David Jump chooses St. Catharine College

By Wade Holland

WilliamstownSportsReport.com

With suitors from as far west as Arizona and as far east as Florida and Philadelphia, and many points in between, Williamstown’s David Jump had plenty of options when choosing where to continue his education and basketball career. But in the end he followed his heart and chose to stay close to home at St. Catharine College near Springfield, Kentucky.

Jump, who finished his high school career at Williamstown as one of the best players to ever wear the Demons’ black and orange, made his decision official at a press conference held at Williamstown High School in front of a packed house that included family, friends, Williamstown school officials, Jump’s past and present coaches, the media, as well as members of the Williamstown High School basketball program.

Jump said in the end, the parallels between Williamstown and St. Catharine, both the campus and the community, were what attracted him to the NAIA

Flanked by St. Catharine coaches and his parents, Williamstown's David Jump puts his name on the dotted line.

Roger Harden (top) and Steve Sigmon (right) speak at the press conference. Harden coached Jump for the final two years of his high school career. Sigmon coached him his first two years of high school.

Williamstown's David Jump taking talent to St. Catharine College

Jamie Good and Dawn Morgan cut the cake and set up the refreshments at the press conference.

David’s dad, Jeff Jump, echoed what both his son and Coach Harden said, adding that David took his time to make the right decision and he feels good about the decision that was made.

“David was very picky when deciding where he was going to go,” said his father. “He looked at a lot of schools but he really liked St. Catherine because it was small. And he really connected with the coach. He is a country boy just like David.”

Another key to Jump’s decision was to not only play somewhere where he could be successful as a player, but also to play in a program that has had success. And when it comes to success, St. Catharine ranks right up there with the NAIA’s big boys year in and year out. The Patriots led the nation in scoring back-to-back seasons in recent years and routinely ranks among the Top 25 teams in

the nation. The Patriots advanced all the way to the Elite Eight last season.

St. Catharine plays in the tough Mid-South Conference, which has ranked as the top conference in NAIA basketball nearly every season for the last two decades. The National Championship is played in Kansas City, but the road to the championship goes through the Mid-South Conference.

"Our conference is pretty much number one in the country every year,” said St. Catharine College Coach Matt Taylor. “The Mid-South Conference’s top four or five teams are regulars at the national tourney. It's pretty much a Mid-South Conference Championship played in Kansas City.”

While playing against top-notch competition night in and night out is something Jump is already used to, it’s nothing like it will be at St. Catharine where the majority of players are Division 1 transfers. The St. Catharine program is led by those type players, with Jump being one of only two freshmen to make the varsity squad for the upcoming season.

"One of the first things I noticed about David is the way he shot the basketball,” said Taylor. “One thing I've always said is, there is always a place for a shooter. I love shooting. And like I told David, once he arrives on campus me and him will probably be shooting every day in the gym going against each other.

"We have a lot of talented players and a lot of big guys,” continued Taylor. “But we do have to have shooters, too. We don't normally sign a lot of high school players. We only have two on our varsity roster now. Most of our players are Division 1 transfers. So to get to our level as a high school player is very, very hard.

“Players like David are the key to us getting and being able to use the transfers we have, because we have to have shooters to spread the floor,” added the St. C coach. “Every school that is good on our schedule, they all have a four-year kid who can really shoot the basketball, who is tough enough to do it and get the shot off quick enough. And that's one of the first things I saw about David and I liked it.”

Going from being the star player on his high school team to the role he will play for St. Catharine will be a major adjustment for Jump, who is use to the adversity after having to overcome so much during his high school career. In short, he is no longer the big fish in a little pond, he’s now a little fish in an ocean.

"Like Coach Taylor told David, if he can make it through the first four weeks, he's got it made,” said Jeff Jump. “It's going to be a lot different for David. Here in Williamstown he is like a superstar. But when he gets to St. Catharine he's just David. But he will be fine. David is very laid back. He'll adjust.”

"Like I said to David when I was talking to him and his family, the first four weeks, you're probably going to be calling your mom, dad, girlfriend, friends, anyone who will answer the phone, wanting to come home,” said Coach Taylor. “I told him, the key to it is, tell every single one of them right now before you get to campus not to answer their phones.

"David is going to be going against players now that he’s never gone against in his life competition wise and physical wise,” added Taylor. “This is an entirely different level of basketball. It's a whole new speed, a lot bigger and faster players. It's a whole new world on the physical side of it.”

Besides playing against much better competition, Jump also has to adjust to college life, where basketball is more of a business and taken a lot more seriously than it was at the high school level. A normal day in the life of a college basketball player at St. Catharine, according to Coach Taylor, starts with a 6 a.m. practice, an hour workout between 8 and 11 a.m., followed by a weight lifting session, then another individual workout later in the afternoon. In between all of that, he has classes.

“That's one day,” said Taylor. “And that's barring that they don't make me mad in practice and we bring them back to practice again at 9 p.m., which is a possibility.”

Outside of what is required, most players work an additional hour or two per day, said Taylor, who added that the team also has a rule that every player take 500 shots per day outside of practice.

And that’s not all. All basketball players at St. Catharine are required to attend a two-hour study hall each day.

"No matter if you have a 4.0 or a 1.5, you will be in study hall,” said Taylor. “Because without good grades, you do not play.”

While those who know Jump best understand the uphill battle he faces in his first taste of being away from home, they do not worry about him making it. They’ve already seen the determination Jump has and know his work ethic will carry him.

"The main key to success for David, just like for any player, is to understand what his coach wants from him and know what his role is and then go in with the attitude that I'm going to do whatever I need to or whatever I can for the team to win,” said Harden, who knows exactly what Jump will be going through after playing four years in the NCAA for the Kentucky Wildcats before being drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers.

"Once you get to the next level, it has to be important to you to be successful at that level,” continued Harden. “Some kids are happy that they made it to that point. But it comes down to how important to you it is to be successful at the next level. Do you still have things you want to accomplish, or are you going to be satisfied to just have made it to that level and be on a team? Knowing David, he's a competitor and I look for him to develop into a player that they are going to look to to put points on the board for them.”

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school. St. Catharine is approximately 1.5 hours from his home in Williamstown and plays many times each year in cities about one hour from Williamstown.

"St. Catharine is a small school. And coming from a small school like Williamstown, I liked the close, tight-knit atmosphere at St. Catharine,” said Jump. “St. Catharine was perfect for me.”

Williamstown coach Roger Harden, who coached Jump for two years, agreed that St. Catharine was the right choice.

"We're elated for David,” said Harden. “Anytime a young man can go on to the next level and continue his education it's a great thing. David is going to get to experience a lot of things and see a lot of different places around the country and meet a lot of different types of people. And that's really what our basketball program is about at Williamstown is helping kids to be prepared for and reach the next level. We're all very proud of David. And he will continue to be a role model for the rest of the kids in our program. David is proof that if you work hard it will pay off.”