Last Game for Jeremy Jacob?

Probably so. With Jeremy Jacob's injury history and his less than stellar stats, his playing career is likely over after Oregon's loss to Washington in the NIT.

Jacob certainly got to see a lot of the country during his hoops-playing days. He played for two different high schools in Louisiana, graduated in 2006 and then in 2007 took a fifth year at a prep school in Virginia (Hargrave). Jacob then made his way to Athens, playing basketball for Coach Felton, but was sidelined by a stress fracture in his foot. Jacob ended up red-shirting the year that the Dawgs won the SEC Tournament (2007/2008).

The next year, Jacob was on the move. He transferred to Chipola College in Florida for the 2008/2009 season and played a year of juco ball. After Chipola, Jacob signed with Oregon for the 2009/2010 year. He contributed some, but in 2010, hurt his knee and had to have arthroscopic surgery.

Jacob played out his eligibility in three years of ball at Oregon, averaging 5.9 points per game for his career.

Although Jacob could perhaps play international ball, it is more likely that his travel as a basketball player has come to a halt. In any case, I wish him luck wherever his future takes him.

Oregon and Jeremy Jacob Face Vanderbilt

Should be a good way to kick off the season for both teams. I expect Vandy to win big, in spite of the fact that they are without Festus Ezeli, their key big man. As I've said before, playing in Vanderbilt's arena is really difficult because of the way their court configuration throws off an opposing player's depth perception. Oregon hasn't competed in Nashville before and Vanderbilt will have a huge home-court advantage.

At any rate, Vandy will be really good this year. The Commodores have just missed picking up a few victories in football. Won't be the case in hoops. They will spank some teams.

Oregon has a chance, since Tony Woods, the former UGA recruit, is eligible after sitting out as a transfer from Wake Forest. Jeremy Jacob says he's healthy. Hopefully, he can avoid serious knee problems this year. In the end, though, I expect that John Jenkins, Jeff Taylor and the rest of the Vandy cast should be able to run their motion offense and win by 10 to 15 points.

Ducks vs. Commodores

Jeremy Jacob has Surgery

The bad news keeps coming for Oregon. Jeremy Jacob, one of just ten scholarship players on the team's hoops roster, had arthroscopic surgery yesterday.

He'll be out three to six weeks.

Jacob took a redshirt year in 2008 when he was with the Dawgs due to a stress fracture in his right foot. Jacob transferred to a junior college at the end of the 2008 season, and from there was recruited to Oregon.

Hopefully Jacob can recover soon from this latest setback and contribute to the team as the season progresses.

Feel Bad for Jeremy Jacob

I have no clue on what Oregon is going to do for its head-coaching vacancy. Will they end up with someone good?

All the turmoil can't be good for Jeremy Jacob. As fans likely remember, Jacob left Georgia and played in Florida for a year. He then went to Oregon and battled his way into the starting line-up. However, Oregon under-performed in an under-performing PAC-10.

Oregon then made the difficult decision to make a coaching change. In the meanwhile, Jacob is stuck. If he transfers again, he would need to sit out another year. That's not a real option.

Next year will be Jacob's junior year, I think. Is Oregon likely to get any recruits that can make a difference in their win-loss record for next year? I doubt it. The more likely scenario is that Oregon will struggle again as they adjust to a new coach.

Jacob always impressed me as a humble student athlete. Has some real potential, but he needs the right system to show it, since he's a somewhat under-sized power forward.

Will Oregon be the best place for him to end his career? Not likely, but he'll have to make the best of it.

Jeremy Jacob Playing Well, Gets Press

Good picture of Jeremy. He has really started to come into his own out in Oregon, even though the Ducks are not winning. The PAC-10 is not very competitive this year, but unfortunately, Oregon has seen their starting center, Michael Dunigan, go down with an injury.

The fact that Dunigan is not playing has meant more opportunity for Jacob, and he is making the most of it.

Jacob

Jeremy Jacob Scores Career High

Jacob scored 19 points in Oregon's victory over USC on Saturday. Jacob shot 5 of 10 from the field and an impressive 9 of 11 from the free throw line.

