The Southern Jaguars made the winter nights in Baton Rouge a little bit more fun last season.  With one of the highest-powered offenses in the country the Jaguars ran their way to a solid third place finish in the regular season SWAC.  The Jaguars were one of a handful of Division 1 teams to average over 90 points a game and their offense led them to a terrific season.  It was not, however, enough to win the Conference tourney as the Jaguars were upset in the second round by their biggest rival in both basketball and on the gridiron in the Grambling Tigers.  To make matters worse the Jaguars were not even considered for the NIT despite a 20 win season. Coach Ben Jobe was left scratching his head on what happened against the Tigers and more importantly what it will take to get some national recognition and respect.  Well. it sure wasn’t their offense. 

Senior Bob Love was all the fans of Baton Rouge could ever want in a basketball star.  Love is a leader on and off the court and sets THE example of how to carry himself.  ‘Butterbean’ might not be the most outspoken guy in the world but he does not have to be as his actions speak volumes. He set the tone for his teammates with his incredible desire and his willingness to do anything to win.  When Love came to school he was a scrawny uncoordinated kid who looked like his only attribute was size.  He has changed all of that with hard work.  At six foot eight and now a solid 215 pounds Love was the primary post player for the Jaguars since he arrived four years ago from tiny Bastrop Louisiana.  He has learned some fine offensive moves and has the rare ambidextrous like ability to shoot well with either hand.  He could always score inside and out with a nice array of postups and drives but was a bit anxious about the change to Jobe’s new style of play.  Nothing to be worried about because it fit this long gangly stud to a T.  The best thing about the transition is it showcased Love’s ability (unknown before) to run the court.  He got so many easy baskets by just being the trailer on the vaunted Jaguars fastbreak that he became one of the leading scorers in the entire SWAC.  Combined with his inside prowess Love became the primary offensive weapon on this new patented offense.  Still, Love had other big responsibilities on the defensive end for this undersized team.  He has to guard the other team’s best big man most of the time as he was the biggest guy in most of Jobe’s lineups but with his athleticism is better suited as a swing forward.  To make the fast break you have to get the ball and rebounding is not Love’s strongest suit though he still averaged over 9 a game primarily due to his athleticism and length.  He is, however, one of the best defensive players in the SWAC who did well in his epic battles with much bigger men.  He will lock down an opponent and then go and beat him to the other end for an easy flush.  He has an array of shots and takes full advantage of his strength and quickness.  He has become the best offensive player in the league who can score on the post and running the court.  Love earned his first team All-Conference award and will be a great asset to any team at the next level.  He also has a great name.  Oh and btw who gave him the nickname ‘Butterbean?’  When you have as cool as name as Bob Love why would you need a nickname anyway?  Oh well just one more reason for the fans of Baton Rouge to love this guy. 

The Jaguars may have fit their nickname as well as any team in the country as they loved to run and boy did they look good doing it.  The Jaguars had a plethora of good back court players to choose from and all fulfilled their roles well.  At the wing they had a quartet of great scorers.  Juniors Tony Murphy, Ron ‘Clyde’ Barrow, Collie Davis, Gregory Green and Frankie Sanders combine with seniors Louis Bond and Jasper Wilson give the Jaguars as much offense from the wings as any team needed.  These guys can all light it up and love to run which is the bread and butter of the Jaguar offense.   Sanders and Barrow became the two starters and are the prototype wings.  Both can score on the run or from long distance.  Sanders uses his size a little better and will post up smaller guys but is most effective from long range.  Barrow has one of the silkiest smooth jump shots and is so cool they call him Clyde (no, not after the gangster). Green is a solid defender, which is much needed on this team, who shuts down the other team’s best player and still scores.  Murphy knows how to get inside and convert easy baskets with his quickness to the hoop but lost time to these bigger studs as the season progressed.  Murphy is instant offense off the bench and never lets the other team rest.  He and Davis are as good of scorers as any team has off the bench and the only negative to this foursome is that Jobe could not figure out a way to get them on the court together at the same time but he did try.  The Jaguars were as good as anyone when it came to their superb wings. 

