'Scoop' runs the show

Ah . . . Antonio "Scoop" Jardine

now

gets the point.

In his basketball development at Ss. Neumann-Goretti High, the Syracuse-bound senior floor leader has reached the stage where it's OK to be a shade selfish.

In fact, it's more than OK. It's expected. Truth be told, it's even demanded by his coach, Carl Arrigale, in the ever-popular no uncertain terms.

"When I don't do it, that's when I get in trouble," Jardine cracked.

The 6-3, 195-pound Jardine, his heart still pumping, his body rocking back and forth, talked yesterday outside N-G's locker room. Moments earlier he had completed a wonderful performance in a memory-making Catholic South game witnessed by an overflow crowd.

The final numbers, after a tense overtime session, were N-G 69, visiting St. Joseph's Prep 64, Jardine 32.

Thirty-two points? For a point guard? Aren't they supposed to pass?

"In that Roman game on Friday [one-point loss], you saw how I went away from the ball a little bit," Jardine said. "I got in trouble for that. Coach said in practice [Saturday] that he wants me with the ball, that he's going to live and die with it.

"All I want to do is make the right play at all times for me, my coaches and teammates. The times I do make turnovers, coach said he isn't going to count it against me."

In the interest of full disclosure, it must be mentioned Jardine did commit what could have been the turnover of the game.

As Jardine drove down the left side of the lane, with the score tied 56-56, Prep point guard Matt Griffin reached from behind and made the tip-away. Matt Williams recovered nearby on the floor and signaled for a quick timeout. Thirty-three seconds remained in regulation.

The Hawks held for a late shot. Griffin drove the right side and missed. Rob Coney could not connect on a tap. Larry Loughery grabbed the rebound while flying across the lane and tried to curl home the follow from the left side. No luck. Overtime.

Jardine made his only shot of overtime. His last of three assists came courtesy of an impressive lefthanded layup by sub Wali Hepburn, putting N-G ahead for good at 62-61 with 1:11 showing.

In all, Jardine shot 10-for-20 from the floor, 5-for-9 on threes, and 7-for-10 at the line. "Scouts always talk about the hitch in my shot and how I lean back too far," he said. "I lost confidence in my shot for a while, but like my grandpop says, you'll make your shots if you follow through." He added four rebounds and four steals and enjoyed the inside mastery of his 6-9 best-buddy, Rick Jackson, who will join him with the Orange.

Jackson collected 15 points, 20 rebounds and nine blocks and did not even raise Jardine's ire with his foul-shooting miseries (5-for-14).

"When he goes to the line, I think he's going to make it more than anybody," Jardine said. "You saw how he came through with two big ones [to make it 66-61 at 26.4 seconds]. That's how he is."

Jardine said he appreciated being given so much responsibility by Arrigale 2 years ago, and that he now understands the new twist because this lineup includes three underclassmen.

"The thing I need the most for the next level is how to get my own shot, and now I'm getting that chance," he said.

If he looks so confident, here's the reason: He spent many a summer day at a training facility going through weightlifting/agility sessions and then playing in pickup games against the likes of Jameer Nelson, Kyle Lowry, Matt Carroll, Wayne Ellington and many others.

"It was kind of hard for me in the beginning because they were a lot stronger, quicker and smarter," he said. "I had to adjust to it. If you're a basketball player, you can adjust to anything."

When Jardine was asked whether he gave Nelson facials, he laughed and said, "Jameer? Sure, all the time!"

Wait. You squared up and stuck jumpers in his face all the time?

"Not Jameer, necessarily," he sweetly amended. "Some of the college guards."

Jardine is pretty much returning to his youth. He routinely scorched defenders until entering high school and then was molded into a floor leader.

"When I get to Syracuse, I'm going to need all that again," he said. "But right here now, when it's time for me to shine [as a scorer], I'm trying to come through."

Football quarterback Mark Hatty, the sixth man, also was important to the win, totaling four of his six points and five of his seven rebounds in the extra session. Rashad Savage had 11 rebounds.

Griffin, recently offered scholarships by Rider and St. Peter's, had 16 points and five assists. Loughery mixed 10 points and 12 boards while Jim Mower bombed three treys en route to 20 points.

This game featured two significant spurts. The Prep roared to a 20-12 lead as N-G committed eight turnovers, but then the Saints slapped together a 28-11 run to seize a 40-31 lead. The Hawks forced overtime in part because Williams, a sub, buried three straight free throws at 1:40 after being fouled while launching a trey, reeling in N-G from a 55-51 pad.

But in the end, this was the Scoop: Jardine was just too successful at scoring almost at will. As ordered. *