Jeremy is earning more playing time as Oregon tries to move up in the Pac-10 standings. Oregon is 4 and 5 in the conference today.

Jeremy Jacob Video

Oregon is glad to have Jeremy Jacob. He is averaging 5 points and 4 rebounds a contest in somewhat limited minutes.

Malcolm Armstead, Jacob's teammate from Chipola Junior College, is getting more playing time, but the two each are contributing, and they support each other as they go to school far away from home.

Jacob

Jeremy Jacob and Oregon Ducks Lose

Oregon lost to Montana, a team from the Big Sky Conference. Had to be a set-back for the Ducks.

Jeremy Jacob, formerly of UGA, was largely ineffective. He went 2 of 9 from the field. Jacob has been used recently as the center for Oregon, due to the fact that Michael Dunigan has been injured.

I'll keep following Oregon and report back on how Jacob, Georgia native Teondre Williams, Billy Humphrey's cousin Matthew Humphrey, and others are doing.

Jeremy Jacob is Contributing for the Ducks

He plays center in their small line-up. They will press the ball and count on Jacob to hold it down in the post.

Jacob is averaging just 2 points over the first three games. He'll probably pick up the scoring as he gets more playing time.

Georgia native Teondre Williams is averaging 15 points for Oregon.

Jeremy Jacob Starts for Oregon

Jacob has made it into the starting lineup for the Oregon Ducks. During recent action, Jacob assisted Oregon to cruise to a victory over visiting Concordia.

Matthew Humphrey (cousin of former UGA player, Billy Humphrey) scored 10 points for Oregon. Teondre Williams, former UGA recruit, and a returning player for the Ducks, scored 12 points in 13 minutes.

Oregon seriously under-performed last year. They finished last in the PAC-10, and went 2 and 16 in the conference. Make no mistake about it, though. With players like Michael Dunigan, TaJuan Porter, Jeremy Jacob, Matthew Humphrey, and Teondre Williams, they have a lot of talent. Should be fun to keep tabs on whether they turn it around in '09/10.

Jeremy Jacob's Bio is Up

on the Oregon Ducks' site. Jacob looks somehow different in the picture.

At any rate, Jacob is officially with the Oregon team, now. As I have said previously, he has been around a good bit during his career. Couple of high schools, if I remember correctly, in Louisiana. Prep school on the east coast at Hargrave. Injury-abbreviated freshman year at Georgia. Juco year in Florida. Now he's considered a sophomore at Oregon. That's four schools in four years after he graduated from high school. Maybe he'll stick at Oregon.

Oregon can use the help. They were really bad last year. The Ducks can possibly turn it around in a big way if their sophomore center, Michael Dunnigan, plays big; if Tajuan Porter, their 5' 6" point guard plays fast; Jeremy Jacob contributes his all-around game; and they get something from Matthew Humphrey (6'5" wing, cousin of Billy Humphrey) and Teondre Williams (former player in the Atlanta metro area).

Jeremy Jacob Could Help Oregon

Hard to figure out this Oregon team. They were really bad this past season. I saw them play just once on t.v., and though it was early in the season, I thought they had enough to win some games in their conference.

Well, it was not to be. As the attached article states, they lost 23 games. That's a bunch. But all is not lost. Jeremy Jacob played fairly well last year at Chipola Junior College. Put him in the line-up with Dunigan and Porter, and he may help them get back in the swing of things.

I'll continue to follow his career and post updates every so often.

Sounds Familiar

Jeremy Jacob left the University of Georgia, went Juco for a year, and ended up, well,-- at the University of Georgia. Sort of.

Word earlier this year was that LSU was hot on Jacob's trail. LSU's new coach, Trent Johnson, was reportedly intrigued with Jacob and his all around game, physical toughness, rebounding and scoring ability. An LSU commitment would have taken Jacob back home to Baton Rouge, to the 27 and 7 team that won the SEC, and is one game away from the NCAA Tournament's Sweet Sixteen.