Frankie J. Sanders is the real deal.  Just ask him   Sanders gave himself the middle initial that he claims stand for jump shot.  The kid from Dayton was the Mr. Ohio co-player of the year and was heavily recruited but somehow chose Southern University down in Baton Rouge Louisiana (cough yellow Cadillac).  At six foot six he can run, jump and shoot with anybody and we do mean anybody in the basketball world.  Frankie has never had any problems on the court as he can seemingly do whatever he wants no matter who he is up against.  He after all did average more than 30 points and 10 boards a game in high school and for most of his first two years Sanders has put up astonishing numbers.  His highlight reel skills fit to the T Jobe’s style of play as he can flat get up and down the court and will flat finish with a flair.  He can also post up or hit threes and is not afraid to let it fly no matter when and where he gets the ball.  Sanders has as much ‘game’ as you will ever find and was probably most upset when the ‘other’ team from Baton Rouge turned down the Jaguars offer to have a game.  Sanders wanted to show the world he could out shoot the Pistol and told everybody who would listen that Tigers Coach Dale Brown was afraid that he would show up his superstar.  Sanders has a way of getting under opposing coaches skin (ask Bill Musselman about that) but he can usually back it up though I am sure Shaq would have had something to say to the confident one.  The trip that hurt Sanders was the trip down to the Big Easy as he played awful and some say he started doing some things he shouldn’t have.  This kid has had problems with outside influences since he left Dayton but he had never seen a party like Bourbon Street and this 21 year old was not going to miss a party.  Sanders got off a bit off track and he not only missed a few games but he was put on the bench for a few games.  Some say he was not the same player after the Big Easy but Sanders still had a terrific season averaging almost 15 a game and over five boards.  It was good enough that many think he will declare hardship and go pro.  If he does have somebody he will listen to than they better tell this kid to stay in school for his senior year.  Not just to help take this team to the next level (which without him they will not have a chance) but because he is not ready for the bright lights and fast paced lifestyle (plus the money he will have at his disposal).  No doubt this kid can play with those guys up there as he really can ball but sometimes more is not always what you need.  After all if couldn’t handle the Big Easy or Bill Musselman and he came to Louisiana for a Cadillac than who knows what will happen in the Big Apple or with Phil Jackson or if they throw a Diamond Jubilee Continental at him?  To put it bluntly this kid’s basketball game is more than ready for the next level but his maturity level is not even close.  I guarantee you this.  Jobe wants him back and he has shown he will do whatever it takes to help this kid excel on the basketball court.  Now if he can help him off the court that would be something!

The Jaguars have just as much depth at the point.  Junior Tommy Green started out the season as the incumbent point guard and is a terrific leader.  This home town kid is extremely popular with the fans as he has led this team for the last three years and understands how the game is supposed to be played.  He has all of the skills to lead a team and loved the new fast paced style Jobe had implemented.  At six foot three he has the size and quickness to shut down other point guards.  Green is a terrific passer who loves setting up his teammates with easy baskets off the break and really understands his role.  Green got sick ten games in to the season and changed his future and the fortunes of the Jaguars.  No one knew if this kid was going to be able to make it back.  Jobe had to choose between three sophomores to lead the team and he made the right choice.  Sophomore Avery Johnson is the little engine that could.  Johnson became the quarterback of this team when Green went down.  He is a great penetrate and dish guy who not only loves the game of basketball but is a student of it as well.  He may not be much of a scorer but boy can he dish the rock.  He was top ten in the country in assists and was the catalyst to the Jaguars phenomenal fast break.  He voice may be a little high pitched but he is a warrior on the floor and backs down from no one no matter how big or how tough.  Green did come back for the stretch run and like the leader he is realized that the team was ‘running’ on all cylinders with Johnson at the wheel and became a valuable backup.  He sat right next to Jobe from the tipoff ready to go but also mentoring his teammates and when he went he changed seats with Johnson.  These two will coach someday as they truly understand the game and how to run not only the ‘break’ but half court sets.  And to be honest both could play at the next level if they keep distributing the ball like they did this year.  Of course that has much to do with who they were playing with.  The other two sophomores who were in the mix were Alvin Jackson and Carlos Sample.  These are good players who would have started for many other teams but played distinct roles for Jobe.  Jackson is a defensive specialist who can shut down the best guard on the other team.  Sample is a good shooter who can pass but neither got the time they deserved behind Green and Johnson. 

Center has been been the weak link to this incredibly strong chain for the Jaguars. Love has had to play here often though he is not suited for that game.  Jasper Wilson and Louis Bond have also played there but are way too small.  The only guy big enough to play there is junior Lionel Garrett.  This 6’9 230 pounder from Dayton (he came as a package deal with Sanders) has been slow in developing. He has had some big games but overall has been overmatched and does not run like Jobe wants even his big men to do.  He can board but his defense is not great.  Jobe is becoming impatient and has recruited almost all big men for the upcoming year including a JV kid, something this program never does.  There is a hierarchy here and like most great programs you have to wait which means sometimes redshirting a year and waiting your turn.  This happens here almost as much as BYU but these kids only miss 1 year but they almost always come back better.  Garrett will get first shot again but do not be surprised if one if not many of the newbies are playing serious minutes for the Jaguars. 

The bench for the Jaguars was led by Green, Murphy and Smylie but others stepped up in more limited roles.  A crew of Sophomore forwards will hopefully get some minutes after coming up from the JV.  Joe Faulkner, David Williams and Kevin Florent all can play and bring something different to the table.  One of these three could make the leap to starter this year but probably they will be solid backups who get much more minutes as Jobe works his system which includes developing these young kids into good people and students first and then basketball players.  

The Southern University Jaguars had a terrific season under Coach Ben Jobe.  The Jaguars ran a high octane offense that kept the fans of Baton Rouge coming back for more.  Too bad the Tigers (they hate Tigers at Southern) from across town refused to play them as that would have been a game for all time around the bayou.  Still, these Jaguars did show they can run with anyone. They finished third the SWAC regular season title behind a stud of a forward who works as hard as anybody on the planet and is a true gentleman.  Watch out for these Jaguars.  They are about to prey on the SWAC again.  And maybe even some Bayou Bengal blood.  And this time there will be no survivors!