well all tournament. I thought it was a shot I could knock down.”

Ironically, MSU coach Bob Bolen was saying “No!” when Jackson shot. As it swished through, that quickly changed to “Yes!”

“The thing is, he only took eight shots,” Bolen said. “Jarvis scored 17 points on just eight shots. That’s efficient. He’s done a great job of that all year. He keeps our offense running efficiently. He’s done an outstanding job whether it’s running the offense or scoring.”

If Jackson continues to play the way he has in the postseason, Mountain State is going to be a tough out in the NAIA’s Fab Four.

The Cougars play top-seeded and unbeaten Georgetown (Ky.) at 7:30 p.m. (CBSCS) Monday at the historic Municipal Auditorium.

Text Only
Sports
  • Big12logo.jpg Getting to know the Big 12 Conference

    As West Virginia University moves into the Big 12 Conference, here's one place to come to find out about all of the Mountaineers new league opponents.

    April 18, 2012 1 Photo

  • WVU releases 2012 football schedule

    West Virginia University has released its football schedule for 2012.

    WVU announced Tuesday it has settled a lawsuit with the Big East for an unspecified amount, clearing the way for the conference power Mountaineers to join the Big 12 in July in time for the fall football season.
     

    February 14, 2012

  • WVU settles Big East lawsuit

    West Virginia University announced Tuesday it has settled a lawsuit with the Big East for an unspecified amount, clearing the way for the Mountaineers to join the Big 12 in July.
    Athletic Director Oliver Luck said the terms of the deal were confidential and WVU wouldn’t release details. But Luck said no state, taxpayer, tuition or other academic dollars will be used in the settlement.

    February 14, 2012

  • Shannon leads Woodrow win; Weiford 3 keys Spartans

    February 14, 2012

  • Woodrow holds off Huntington

     It took Woodrow Wilson’s boys basketball team nearly three quarters to figure out that the backside lob was open in Huntington High’s zone.

    January 10, 2012

  • MSU hosts Rio Grande

    For the first time since 1995, Mountain State stands a little past the half-way point at the season with five losses.

    January 10, 2012

  • OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE - WVU to join Big 12 Conference

    The Big 12 Conference Board of Directors have voted unanimously to accept West Virginia University as a full conference member effective July 1, 2012.  The Mountaineers will begin competing in the Big 12 beginning with the 2012-13 athletic season.

    October 28, 2011

  • Friday update: Big East notified WVU leaving for Big 12

    The Big East says it has been notified that West Virginia is leaving the conference and joining the Big 12.

    October 28, 2011

  • Cardinals force Game 7 in World Series

    After one of the greatest games in baseball history, a 10-9, 11-inning victory over Texas in Game 6 in which the Cardinals were twice within one strike of elimination.

    October 28, 2011

  • Schiano sings WVU’s praises

    It hasn’t been the year that Rutgers coach Greg Schiano envisioned.
    Not close.

    December 1, 2010