Though his basketball career had been trending upward for a number of years, Jason Preston was progressing in relative anonymity. Until November 27, that is, when basketball fans across the country learned of the inspiring NBA prospect.
That was the night Preston’s Ohio Bobcats visited Illinois, a ranked team with national title aspirations—not a welcome atmosphere for a MAC team. But Preston, Ohio’s junior point guard, went toe-to-toe with Ayo Dosunmu, Illinois’ Player of the Year candidate.
Illinois won a nailbiter, 77-75, but Preston dazzled. He showed off precision passing and a plethora of smooth floaters and jumpers, finishing with 31 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and, most impressively, 0 turnovers.