It was cruel for Jackson State forward Grant Maxey to lose his senior season to a season-ending ankle injury, but more punishing to the Tiger fan sensibilities is how much the team misses his offense.
Maxey was the 2009 preseason Player of the Year, and for good reason. 16 points and six rebounds per put him at or just under the team lead in both categories as the Tigers advanced to the SWAC basketball championship game.
And with Maxey at the helm, the Tigers averaged 69 points per game and shot a respectable 43 percent from the field. Minus Maxey, scoring is down 11 points per contest and the offensive efficiency rests at a gurgling 38 percent from the field.
It says several things about the 1-10 Tigers. Primarily, that Maxey wasn’t just the focal point of the offense, but it’s emergency brake on early season scoring woes. Amidst a 1-10 start in the 08-09 season, the Tigers had just three losses of 20 points or more, and just one 30 point loss. This year, they’ve suffered four 20 point losses, including a 30 point crash against Baylor and a 53-point flameout against Tulsa.
Perhaps Maxey will obtain a medical redshirt for the lost season, and maybe JSU will have enough talent to supplant Alabama State as the conference tournament representative. But it’s clear that Grant Maxey is the author of a better brand of Tiger basketball, and minus his presence, this season’s story will be written on the fly.
