Cedrick Jackson
Points Reb Ass TO FG% 3PT% FT%
Freshman 4.1 3.6 1.7 1.3 34% 23% 59%
Sophomore 4.4 3.3 1.7 1.6 36% 12% 47%
Yes that says 12% for 3 point% in his sophomore year. It makes Boothe's 22% look lethal. Almost twice as good a shooter.
Don't get me wrong...he played hard for us and was a good defender but he did not belong in the Big East.
Do you even watch basketball games? He beat Syracuse this year on the road. He stifled Flynn when they were matched up. It was VERY impressive. If you are keeping track, they beat two very good Big East teams and lost only one cloes game all on the road the last two years. We haven't beaten one good team in the Big East in two years. We were 0 for the season against the top nine.
If you are so big on stats, how about the fact that Ced shot 39% from three last year as a two guard for Cleveland State. They beat Florida State, Butler, and West Virgnia.
This year he was moved to PG and early on a lot of his shots were off the bounce. He was shooting in the teens halfway through the year, but the coach took that priviledge away from him and now his three pt % is over 30%. In two years it is higher than ANY STJ player on our current roster.
Stats don't tell the whole story. Most players shoot in the teens or low twenties for shots they have to create from three. When you can set your feet and step into it, good shooters can easily hit 40-50%. It comes to selection and need. If you watched any CSU games you would know that their best player, J'Nathan Bullock is horribly inconsistent. He went scoreless in several halves and the pressure fell squarely on Ced's shoulders to produce in those situations.
How do you explain Ced averaging 36% from three the last two years?
Did you see Ced play a game at St. John's? He was horrible. Its not just about stats...but he didn't have a good handle...couldn't play point...and couldn't shoot. Stats just happen to back that up. I guess stats only matter if they back up your argument.
The Big East game was too much for him early on. Ced got a year off and was able to develop his game. No doubt he improved from the time he was at St. John's...but don't compare Ced's senior year in the Horizon league to Boothe's/Horne's sophomore year in the Big East. Compare Apples to Apples.
They didn't beat West Virginia...they beat Syracuse(which you've mentioned 7 times and is probably 1 of 2 games you've seen them play this year) and the powerhouse South Florida. They did beat Fla St. last year but does anyone else play for Cleveland St. or does Ced win games all by himself?
I don't know what your deal is. It is actually quite funny. You think mid-major ball is so bad. Are you serious? What is the difference between playing 10 games a year against Cincy through Depaul or Wright State through Detriot?
Cleveland State is a good basketball team and St. John's is not. Cleveland State would have done well in the Big East this year. In two games against Big East teams they won more games against the top nine than STJ did in a whole season of conference play. WV DESTROYED us. Syracuse beat us by 30 and laughed the whole time. They didn't laugh against CSU.
Obviously Ced is not the only player on the team, but he is the captain, he is 1st team all-conference, and he is the conference defensive player of the year.
You're right, though, he would have never cut it at St. John's! We are way to good. We only lost by an average of 19.6 ppg to the top eight in the league!
Good for Cedric. The kid was pushed out of here for a class that never even materialized. He could have just disappeared and faded away, but the kid had a chip on his shoulder and worked his a'ss off. He probably thought about Norm Roberts every single day he was bustin his a'ss.
He got himself a coach that knew how to make the most of his abilities. A coach that was at Rutgers and coached against Cedric. He knew how good of a player he was and that is why he brought him in.
And to answer your question, obviously I saw him play at St. John's. His offense was horrible, but I've never seen a kid that young play D like he did. The only word I have for it is inspring. He was in his man's grill the entire game, any rebound or loose ball near him was his and he was very good in transition.
His handle was and is not good, but he is smart enough now that he is in an offensive system to average 5.7 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 3.1 steals per game. He and his coach are aware of his weaknesses and limitations and play according to his strengths. He is a very good passer.
This is a serious question: have you ever played an organized sport in high school or beyond?