Down goes De'Jon: USD loses iron man

De’Jon Jackson made eye contact with the referee. His grimace was nearly indiscernible. The official stopped play and the gallant leader calmly limped to the sideline for the final time in his USD career.

That limp had become ubiquitous with Jackson. For the past two seasons the rugged warrior has carried the team on weary legs, through physical pain and mental exhaustion. The limp was his trademark, a badge of courage, empirical evidence of his relentless effort.

Jackson’s evolution over the past three years has been remarkable. He began as a defensive stopper and hustle guy. He did all the unrecognized dirty work, hustling for offensive rebounds and helping on defense. He chased down air balls and banged down low with bigger guys. His hustle was like Kevin Love’s outlet passes; no amount of exaggeration can replace witnessing it for yourself. He was the team’s best defender and pound for pound best rebounder. Offensively, he deferred to Brandon Johnson, Gyno Pomare and Rob Jones, serving mainly as a drive-and-dish three point threat. Toward the end of his sophomore year we all recognized Jackson as a crucial role player and a key to USD’s success. Then he hit “Jackson’s Jumper” and became a legend, etched forever in college basketball lore.

When Johnson was lost for the season last year, Jackson stepped up and became USD’s primary playmaker. The team began to thrive once he took over point guard duties late in conference play. Jackson shone brightly as a beacon of light through the dark storm of turmoil. As the suspensions and frustration mounted, Jackson trekked forward with the team firmly planted on his back. He led with dignified silence and extraordinary play.

By the start of this season, with Pomare graduated and Johnson recovering from injury, it was clear Jackson was the team’s best player. And within the first three games Jackson proved to be a bona fide 24-Hour Burrito Joint Player. He was the guy we could all rely on. He was the guy who would bail the team out of the most dire situations. Two in the morning, stomach growling, empty fridge? 24 Hour Burrito Joint. Tie game, two minutes left, six seconds on the shot clock? Just get the ball to De’Jon Jackson. Munchies kicking in, no viable drivers? The 24-Hour Burrito Joint is always within walking distance. Offense stalling, momentum swinging in favor of the other team? De’Jon Jackson will always create a good shot.

Whenever the Toreros needed a defensive stop, Jackson came through. Whenever the Toreros badly needed a bucket, Jackson came through. He knew when to get his teammates involved and when to put the team on his back.

“I knew he was going to be a good leader for us,” Bill Grier said in November. “I know he’s tough. I know he’s going to compete. The thing I felt he really needed to do to help us was step up and score, and he’s consistently done that for us. If he can continue to play like that he’s going to be an all-league player.”

And yet as De’Jon Jackson evolved, Billy-Ball regressed. At its best, Billy-Ball is smart shots, clock management and tenacious defense. Two years ago it put USD on the college basketball map after the Toreros grinded through Saint Mary’s and Gonzaga in the WCC tournament, then past UConn in the first round of March Madness. Billy-Ball allowed USD to control the tempo against more talented teams.

Billy-Ball is not about points, but rather efficiency, maximizing possessions. Two years ago the team shot 45 percent from the field. Last year they shot 43 percent. This year their field goal percentage has dropped to an appalling 40 percent.

The offensive system is now like that guy who wanders around the club, passing up semi-attractive girls for two hours, looking for the perfect girl, then suddenly realizes it’s 1:30 and desperately settles for the girl who looks like Steven Tyler. On most possessions, the Toreros pass the ball around for 30 seconds, passing up decent looks, then frantically get the ball to Johnson or Jackson who must hastily put up a contested three to beat the shot clock.

The offense is most effective after stops on defense, when the team feasts on transition threes and athletic drives. But when the stops aren’t coming, threes aren’t falling and the transition game is limited, the Toreros struggle to create easy points. The result is a consistently streaky team and potentially catastrophic snowball effects.

Such was the case against USF. For much of the first half, the Toreros stifled the Dons, wreaking havoc on traps and strips. But when USF, led by the most talented player in the conference, Dior Lowhorn, started getting into rhythm offensively, USD was forced to rely on their half-court offense, an especially daunting task considering the lack of a solid low-post scorer.

Having a low-post scorer in a half-court offense is as essential as having a lighter at a party. You may not smoke, but it’s a guaranteed conversation starter because you know somebody will eventually ask you if you have one. Similarly, the Toreros need not rely on low-post scoring. But a good post guy will guarantee a few easy buckets when the offense starts to sputter. One day, optimistically by tourney time though surely by next season, Chris Manresa will be that solid low-post scorer.

The USF game illustrated the dramatic fluctuations of the Toreros’ play. After building a double -digit lead in the first half, the team faltered during the middle 20 minutes of the game, giving up a 12-0 run, before eventually falling behind by seven with less than five minutes left. Then they made a valiant push, capped by an over-time inducing three by Chris Lewis, who has quietly been one of the team’s most reliable players all season.

In overtime, USD took a five point lead into the final 30 seconds. Then they missed free throws.  Then they allowed USF to snag an offensive rebound and drain a deep three. Then, with less than 10 seconds left, up by two, Brandon Johnson attempted to intentionally foul the USF ball handler as he crossed half court. Unfortunately, at that exact instant, the referees were struck by a sudden and mysterious blindness and the foul went uncalled. The ball went to USF guard Michael Williams who connected on the game-winning four point play. And just like, that it was over. Beaten by such a generic name. Toreros 70, Dons  72.