As the time ticks down to zero, the nervous and sweaty Jesuit student catches the pass and fires a shot from a few feet behind the three point line, praying that it goes in, hoping this will be his big break. As the shot soars through the air, the players freeze, watching the Spalding ball clinch the win with a swish.
These Jesuit students have been gathering in the Jesuit gyms on Sunday afternoons for JBA since January 13th and have been playing some quality basketball. Games consist of two teams of four players each, battling to the victory.
When Mr. Ken Howell, math teacher and director of JBA for about six years now, was asked how the field looked this year, he responded, “It looks pretty even. No one especially stands out because no team is blowing everybody out 15-2 or anything like that.”
When asked if he had any opinion on which teams will most likely perform, he said, “[Team] Tight looks good because when Mr. Murphy gets out there with the seniors, they seem to work well. The Pirate team is pretty good too.”
Of course, with any league, the game constantly evolves with changes taking place every year. When asked if any changes had taken place recently with the league, Mr. Howell said, “This year we decided we will do the awards at the end of the season a bit differently.
The owners all said they wanted something they could physically wear a lot instead of the rings. So, we are getting shirts and shorts with “champions” on them, and then, of course, there’s still the Mavs game.” With these enticing rewards, any student would want to compete at their very best level to win.
However, Mr. Howell notes that the league is important to guys because of the innate “competitive edge” from all the students. He continued to say that the competition definitely made the league special and that the league would definitely have dropped off if this edge wasn’t present.
One student, Dominic Iannelli ’15, voiced his opinion on why JBA has been fun: “It’s a competitive league where you always scrimmage and never have to practice. It’s a fun way to see a bunch of your friends on the weekends.”
Finally, when asked if the group of students that played had changed at all, Mr. Howell responded, “It definitely has gotten younger.
A few years ago we started the JBDL (Jesuit Basketball Developmental League) which gives guys a chance who aren’t necessarily as athletic or talented as some of the other guys to compete with each other when they’re younger.” He reasoned that this can build some great chemistry and this probably accounts for the league looking so even this year.
As JBA continues, we can all sit on the edge of our seats as we watch the surprising twists and turns of the league unveil themselves. Good luck to all JBA teams!