I admit that I lost track of the process, and I'm not sure whether LSU ever offered Jacob a scholarship. But I find it ironic that Jacob left Georgia, with its struggling program, last or next to last finish in the conference, coach on the hot seat, and unhappy boosters-- only to decide to go to Oregon.

It may yet work out for Jacob. Oregon's head coach could keep his job and come out of the blocks ready to win. They've got some nice pieces already.

But if things don't change quickly, Jacob could find himself at a basketball program in the midst of massive upheaval. If that's what he wanted, he could saved himself a cross country trip and stayed at UGA.

Looks Like Jeremy Jacob to Arkansas

I expect that Jeremy Jacob will commit to Arkansas this week.

Jacob, who had been recruited by LSU, UAB, Auburn, UK and others, had a final two of Arkansas and Oregon. Jacob has stated that he "loves the SEC," so it looks like UGA basketball with have to play against Jeremy Jacob, rather than with him.

Jeremy Jacob Performs at Chipola

Jeremy Jacob was on the JUCO equivalent of the big stage.

His team, Chipola, ranked #2 nationally for JUCO teams, was facing Indian Hills, the #1-ranked squad. Jacob had the ball at the free throw line. Chipola was up 1 point, and Jacob had been fouled. He was shooting the 1 and 1, and had a chance to ice the game.

Jacob missed the front end, and Indian Hills ran with the ball to the other end. Fortunately for Jacob and Chipola, Indian Hills missed a late 3-pointer, and the ensuing put-back was called off.

Big Stage

Jacob ended the game with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Jeremy Jacob to Arkansas?

Scout.com has a free article on Jeremy Jacob.

The highlights were the comments from Jacob's current JUCO coach, and the update on Jacob's recruiting. In scrimmages during the pre-season, Jacob has played tough defense and scored well in the post.

Jacob

As for his recruiting, Jacob lets it be known that Arkansas is his favorite. I had thought earlier that he would have been UAB-bound, but Arkansas impressed Jacob with the facilities, and his JUCO coach knows Pelphrey well.

Arkansas could be a great place for Jacob, but I don't get it. Georgia defeated Arkansas in Arkansas in 2006/2007, and in 2007/2008, Felton dispatched them twice, beating them by 13 at home and by 9 in the SEC Tournament.

Arkansas did bring in talent in its 2008 recruiting class, but they lost 5 players to graduation, and a sixth, Patrick Beverly, was dismissed from the team. It's not like Pelphrey will be easier to play for than Felton.

Why put your college career back another year by transferring to a JUCO and then going to a team that is arguably worse than the one you left? Perhaps it was the issue of playing time, but something else must be involved here.

Jeremy Jacob to Visit Arkansas

Scout.com is reporting that Jeremy Jacob will take a recruiting visit to Arkansas this weekend.

After leaving Georgia, it was thought that Jacob would end up attending LSU. There were reports that LSU's new coach was focusing some of his recruiting efforts at getting the best talent from Louisiana, and a Jacob commitment seemed to be in the cards.

Later, it was reported that Coach Mike Davis of UAB was attempting to bring Jacob in as part of UAB's haul of JUCO players from Florida's Chipola Junior College. Since UAB has signed Casey Mitchell and now, Jon Kreft, from Chipola, it seemed likely that Jacob would join the group.

The Arkansas visit is a new twist. It is possible that Georgia fans will get to see Jacob play in an SEC basketball contest, but not as a member of UGA's team.

Jon Kreft to UAB

Not really big news here, although Jon Kreft is a big player.

Kreft made the news way back when, when he was a 5-star recruit, if memory serves me. Anyway, I think he had an issue with drugs, which I won't repeat here.

The purpose for commenting on his commitment to UAB is to forecast what the future looks like for Jeremy Jacob, who was formerly with the University of Georgia. I'll keep this post somewhat short.

Jon Kreft committing to UAB makes it more likely that Jeremy Jacob will do the same. Jacob envisions playing one year at his new school, Chipola Junior College.

