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Getting Away With It: The Jackson Cainbridge Story (FBCB)
I arrived in Williamsburg in the fall of 2000, an aspiring journalism major, determined to be the next great sports reporter. Nobody noticed. All attention was turned to the men’s basketball team where the university’s president, Dr. Cainbridge had offered his son, Jackson a full scholarship. Needless to say, Coach Phelps did not share the same opinion of Jackson’s abilities.
Phelps was a pragmatist first and foremost. As a young coach, he never would have stood for that kind of interference on his team. But like all good soldiers, they simply reach a stage of life where they no longer wish to fight the good fight. Phelps had been smart with money, and with his pension as a state employee, he was focused only on keeping a firm grasp on a comfortable retirement. Jackson had more basketball smarts than ability, and while he often knew what to do and where to go, he typically lacked the ability to get himself or the ball there. It was a tragedy, or maybe a blessing, that so much knowledge was separated from actual talent. The four-year playing career of Jackson Cainbridge was by all accounts a failure. The program declined every year in wins and prestige. Capable players that most likely would have considered William & Mary turned elsewhere, not wanting to be on a team coached by the university president. Mercifully, Jackson’s playing days came to an end, but not before he and I became acquaintances. I have to admit that at the time, I was more interested in getting to know him in hopes that it might help launch my career. He was pleasant enough once you got to know him, and in different circumstances he might have been popular on campus. Instead, he was mainly resented, although the true source of resentment was hard to trace. On the surface, most of my fellow students would bemoan his father’s interference publicly, all the while harboring jealousy that their silver spoons couldn’t do that. As our senior year approached, I think I can safely say that Jackson and I were friends. Maybe it was because he didn’t have many other chances, but friends we were. The outrage had subsided, and students had accepted the mediocrity the program found itself in. There was a glimmer of hope on the horizon though. It was widely speculated that this was Phelps’s last season, and we all knew that Jackson was out of eligibility. As a student at W&M, you know and understand that your athletic teams are never going to be on the same level as the big boys, but you at least want to be competitive in your conference, something we hadn’t seen while Jackson matriculated. The season finally came to a close, and Coach Phelps bid a teary farewell. He deserved a better send off than what he had to endure these past few years. After Phelps had finished speaking, Dr. Cainbridge took center stage. He thanked the coach for all he had done over the years. He promised a vigorous search for his replacement, a coach that would keep W&M’s academic and athletic traditions heading in the right direction. He fielded a few questions. Nobody asked him if he took responsibility for the state of the program. I wanted to, but for being friends with Jackson I probably would have. It was an important lesson to learn, one every journalist must. For at some point in your career, you’ll find yourself on the other side of a story from a friend. They never tell us that on the first day, perhaps they know that we’d never understand until we become jaded. As for me, I graduated in May, and took a job at the local newspaper covering W&M sports. As for Jackson, well let’s just say his dad pulled some strings and landed him a job…. as Phelps’s successor. I was shocked. Not that his dad would do such a thing, but that Jackson would go along with it. I was sure he was going to head to an Ivy League school for an MBA, then maybe Wall Street or D.C. Why would he stick his head back into the lion’s mouth by taking another bite off of daddy’s silver spoon? |
Jackson retained Phelps's assistants. They loathed him, but after their unsuccessful last four years, there weren't many teams seeking their services. Season ticket sales were an all-time low for the program.
Jackson attempted to schedule an incredibly easy schedule, hoping that he could at least post a winning record out of conference. But the cupboard was empty. The team tried its best, but they were just outmanned and outgunned. The result was a 6-23 record. But with Jackson enjoying incredible job security, we didn't even have the hope of a coaching change. Here's a chart from an AP writer summarizing that first season: Code:
William & Mary 2004 Season InfoAs a local writer, I was forced to endure many of the games. At the end of the season, it was hard to put a positive spin on the future of the program, and I almost laughed at my editor when he suggested I do so. Despite his failures on the court, Jackson had actually managed to sign a decent recruiting class. National publications ranked it as the 109th best in the nation, and 4th best in our conference. Here are the write ups for his first recruiting class. Code:
RECRUIT DETAILSCode:
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RECRUIT DETAILSStefan Cawthron was the highest rated player of the four man class. On paper, there was a glimmer of hope for the future, but that future would be another season away as Jackson announced that all four would redshirt. |
Jackson headed into another season knowing that he had only one fan, his dad. The alumni and student body were apathetic at best. Again, Jackson tried to build momentum with another cupcake schedule. The team actually had a 3-1 record at one point, but ended up with a worse final record than the first year, 5-24.
I still had the misfortune of watching most of the carnage live. Fortunately, our paper couldn't afford to send me to away games. Code:
William & Mary 2005 Season InfoNot much to get excited about. In my season ending write up, I mentioned that the team had scored more points a game, had fewer turnovers and shot a higher percentage. Empty praise, but praise nonetheless. However, once again, we were surprised that Jackson had managed to sign another solid class. Code:
RECRUIT DETAILSCode:
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RECRUIT DETAILSNational publications ranked it as the 81st best class in the country, and 4th best in the conference once again. Rumors swirled as to how Jackson had managed the feat, and many W&M alumni and students called the NCAA asking them to investigate the basketball program. The investigation never took place, and no reason was ever given as to why. |
Jackson's third season with the team as coach started off with another creampuff schedule. For the first time, he would have some of his recruits on the court, and all four would start enroute to a 5-5 nonconference record. Now, in most parts of the world, 5-5 against that trash would be a disgrace, but not here.
However, the team quickly came back to reality once conference play started. They were more competitive, but still lacked the depth to compete. The four freshman led the team to 5 conference wins, and to the second round of the conference tourney. Code:
William & Mary 2006 Season InfoJack Griffey, Stefan Cawthron and Dieudonne Pia were all selected to the conference freshman team. Jackson also did his recruiting magic once again, landing yet another solid class that would be ranked 126th in the country and 4th best in the conference once again. Code:
RECRUIT DETAILSCode:
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RECRUIT DETAILSThe team had taken a big step in the right direction, but trouble was lurking on the horizon. |
Trouble arrived that offseason with new allegations about improper recruiting. Dr. Cainbridge personally delivered all relevant documents to the NCAAs, and I wondered how Jackson would get out from under this. Two weeks later, the NCAA handed down their report and punishment, a lifetime ban and a year moratorium on recruiting.
The lifetime ban was part of the NCAA's renewed attempts to keep college basketball an amateur sport. Everyone knew that it was a possibility, but many assumed that it would never be used. As I looked over the report, my heart sank as I realized that it was the team's recruiting coordinator, Alfred Delancey who had received the ban. And as I sifted through the documents that Dr. Cainbridge had handed over, all roads led back to Delancey. As for Delancey, he left town in the middle of the night. I made numerous attempts to track him down, but he was gone. Despite all the distractions and the intense public speculation that Delancey had been set up to take the fall, the new season opened with a sense of hope. Seven of Jackson's recruits would suit up and hopefully provide the impetus for a new era. The team jumped out to a 6-0 start, and ended their nonconference play 8-4. Conference play was still a struggle, the team won 5 games again, but that still left them in last place. Code:
William & Mary 2007 Season InfoOn paper, it's easy to see the improvement. Benjamin Wasserman and Kenneth Dees made the conference freshman team. Code:
William & Mary Player Averages |
Well written.
Is this dead in the water? |
Nope, just a crazy past few days at work, will update soon.
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