| 28 October 2010
Jared Cunningham is elevating his game, and by all accounts, the OSU Beavers Men's Basketball team is, too.
Expectations are high for the Beavers in coach Craig Robinson's third year as the program aims to improve upon last season's 14-18 record (8-10 Pac-10). The Beavers are loaded with young, athletic talent, and Cunningham is one of the key pieces of the up-and-coming program.
"We're all young, only got a couple seniors this year, so we need some time, need to keep working hard, and things should show," Cunningham told Beyond the Beat last week.
One thing Cunningham will be showing off immediately is his improved leaping ability. Already bestowed the nickname "Flight," Cunningham increased his vertical leap from 42 to 44 inches in the offseason. The lean 6-foot-4 point guard earned a reputation around the Pac-10 for attacking the paint last season.
Cunningham played in a pro-am league over the summer near his home in the Bay Area of California, a league that included professional players from leagues overseas, and players from the NBA D-League. Cunningham said he averaged roughly 16 points per game, and a recently-released mixtape of the young guard's play in the pro-am highlights his leaping ability and his stronger frame.
As a freshman last season, Cunningham was fourth on the team in scoring with 6.2 points per game, and he was second on the team with 43 steals. Cunningham shot .512 from the field, behind only seldom-used forwards Kevin McShane and Calvin Hampton, but he and the coaching staff are looking to see improvement in his shot.
"During the offseason I was just working on getting stronger, and then my pull-up jump shot, which I got to get deadly," he said. "It was more about balance and footwork, just getting my feet set and shooting the shot like I know it's going in."
The difference?
"Last year, my confidence was pretty shook up on my jump shot, so I had to get my confidence back, just set my feet and make sure I'm shooting it correctly."
It's not that his shot was awful last season -- Cunningham shot .333 from three-point range, and with a .747 clip at the free throw line, his mechanics need tweaking, not an overhaul.
Cunningham's new confidence in his shot might be what puts him near the top of the talent pool in the Pac-10.
He has a simple new mindset: "Every time you take it, know it's going in."
If the jumper continues to drop for Cunningham, he may find himself playing a bit more off the ball this season. Cunningham said freshman point guard Ahmad Starks, a 5-foot-8 Chicago native, will see some time at the point. Cunningham's eyes lit up as he talked about Starks' range and speed. The new guard was ranked the No. 25 point guard in his class by Scout.com.
Even with a surplus of young talent in the backcourt -- redshirt freshman Roberto Nelson figures to see time soon, too -- it'll be Cunningham and senior shooting guard Calvin Haynes who carry much of the load for the Beavers on both ends of the floor.
"It's really fun playing with athletic players like Jared, and I'm excited to get back on the court with him," Haynes told Beyond the Beat this summer. "[Jared] feeds off me, and I feed off him."
With a little experience on the roster, and a good deal of fresh talent, the Beavers' expectations are higher than they've been in a long time. The team hasn't reached the NCAA tournament since 1990, and Cunningham and Haynes are looking to change that this season.
A journey to the NCAA tournament begins with an exhibition game Nov. 9 at home against Western Oregon, with the first regular season, non-conference game following on Nov. 14 against Texas-Arlington in Corvallis.
With tipoff just a couple of weeks away, Jared Cunningham couldn't be more ready to launch.
photo: Brock Ameele
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