After two years of averaging under 10 minutes per game, Jasper Gibson has inserted himself as a full-time starter and logging 32 minutes per game in his third season at Emmanuel College. Hard work and a new perspective was what it took for the Dawson County alum to earn his starting gig.

“My mindset while working towards being a starter was really trying to be as positive as possible, be a great teammate, and work hard,” says Gibson. “Not getting the role you want isn’t easy for any competitive person, but I felt like it gave me an opportunity to gain a new perspective and work even harder. I’m blessed to have a great set of teammates and coaches who made my situation a lot easier.”

It didn’t come easy, as any next-level player can attest. There are obvious transitions to navigate going from prep to college ball.

“The college game is a lot different from high school,” states Gibson. “Everything happens at a much faster pace. The biggest adjustments I’ve had to make on my game are on the defensive side of the ball and in the weight room.”

The guard, who is technically in his sophomore season due to the COVID year in 2020. With the extra year of eligibility, you might as well get used to this being just the beginning for Gibson.

“As of now I’m planning on using the extra year to play, but either way I plan on playing basketball as far as it will take me,” states Gibson. “My career goals are to be an All-Conference player and win a lot of basketball games.”

The Health and Physical Education major also aspires to become a coach one day. With his experience and talent, mixed with passion and high basketball IQ, that should pay dividends in a big way.

Gibson played in 19 games in his first year at Emmanuel, logging 6.7 minutes per game off the bench. He shot 41% from long distance that season, recording 46 total points (2.4 PPG), and totaling 11 assists, 10 rebounds, and 4 steals. The following season, he played in 25 games (9.0 MPG), shotting 36% from beyond the arc (20 3PM), and set career-bests in rebounds (16), assists (12), and steals (11), while averaging 2.8 points per game.

2022-23 saw him earn the starting job, and through the first 5 games he has shot 36% overall and 35% from deep, has 8 rebounds (1.6 per game), 7 assists (1.4 per game), and 6 steals. He’s averaging 4.6 points per game in the process. The Lions are 3-2 overall with a 2-game win streak to date. Gibson’s career numbers now stand at 2.9 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 0.6 APG, 38 3-pointers made, 21 steals, and a 38% clip from the floor. Those numbers will begin to trek upward as this season continues.

“Individual goals for the season are similar to my career goals, but other goals I have for this year are to shoot 45% from 3 and lead the conference in charges taken,” adds Gibson. “Our team goals for the season are to win a conference championship and make a national tournament run.”

All those things lie ahead for Gibson and Emmanuel College. Gibson, a 2020 graduate of Dawson County who came over from Jefferson prior to that, is a BLITZ Hall of Famer with 2,000-plus career points, 500 assists, 250 rebounds, and 100 steals in high school. He averaged 18 points per game as a senior and 19 per game as a junior at Dawson. He earned All-State status twice, All-Region three times, and was the Region 7-AAA Player of the Year once.