Time and Change Will Surely Show for Jason Singleton – Ohio State Buckeyes
2/24/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
February 24, 1999
By Alison Rasmus
OSU Athletics Communications
Although highly unlikely, at times this season it has seemed that these six words from ‘Carmen Ohio’ were written solely for Ohio State senior Jason Singleton. Tonight Singleton will play his last regular season home game at OSU. Singleton’s experiences the past four years have been unmatched. Time has worked to his benefit and the changes have been numerous.
To begin with the obvious, consider the turnaround the Buckeyes are experiencing this season. This year’s Ohio State team set a Big Ten record for the best turnaround from one season to the next. The Buckeyes finished 1-15 last year in the Big Ten. No team that finished in last place in the 30 NCAA Division I men’s basketball conferences can match OSU’s 1998-99 success. Ohio State has also gained its highest national ranking since the 1991-92 season.
Singleton has been waiting patiently for this type of success since he was a freshman. When he arrived from Detroit, Mich., as a freshman recruited by former head coach Randy Ayers, OSU basketball was a whole different beast. The coaching staff was completely different, as was the team. Of the eight freshmen Singleton came to OSU with, only one remains – Neshaun Coleman.
“The thing I am very happy about is that Jason is still here,” head coach Jim O’Brien said. “All of his guys who he came to school with are gone. Two years ago I gave Jason the opportunity to leave if he did not feel comfortable with the changes because all of his friends were departing. To his credit he decided he wanted to stay. I am really happy it has all worked out very well for him. He took a little bit of a chance to stay with the new coaches and that is why I will always give him a lot of respect. He has handled himself extremely well for the last two years.”
Singleton knew that OSU was the right place for him to be. “I liked Columbus as a city,” he said. “I liked OSU as a school, and to get a degree from Ohio State will be great. I liked the players on the team that were still here and I felt Coach O’Brien was a fair guy and I knew he was knowledgeable about the game. I just felt OSU was the place for me to stay.”
His decision has paid off. Singleton’s statistics have improved each season with Buckeyes. He has had the opportunity to travel to South Africa with his team during the summer of 1996, and just last summer to Italy with the Big Ten All-Stars — an experience that he feels has contributed to his success this season.
“It was a good experience for me” Singleton said. “I think over the summer I grew mentally and physically in order to come back for my senior year and do positive things.”
Singleton has made his senior season well worth all the time and change. He is averaging 9.7 points per game and his near 70 percent field goal percentage leads Ohio State and is among the best in the Big Ten. His aggressive defensive style has ignited crowds all season and made his final year that much sweeter.
“The way we are playing this year really benefits Jason,” O’Brien said. “I don’t think his game is as suited for half court as much as it is for going up and down, playing fast, pressing, and running. I think he is a very bright basketball player and a very good defender. He is one of a hand full of college basketball players who has the ability to guard point guards and power forwards. His body type allows him to do that. He has made major contributions to our team.”
Besides his skills on the court, Singleton’s job description as a senior also entails leaderships.
“Jason has been terrific.,” O’Brien said. “He has really demonstrated strong leadership abilities. He has been very mature and always works hard. He has been very team orientated.”
Remembering just one year ago when OSU was at its lowest point in 99 years, Singleton feels the change this year.
“It is a different feeling this year,” he said. “Since I have been here we have always had such support from the fans in Columbus. It has increased even more now that we are winning. They have been supportive through it all. Even though we were losing in the past, it is all worth it right now. Neshaun and I feel good about the season and ending on a winning note.”
Time has come and as Singleton looks towards the future, he simply wants to be successful.
“I hope to play basketball when I am done here at OSU,” Singleton said. “This is my goal and intention, but you never know what the future has in store for me. I just want to be successful,”
He has experienced it all during his four years at OSU — the losing seasons, the departure of teammates, friends, and coaches, the travel, and finally a successful senior campaign. He attributes his success at Ohio State to the support of his mother, cousin, and his cousin’s wife.
“I think OSU has been very good to me,” Singleton said. “I have grown a lot. I have seen a lot. I am going to miss it. Leaving, I know Ohio State will always be a part of me. I will always support OSU. I will definitely miss my good friends I have made over the years here, the coaching staff, and the fans in Columbus.”
Time and change have surely shown for Jason Singleton.
