The Numbers
Min% | ORTG | POSS% | PPG | FG% | 2P% | RPG | OReb% | DReb% | BPG | FTRate | |
Season | 9.2 | 92.2 | 15.5% | 1.7 | 47.8% | 68.9% | 1.0 | 5.0% | 13.2% | 0.2 | 39.1 |
Obviously, for a player who only saw 112 minutes of action all season, there isn't a ton of data to analyze here. Conference numbers aren't included because Jack missed most of the B1G campaign with a stress fracture in his right foot. He played in 17 games, registering 29 points and 17 rebounds over 112 minutes. His relatively high field goal percentage (compared to Jon Graham and Brandon Taylor) is a good sign for a team that will be desperate for an inside finisher in 2013-14.
The Good
Jack is a classic "crafty lefty" who displayed some skill and athleticism around the basket as a freshman. He even showed a willingness to bang down low despite his lack of bulk. His slender 6'9" 210lb frame will benefit greatly from an entire offseason with Penn State's strength and conditioning program, and hopefully he'll be able to add the weight without hampering any athleticism.
The Bad
Like most freshman post players Jack was highly prone to committing fouls in 2012-13, averaging 6 per 40 minutes. He and Taylor will be relied upon more next season, and staying on the floor and out of foul trouble will be crucial to a team that currently lacks any real depth down low.
Best Performance
vs. Delaware St. - 12 min, 8 pts (4-5 FG), 3 reb, 1 blk
This was Jack's coming out party. The freshman played just twelve minutes but was able to make a large impact with eight points in a four minute span. He capped the run off with a blocked shot that displayed some of the athletic ability Pat Chambers talked about during preseason, and if all goes according to plan we should see more of this in 2013-14.
Next Season
Right now Jack is the team's x-factor. With Graham returning as the team's most experienced post player, Donovon has a real opportunity to seize serious playing time. We didn't get the full story on his game last year, but what we did see was generally positive. His skill set is unique on this roster--he has the best looking jumpshot of any forward on the team outside of Taylor--and it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him become a regular contributor in the rotation. Interestingly enough, Chambers had this to say at today's Coaching Caravan stop in Reading (Jack's hometown):
"I want that person to be able to make a jump shot, to catch & finish" Chambers on getting more from the 5 spot than defense & rebounding
— Brian Siegrist (@PSUSTRETCH) April 30, 2013
Final Grade: B
Jack showed flashes of what he could be, albeit against non-conference competition. If he was completely ready, he obviously would've earned more minutes on a team that lacked a competent backup to Sasa Borovnjak. It remains to be seen if the staff will bring in another big man in the incoming recruiting class, but if not we should see a healthy dose of Jack next season.
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