Williamstown Sports Report

Instead of letting all the attention his brother received while ranking among the state's top scorers and leading Williamstown to highs the program had not experienced in several years, Jon spent last season learning from, and basking in the glory of, his brother's achievements.

 

"The way Jon handled it, It really speaks of his character," said Williamstown Coach Roger Harden. "Jon played with a brother who got not only a lot of attention locally, but state wide and beyond. And Jon was always happy for David. But at the same time, Jon has always been his own man, too."

 

Jon, who was a full-time starter along side his brother a year ago and played a major role in allowing David to be able to play his game, said watching David succeed was easy because he was also having a lot of fun at the same time.

 

"People have asked if I felt overshadowed. No. Never," Jon said. "We're two different kinds of players so it never bothered me that he was having success. I was happy for him. I learned a lot from it. It was a great experience. I had a lot of fun."

 

Now, with brother David on the varsity roster at top-10 ranked St. Catharine College, it's Jon's time to take the experience he gained a year ago and use it to make his own legacy at Williamstown. And from what Coach Harden sees, Jon is well on his way.

 

"Jon has a tremendous work ethic. Every time the gym is open, he is here. And he is highly aggressive in the weight room," said Harden. "It matters to him whether or not he is good and it shows in his work ethic.

 

"And Jon is a real pleasure to coach," continued Harden. "He listens. He's a warrior on the court. He's blood and guts. He plays with a lot of heart and a lot of courage. Jon loves physical basketball. That really gets his motor going."

 

Among his strong points is a balanced offensive game which allows Jon to score inside and out.

 

"Jon can score in bunches," said Harden. "He has a good outside perimeter game and he goes to the hole like a baby bull. He can hit the 25-footer. But he also has great ability to create shots for other players as well, which makes the entire team more dangerous."

 

Already one of the better young players in the district and region a year ago, Jon has elevated his game over the summer and comes into the season as one of the region's top sophomores, and for good reason.

 

"His confidence is a lot better. And his ball handling has really come a long way, too," commented Harden. "And of course he plays with more poise. He's starting to see his role different than it was last year. I think he realizes that we need him to blossom into the scorer that he can be."

 

The first step to reaching his full potential is to overcome the growing pains that are common for players his age, which Jon's coach does not view as a problem at all.

 

"Jon's young, so he's going to go through some maturing experiences this year," said Harden. "But one thing I know about Jon, the way he reacts to adversity, he never stays down. He gets up and he comes back with more vigor."

 

Not just an athlete, Jon is also a good student and citizen who is well respected by his peers and viewed as a positive role model.

 

"Very, very fine young man. Very well mannered," Harden said of Jon. "He gets alone well with everybody. He is a person who loves to have fun and doesn't take himself too seriously, which is refreshing. He's happy for other players on our team when they experience success as well and it's always nice to have players like that on your team."

 

As for the future and what it may hold for Jon Jump, that all depends on Jon Jump and his continued work ethic.

 

"If Jon continues to work on the facets of his game like he does today, he will play at the next level," said Harden. "But right now it's all if's. Jon has to work hard for it to happen. But I believe Jon has already made the commitment to himself that he wants to be good and wants to play at the next level, so I expect him to continue to do what's necessary to reach that goal."

 

While playing college ball is a dream of his, Jon has more immediate concerns, like team success at Williamstown over the next three years. He understands there are some doubters who believe the Demons cannot continue to improve on last season's success after suffering such heavy losses to graduation.

 

What message would Jon have for the naysayers?

 

"Come to the games and find out," he said. "I think we are going to shock some people for being as young as we are."

 

Williamstown tips off the 2014/15 season on December 2 at Eminence.