I love Jason Preston's game and how it has blossomed, grown over his two-plus seasons playing in Athens. I'm extremely excited to see what the finished product will be next season as I hope and expect he'll stay in a Bobcat uniform.
The next step for Preston is to learn how to play like a MAC Player-of-the-Year (not candidate, the winner!). MVP's don't wait for the game to come to them; they keep the pressure on throughout the game. They inflict their will on the game when the situation calls for it and even when it doesn't. Player of the Year winners sense when they need to take over a game whether it be at the end, in the middle, or even in the first half if they sense things slipping away.
This came naturally to ballers such as Walter Luckett, Snoop Graham, Dave Jamerson, Gary Trent and D.J. Cooper. They were dominant high school players who were accustomed to having the brunt of the attention focused on them. They flourished, dominated in that role. Being somewhat "selfish" wasn't a negative, it was expected, actually helpful, as it opened up the game for their teammates.
This way of thinking and playing goes against Preston's nature and everything he's known as a basketball player. Even thinking he could be "The Man" couldn't have been anywhere on his radar before arriving in Athens, as he was just trying to find his way onto the court.
Preston has grown into being the team's best player and leader. I'm hoping he'll take that last step, taking the team with him. But understand, he's gonna have to learn how to do it on the fly, as nothing he did or learned in high school or prep school prepared him for ascending to King of the Hill status.
Last Edited: 1/23/2021 4:17:15 PM by FlashGary