TicketsBy Bill Koch
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – Eliel Nsoseme had just blocked a Richmond shot and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats were pushing the ball up the court with the final seconds ticking away on the clock. The ball went to Trevor Moore, who spotted Jackson Bart and hit him with a pass.
With no time to spare, although he didn't know it at the time, Bart released a 3-point shot that fell neatly through the net just before time expired in UC's 75-48 win over the Spiders last Tuesday night in the second round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
It took 13 games during his freshman season, plus five games of his sophomore year, but Bart finally had the first points of his college career.
That moment is special for any player, but especially for a walk-on and especially for a walk-on who had been through what Bart had before he arrived at UC last year. The fact that his dad, Tim, was on hand to see it made it even better.
"I wanted him to be there for my first points," Bart said. "It was a cool moment for both of us."
Bart, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward from Oklahoma City, was the second UC player that night to score his first career points. Moments earlier, another walk-on – 5-foot-10 freshman guard Sam Martin - dropped in two free throws with 1:18 left in the fifth appearance of his career to get into the scoring column.
"The first thing I thought is I've got to make these," Martin said. "I'm not going to get two free shots very often so I might as well take advantage of it while I've got the chance. I think a lot of the guys were excited, which is awesome, but for me I was like, if I'm going to play here I should be expected to make those shots."
For Bart, the path to those first three points was filled with injuries and family ordeals that forced him to sit out two years before landing at UC for the 2016-17 season.
"We had a lot of stuff happen back home," Bart said. "The year before I got here I had to take it off. I had surgeries on my stomach and I had broken my leg at Oral Roberts. My mother (Kristi) somewhat lost her leg in an accident a couple years before I got here. I had a grandfather pass away and my cousin passed away a few years ago. That made that moment even more special."
Bart averaged 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds during his senior year at Bartlesville High School. He played in one exhibition game at Oral Roberts before breaking his leg in practice during the first week of December 2014. He sat out the rest of that year and was planning to transfer, but ended up sitting out the next year too.
"I had ulcers on my esophagus and gallstones and that's when my mother's stuff happened too," Bart said. "I sat out that next season and stayed home and helped coach at my high school. I had to get myself right with the surgeries."
By then, Bart had decided he wanted a career in coaching and knew that he still wanted to play college basketball. He and his dad sent letters to schools looking for a place where he could walk on as a player and learn more about the game.
He was working out in the gym one day when his dad told him that Mark Berger, UC's director of basketball operations, had called to say the Bearcats had a spot for him. Jackson knew about the UC basketball program, but not about the city. When he visited, he said, he fell in love with both.
"I knew this place was perfect for me," he said.
Bart had missed his first five shots – two last year and three this season- so when he caught the pass from Moore he immediately looked to shoot.
"I thought I might as well just put it up because this was as good a chance as any," he said, "so I put it up. I didn't think it was good honestly. It went straight through and the buzzer went off. I was like, wow, I thought there was a lot more time. It was a cool feeling. After the initial shock went away, I was like, wow, I finally got my first bucket. I finally got to experience that.
"My dad was excited. I think he almost cried. The look on his face was unlike anything else. I made sure I got the stat sheet and gave it to him so he has something to show around and frame back home."
Martin's shot wasn't as dramatic, but it was no less noteworthy for a player who was an Associated Press second-team all-state selection as a senior at Summit and the Miami Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior and senior. He was also first-team all-state in soccer.
He said he probably could have played at a Division II or Division III school, but chose UC after the school offered him an academic scholarship. His father, Scott, coached him first at St. Xavier and then at Summit. And his Uncle Trent played basketball as a kid with UC coach Mick Cronin.
"He's a good player," Cronin said. "He'd be a staring point guard as a freshman somewhere (at a smaller school). You see when he gets in a game. He's got real speed."
Martin likely won't ever be a regular starter at UC, but he said the combination of the academic opportunity coupled with basketball is ideal for him.
"I know in the future I'm not going to play in the NBA, so I know I've got to set myself up with something that's going to be good for myself," Martin said. "I felt the business school would be perfect and then the basketball, you can't pass up something like that."
Cincinnati's third walk-on, sophomore guard John Koz from Cleveland, didn't make the trip to the Cayman Islands. He is still looking for his first points as a Bearcat. He's seen brief moments of playing time in nine games since joining the program, including three contests this season.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January 2015.
GoBearcats.com
CINCINNATI – Eliel Nsoseme had just blocked a Richmond shot and the University of Cincinnati Bearcats were pushing the ball up the court with the final seconds ticking away on the clock. The ball went to Trevor Moore, who spotted Jackson Bart and hit him with a pass.
