Sense of urgency leads to big senior year for Pennsauken Tech’s Jay White | Marc Narducci

Entering the season, Jay White wasn’t considered a player who would be a major difference maker in South Jersey basketball. The senior guard at Pennsauken Tech scored in the low double figures last season, but nothing suggested he would take a major leap.

Yet White has been a big offensive threat for a Pennsauken Tech team that has been as surprising as its leading scorer.

Entering the weekend, the 6-foot White was averaging 23.7 points per game and Tech was 17-5.

There is no secret to his success. White, who lives in Camden, spent considerable time during the offseason playing on the courts there, a true test in the basketball-crazed city.

“He worked his tail off all summer,” Pennsauken Tech coach Jim Morton said. “He is physically stronger and does things it is hard to coach, such as come to a jump stop. I think his overall game has improved so much and it’s because he worked his tail off.”

That is not to suggest that White didn’t work hard in the past. Yet with many seniors, urgency speeds up any growing process.

Knowing this would be his final high school season made White realize that he wanted to make the most of his final go-around.

Throughout South Jersey in a variety of sports, seniors step up in their final season, putting together all they learned in their first three years.

That was certainly the case with White, who remains much more impressed with his team’s success than his own.

“We woke up a lot of people,” White said. “I don’t think people expected us to do well, but within ourselves we did.”

White, however, has not been impressed by his own accomplishments. If somebody told him he would be averaging more than 23 points per game, what would he have thought?

“I would say I could average more,” he said, not in a boastful way. “I set high goals for myself.”

One of the impressive things about his game is that he doesn’t force shots. Sometimes if a player is scoring at such a high average, there is self-inflicted pressure to try to achieve those numbers even if it means being a gunner.

White doesn’t feel a need to put up points every game.

“He doesn’t press things and lets the game come to him,” Morton said.

What’s more, as teams gain tape of White and see scouting reports, the defenses have been giving him more attention. As far as White is concerned – bring it on.

“It’s part of the process,” he said. “It’s a great feeling.”

It’s not so great a feeling to try to stop White.

This year he has scored 25 or more points 10 times and has been in double figures every game.

The most impressive stat, though, is Pennsauken Tech’s record. Morton said the school has had one playoff win in the last 35 years.

Pennsauken Tech will be a major long shot to win a South Jersey Group 2 title, but winning a playoff game is a realistic goal.

While this is far from a one-man team, White has had a major impact on Pennsauken Tech’s success.

In the beginning of the year, few knew his name. But White has made people notice, understanding that this is his last shot and won’t allow the opportunity to slip away.