Jay Threatt, Pocket Protector
By Roscoe Nance
Delaware State point guard Jay Threatt isn't resting on his laurels after tying for No. 1 in the nation in steals last season.
Instead of spending the summer basking in the glory of his accomplishment, Threatt, who transferred from George Mason University and averaged 2.8 steals, pushed himself to have an even better second season.
The 5-11 junior understands that the best way to improve is by going against stiff competition, and it doesn't get much stiffer than the guys he works out with in Richmond, Va., his hometown. That would be 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans; guard Eric Maynor, who is in his second NBA season with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace.
"They teach me little things,'' Threatt says of his workout partners. "Some of the things I might know but forget. They tell me to be stronger with the ball, to play my game. They're like older brothers to me.''
Threatt shared the steals title with Duquesne University forward Damian Saunders. He says his main goal this past summer was to get healthy - he suffered a number of nagging injuries last season, which affected his shooting - and should improve his scoring. He averaged 7.9 points, third-best on the team, but only shot 36- percent from the field, including 26 percent behind the 3-point line.
"I'm attacking more, getting shots,'' he says. "I got defense down.''
Does he ever have defense down, especially when it comes to taking the ball from opponents. Threatt had at least one steal in 27 of the Hornets' 29 games; he had three or more steals in 15 contests, and tied the school record with nine versus Wilmington.
Threatt's performance is even more impressive considering the laundry list of injuries that he played with. They included a dislocated right index finger, a bruised bone in his right foot, a dislocated left shoulder, sprains in both ankles and back spasms that resulted from being rear-ended in a car accident.
"It was a rough season,'' he says. "But I always knew one thing I could control is defense. I focused on defense.''
Hornets coach Greg Jackson marvels that Threatt led the team in minutes played and didn't miss a game despite all the injuries last season.
"He never made an excuse,'' Jackson says. "I have had players who wouldn't compete with injuries. He was one of the ones who was always ready. He is always willing to put it on the line.''
Threatt started the season in scintillating fashion. He had 17 steals in the Hornets' first three games for an eye-popping 5.7 average. He wasn't aware that he was leading the nation until well into the season when a friend of his George Mason told him. Threatt didn't take his friend's news seriously, so he checked the NCAA stats for himself.
"When I saw it, I said, 'OK, that's my individual goal - to lead the nation,''' he says. "It meant a whole lot to lead the nation. Recognition on the national level, that's huge. It just kind of happened.''
Threatt says stealing the ball from an opponent is an art and a science.
He studies tapes of his opponents so he knows their plays. When a play is called, he knows where the ball is going, and he often is able to steal it.
"The rest is instinct,'' he says. "You have to play off instinct.''
Threatt says as the season progressed, it became increasingly difficult for him to pick his opponents' pockets.
"They tightened up their dribble,'' he says, "and they didn't put the ball in front of me. I had to be smarter. It's about being smart and having a high basketball IQ.''
Threatt says he changes his defensive strategy frequently during games to throw off his opponents. He will pressure his man in the backcourt at times and wait for him to cross half court on other occasions before picking him. He also says there are times when he will go an entire half without trying to steal the ball, lulling his opponent into a false sense of security.
"I'm more scientific about it,'' he says. "I wouldn't go for a risky steal that would hurt the team. I gamble more in half court than transition. You have to be smart and evaluate how you go about the game. You have to change things up. They watch tape and know what you're doing.''
The Hornets were the surprise team in the MEAC last season. They were second to Morgan State with an 11-5 conference record and 17-12 overall mark after going 8-24 in 2008-09 and finishing 10th out of 11 teams. Jackson says Threatt's play was largely responsible for the Hornets turnaround.
"He did an outstanding job for us,'' Jackson says. "He was the reason we had the success that we had. We were weak at point guard. He turned the team around; he turned our season around.''
Threatt has his sights set on an even better finish this season, and he is looking to be more a team leader and motivator to help ensure that the Hornets don't take a step backwards.
"The assists are there,'' he says. "The steals are there, and I rebound well for my size. I need to be a better leader with the young guys, be more patient and teach them what I'm learning.''