Jacob, then, will be coming out of Chipola at the same time as Casey Mitchell, a guard who is a UAB commit, and Jon Kreft. Jacob is being recruited by UAB. It would make it easy, or so it seems to me, for Jacob to continue playing with the guys he knows, those being his teammates from Chipola.

Jon Kreft's commitment gives UAB some real potential. Kreft is not a huge scorer or rebounder, but he does have some talent. Good shooting range for a big guy. Put Demarcus Cousins, Jeremy Jacob, Casey Mitchell and Kreft together, and you have a really good signing class. Tamir Jackson is still out there, I believe. If he re-commits to UAB, then they will have enough young talent to start making a move in their conference.

Final Results of the "Favorite Felton-Era Buzzer Beater" Poll

Well, the deadline for participating in the poll ran out. I had extended it already once, since this was just the second poll I've done, and I figured that it would be good to let the word get out about the Blog. But after a couple of days had passed and voting slowed down to barely a trickle, I thought it was time to allow the buzzer to sound on the poll itself.

I took the poll down today, but I wanted to record the results and make a few comments of my own.

Poll Results

There were 28 votes altogether, and Zac Swansey's shot to beat Kentucky took top place with 12 votes (42%).

There was a tie for second, between Steve Newman's long distance shot to beat Arkansas at Arkansas, and the three from Levi Stukes against LSU in the "Do it for Broph" game. Each got 6 votes (21%).

Levi Stukes's shot to beat South Carolina got 3 votes (10%).

And coming in last place, but very significant nonetheless, was the Bliss bankshot to win the first game of the SEC Tournament, Georgia over Ole Miss (3%).

Thoughts

We have had some moments of a lot of joy, haven't we? It was a great run, from the times of not having enough players to even practice, to building up little by little. Sure, we had our share of setbacks along the way. Just when we were on the cusp, it seemed like something else would happen to throw a wrench in things and dampen our spirits. Our highest profile recruit went to the pro's. We've had injuries to key players, sudden decisions to transfer, academic suspensions, law enforcement issues, and dismissals. We've known the tragedy of losing a student athlete, and the pride of honoring his memory.

"Snake-bit," some might call Georgia's program. And try as we might, it was hard to disagree. The cards did seem to be stacked against us, as if fate itself resisted Georgia in our efforts to build a successful basketball program.

But ah, the buzzer beaters. The buzzer beaters were "atta-boys" to give us hope along the way. Although it's true that there are some things that cannot be changed, the buzzer beaters were noisy reminders of another truth: Fate cannot trump our individual and collective efforts, the hard work of a team. Not in basketball. And not in life.

Each time the improbable happened, each time that Georgia stuck around long enough to win at the final horn, we started to change our opinion. Slowly at first, perhaps. But after a few giddy hugs and high fives, a quiet confidence emerged. We sensed that Georgia could do it. We can cobble together a team of gritty competitors. We can win. We can make our mark in the SEC. And in the most unlikely of ways, in the most unusual of times, when not just Fate, but Mother Nature, opposing teams and SEC Officials' decisions seemed to team up against us, Georgia went on a remarkable run to claim the SEC Tournament Championship.


So voting for one buzzer beater, when all were important, was difficult for me. In the end, the Zac Swansey 3-pointer got my vote. UGA so rarely beats UK that I had to acknowledge it. Bunch of 3-stars beating a team of 5-stars, especially after Gaines had fouled out? Unlikely as a tightly defended last second 360 degree three-pointer. Great moment seeing Swansey walk off the court with his fist raised. That, and the photograph of those three Kentucky fans who registered their shock with wide eyes and covered mouths.

The Bliss buzzer beater was an incredible moment- the court-length drive by Corey Butler, the beautiful bounce pass, and the "get it up quick as you can barely over the rim" bankshot by Dave Bliss. The aftermath was my favorite Jeremy Jacob memory. Even though he was still on medical redshirt, Jacob had enough hops in his stress fracture-repaired legs to leap up on the back of Dave Bliss for an impromptu piggy-back ride. Dave Bliss' shot started Georgia's run to last year's championship in the SEC Tournament.