With no time to spare, although he didn't know it at the time, Bart released a 3-point shot that fell neatly through the net just before time expired in UC's 75-48 win over the Spiders last Tuesday night in the second round of the Cayman Islands Classic.
It took 13 games during his freshman season, plus five games of his sophomore year, but Bart finally had the first points of his college career.
That moment is special for any player, but especially for a walk-on and especially for a walk-on who had been through what Bart had before he arrived at UC last year. The fact that his dad, Tim, was on hand to see it made it even better.
"I wanted him to be there for my first points," Bart said. "It was a cool moment for both of us."
Bart, a 6-foot-5 sophomore forward from Oklahoma City, was the second UC player that night to score his first career points. Moments earlier, another walk-on – 5-foot-10 freshman guard Sam Martin - dropped in two free throws with 1:18 left in the fifth appearance of his career to get into the scoring column.
"The first thing I thought is I've got to make these," Martin said. "I'm not going to get two free shots very often so I might as well take advantage of it while I've got the chance. I think a lot of the guys were excited, which is awesome, but for me I was like, if I'm going to play here I should be expected to make those shots."
For Bart, the path to those first three points was filled with injuries and family ordeals that forced him to sit out two years before landing at UC for the 2016-17 season.
"We had a lot of stuff happen back home," Bart said. "The year before I got here I had to take it off. I had surgeries on my stomach and I had broken my leg at Oral Roberts. My mother (Kristi) somewhat lost her leg in an accident a couple years before I got here. I had a grandfather pass away and my cousin passed away a few years ago. That made that moment even more special."
Bart averaged 9.5 points and 8.0 rebounds during his senior year at Bartlesville High School. He played in one exhibition game at Oral Roberts before breaking his leg in practice during the first week of December 2014. He sat out the rest of that year and was planning to transfer, but ended up sitting out the next year too.
"I had ulcers on my esophagus and gallstones and that's when my mother's stuff happened too," Bart said. "I sat out that next season and stayed home and helped coach at my high school. I had to get myself right with the surgeries."
By then, Bart had decided he wanted a career in coaching and knew that he still wanted to play college basketball. He and his dad sent letters to schools looking for a place where he could walk on as a player and learn more about the game.
He was working out in the gym one day when his dad told him that Mark Berger, UC's director of basketball operations, had called to say the Bearcats had a spot for him. Jackson knew about the UC basketball program, but not about the city. When he visited, he said, he fell in love with both.
"I knew this place was perfect for me," he said.
Bart had missed his first five shots – two last year and three this season- so when he caught the pass from Moore he immediately looked to shoot.
"I thought I might as well just put it up because this was as good a chance as any," he said, "so I put it up. I didn't think it was good honestly. It went straight through and the buzzer went off. I was like, wow, I thought there was a lot more time. It was a cool feeling. After the initial shock went away, I was like, wow, I finally got my first bucket. I finally got to experience that.
"My dad was excited. I think he almost cried. The look on his face was unlike anything else. I made sure I got the stat sheet and gave it to him so he has something to show around and frame back home."
Martin's shot wasn't as dramatic, but it was no less noteworthy for a player who was an Associated Press second-team all-state selection as a senior at Summit and the Miami Valley Conference Player of the Year as a junior and senior. He was also first-team all-state in soccer.
He said he probably could have played at a Division II or Division III school, but chose UC after the school offered him an academic scholarship. His father, Scott, coached him first at St. Xavier and then at Summit. And his Uncle Trent played basketball as a kid with UC coach Mick Cronin.
"He's a good player," Cronin said. "He'd be a staring point guard as a freshman somewhere (at a smaller school). You see when he gets in a game. He's got real speed."
Martin likely won't ever be a regular starter at UC, but he said the combination of the academic opportunity coupled with basketball is ideal for him.
"I know in the future I'm not going to play in the NBA, so I know I've got to set myself up with something that's going to be good for myself," Martin said. "I felt the business school would be perfect and then the basketball, you can't pass up something like that."
Cincinnati's third walk-on, sophomore guard John Koz from Cleveland, didn't make the trip to the Cayman Islands. He is still looking for his first points as a Bearcat. He's seen brief moments of playing time in nine games since joining the program, including three contests this season.
Bill Koch covered UC athletics for 27 years – 15 at The Cincinnati Post and 12 at The Cincinnati Enquirer – before joining the staff of GoBearcats.com in January 2015.