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Hart made a big sacrifice to go to Syracuse, and the Orangemen are glad he did.
(Vanessa Serra/AP)
| Jason Hart,
Syracuse
Class: Sophomore
Position:
Guard
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 177
DOB: April 29,
1978
Hometown: Los
Angeles
High
School: Inglewood
(Calif.)
Vital Stats:
10.1 points per game, 3.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1
steals
by David
Seigerman
It would have been the biggest assist of his life, but
Jason Hart's offer was steadfastly declined. Hart was a
17-year-old senior at Inglewood High when he volunteered to
donate one of his kidneys to his older brother, Jadifi, who
was awaiting a transplant. But with their father, Richard,
willing—and compatible—to serve as the donor, Jadifi
declined to stand in the way of Jason's basketball
opportunity.
Two years later, Jason Hart is still thanking his brother,
as is Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim. Hart has become a
fixture in the Orangemen's backcourt. "He's a huge key
for us," says
Boeheim.
Hart almost opted out of his commitment to Syracuse, aching
to return to the West Coast to be closer to his brother,
who is doing fine with the new kidney. Hart thought about
transferring to UCLA or UNLV. Instead, he chose to stick
with Syracuse, where his cousin, Howard Triche, played on
the 1987 national runners-up, and where he could contribute
to the legacy of great Syracuse point guards such as Pearl
Washington and Sherman Douglas. Hart was inserted into the
starting lineup immediately, replacing Lazarus Sims, who
led the Orangemen to the 1996 NCAA title game as a senior.
He wound up starting every game and became the first
freshman ever to lead the Big East in minutes
played.
"I wanted a chance to play right away and got
it," says
Hart.
This year he's followed with another solid season,
contributing 10.1 points per game and leading Syracuse in
assists (162) and steals (68) for the second straight season.
Granted, some other members of last year's freshman class
have enjoyed higher profiles—Shaheen Holloway is Seton
Hall's best player and Tim Thomas is averaging double
figures in the NBA—but neither will have the chance to
advance in the postseason, as Hart
does.
Other Spotlights
March 14: Kris Johnson, UCLA
March 13: Lee Nailon, Texas Christian
March 12: Brian Earl, Princeton
March 11: Tyrone Weeks, Massachusetts
March 10: Brett Robisch, Oklahoma St.
March 9: Larry Hughes, Saint Louis
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