JBL | The Quadaily 25, 2028 Season (Day 145): The Ballad of Jack Dawkins (UConn't Do It)
This was not how Jack Dawkins' college career was supposed to end.
The George Washington-turned-UConn star, the nation's second-leading scorer, the most polarizing draft prospect to enter the draft in years, sat at his locker after the Huskies' 82-76 loss to Michigan, one they gave away in the final 1:23.
Maybe it's fitting that the Jack Dawkins era of CJBL basketball ends with him achieving just one CJBL Tournament win. For all of the individual achievement and accolades, for the 2000+ points posted in his career, and, yes, for the achievement of leading a team to a #1 ranking (AP Poll, not ours) and a top seed in the tournament, it was, one last time, unfulfilled expectations that everyone has for Jack.
We'll get to this UConn team in a second.
In the end, Jack Dawkins is, quite possibly, what we think him to be...a dynamic scorer that could not will his teams to be better than they were. As far as the draft goes, that puts him in a weird position. He is not for a rebuilding team. His offensive game is polished enough that he should be able to contribute to a contender...but he is also not a likely starter. He averaged 4.2 turnovers a game with UConn (partly due to having to run the point guard spot when Corban Vance was off the floor), so making him a playmaker seems like a difficult decision to make.
As always, it depends on where the lottery falls. Come this Friday night, when the lottery is announced, we should have a better idea as to where he (and everyone else) will fall. But he is a niche player...which is what he always was, an interesting oddity.
It doesn't make him any less brilliant a basketball player. But every basketball player is as good as the players around him. And that's where the rest of the Huskies come on.
The Huskies should have been a #1 seed, because their resume dictated that. But one could also see their loss to Michigan coming. Jack led UConn with 29 points. Corban Vance, easily the next best player on this team (and in the discussion for best point guard in the country; UConn better hope he returns next season) had 14 points and 10 assists, against just one turnover.
The rest of the team? Alex Attia, who is supposed to be a top-shelf recruit, had just nine points. Zach Daniels, who has shown glimpses of being an absolute beast in the post, put up four points against seven turnovers.
UConn knew turnovers in this one well. They had 22 of them. In the final 1:23, they had three pivotal ones, by Attia, Daniels, and freshman power forward Darrion Fountain. Daniels also missed a dunk, Attia missed a three, and well...when you rely on kids who are consistently bailed out over the course of the season, expect their star to fade when called upon to shine.
The ultimate irony is this sordid tale: Jack Dawkins left George Washington to be part of a team where he didn't have to do it all. His collegiate career ended because his teammates, sans one, couldn't pull their own weight.
Of course, all of this is really burying the lede. Michigan played beautifully, and did not yield when UConn briefly came all the way back in the second half. Michigan led throughout the game (34:49 in Michigan control); they held the Huskies to just five second-chance points, while gaining 23 of them themselves. Michigan had 28 points off of turnovers, compared to just ten for the Huskies.
The script here, the one where UConn dominates the paint and deflections and steals, Michigan aptly stole; they pilfered the rock 13 times, compared to just nine for the Huskies. The Wolverines outrebounded UConn 34-28, and 15-7 on the offensive end.
That's how a team who shoots 39% from the field, and 32% from three, overcomes a team who shot 51% from the field, and 52% from three. The Huskies were 12-23 from beyond the arc.
Now, what can you say about Chris Knight, who posted 30-5-3 in this game? Sure, he had six turnovers. Okay, he was 8-20 from the field. Yes, he was 6-16. And we get it, nobody had more than 12 shots, that being Marquez Fleming off the bench. The rest of the starters had 18 shots combined.
Michigan has discovered their formula: Give the ball to Knight, and get the hell out of the way. His usage in this one (43.2%) serves three purposes: it puts the ball in the hands of the one person on the team who can score at any time, it masks the weaknesses of the other starters, and it makes others more efficient.
You know, what Jack does.
The Huskies, who have a spot among basketball's royalty, but to the extreme left of the throne, end their season at 31-6, and began an offseason full of questions.
Michigan, meanwhile, heads to a Sweet Sixteen matchup with, of course, the University of Massachusetts. The Minutemen handled NC State, 81-74, behind Twice-a-Day Eddie Maye's 26, which was gained on just nine shots.
That's what happens when you're 5-9 from the field, 4-6 from three, and 12-13 from the line.
UMass shot 26-30 from the line, which masked a 37.9% effort from the field, 36.7% from 30.
The Wolfpack shot 46% from the field, 31% from three (8-23), but 8-17 from the line.
Ouch.
With Justin Noel (11 pts, 9 ast), who will assuredly be the first point guard taken, leaving, the quesiton now turns to Peyten Blount, the brusier in the middle. He finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds. In a draft that severely lacks in centers, he could be in high demand. Despite a lower overall ranking, he could be the second center drafted, after Jeremy Sawvell. That could see him go as high as tenth in some scenarios.
How would you say no to that?
NC State is surely hoping he does.
In case yu're counting, we are fifth in the current CJBL pick'em rankings, behind All-ACC FTW, Michigan, St. Joe's Tournament Entry, and something called Comey's Bracket. We have the highest potential score remaining out of the top five.
So, naturally, this is where it'll all come crashing down.
Sweet Sixteen we got right: 12/16
Elite Eight remaining: 8/8
Our predictions for the rest:
Michigan 89, UMass 77. The Minutemen...um, time...is up. We have Michigan on to the Elite Eight. No stopping them now.
Illinois over Iowa State
Missouri 85, Utah 79. We don't feel like Utah matches up with Missouri very well. Could be that Utah starts two centers, and Stephon Thorpe is unathletic and an average defender and rebounder going up against Brandon Dampier. That could be the start of problems for the Utes in this one.
Kansas 78, Pitt 71. The Panthers are the feel-good story of the tournament not named UMass. But the Jayhakws are a terrible matchup for them. They'll keep it close until the game's final three minutes, but look for Kansas to slam the door shut around that time.
Maryland 71, Virginia 69. We had Arkansas upsetting Virginia. We have Maryland in the FInal Four. We aren't picking against the Terps now.
Colorado over North Carolina
Duke over Georgetown (this breaks our heart; we love G'Town)
Indiana over USC (in The This Hurts Classic)