The Steve Newman jumper was special, if for no other reason because of Scott Howard's "holy schmokes" call that accompanied it. It also cemented Newman's place in UGA's basketball special moments.

And the Kevin Brophy-related shots by Levi Stukes. The first, to beat South Carolina, with Brophy and Stukes at the bottom of a pile of Dawgs players, celebrating the moment. The second, without Brophy on the floor, but everywhere in the memories of the team and of the fans. How special was it for UGA to "Do it for Broph" over LSU with Kevin Brophy's family in the audience?

We've had tragedy, joy, disappointments, hope-restoring buzzer beaters, even a tornado and a true "two-a-day."

And we have an SEC Tournament Championship.

Snake-bit? Nah. We're tenacious. We're competitors. We're overcomers. We're champions.

Go Dawgs!

Jeremy Jacob to UAB?

December 2006:

Channing Toney, concerned about his status on UGA's squad as a starter, and perhaps discouraged over an earlier suspension for academic reasons, decides to transfer. He ended up at UAB.

Fast Forward to 2008:

Jeremy Jacob, reportedly wanting to be the focal point of a team, opts to transfer from Georgia to Chipola Junior College. One of Chipola's key players, Casey Mitchell, is a UAB signee for the 2009/2010 season.

Will Jacob end up, like Toney, at UAB? It could happen.

When Jacob initially announced that he would leave UGA, it looked as if LSU would be his ultimate destination. LSU has the advantage of offering Jacob the opportunity to play in the SEC for a team based in his home town.

However, Rivals.com has reported that Jacob could be close to signing to play in Birmingham, not Baton Rouge. Although I can't access the Rivals article, I don't doubt their information. If Jacob has talked things over with Mitchell, they might want to try to play together after junior college.

The question is: Will Jacob be better off at UAB than at Georgia?

Channing Toney's experience suggests that the answer might be, "no."

Not too long after arriving in Birmingham, Toney was apparently part of an argument between several UAB basketball players. He was arrested in September 2007, and faced a fairly serious charge of physically harassing a police officer. Toney was disciplined by Coach Davis. As I recall, due to the combination of the transfer rules and the suspension, Toney missed the first 16 games of the year.

From a purely basketball perspective, UAB has arguably not proven to be a substantial improvement over Georgia for Toney. Toney averaged just over 9 points a game while at Georgia. He has averaged less than one basket more, right at 10.5 points per game, at UAB. In fact, his shooting percentage went down from his last year at Georgia.

While Toney is guaranteed starter minutes at UAB, it is likely that had he stuck with UGA, he would have been the starter anyway, given Mike Mercer's injury and later dismissal, and Billy Humphrey's knee problems and later dismissal.

Meanwhile, Toney is playing in Conference USA, which while a good conference, does not have the stature of the SEC. Although Conference USA boasts Memphis, a perennially powerful program, the conference's other teams, like Tulane, Central Florida and Houston, are not nearly as successful. Again, they are decent basketball programs, but not on the level of University of Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee and other SEC schools.

And as far as head to head comparisons are concerned, UAB has the advantage in games won last year. However, they played in the NIT. Georgia made it to the NCAA tournament and was the "feel good" story of the initial field of 64.

As for Jacob, he will arrive at UAB in 2009, if that's where he indeed ends up, and he will have to make his own way. Using Channing Toney's past year as a comparison to what Jacob might experience is somewhat unfair. Jacob's time there might go very well.

The fact remains, however, that if Jacob left Georgia so that he could be a starter or the focal point of the offense, he may or may not find what he wants at UAB. If Demarcous Cousins, UAB's top 2009 recruit, arrives, then chances are that Cousins will get a ton of shots. Casey Mitchell will shoot a lot. Jacob would probably get his share, but would that amount be more than what he would have gotten at UGA? It's impossible to predict.

Besides that, Jacob will be on his fourth year removed from high school. He played a year of post-high school ball at Hargrave, then went to Georgia and red-shirted. Next will be junior college. What happens if he's not happy at UAB?

It all might work out, and I wish Jacob well, especially since it looks like he won't be playing against UGA in the short term.