We all know Ohio from the other night as they shocked Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Jason Preston, Ohio’s best player, balled out. Preston finished with 11/13/8 on 57% shooting from the field. Preston wasn’t always like this. He was in a much different spot a few years ago.
Preston used to be a blogger, he blogged about the Detroit Pistons when he was in high school. Preston is a big Pistons fan thanks to his mom who watched the old Pistons teams in the mid-2000s. He and his mom were extremely close, she passed away from lung cancer when he was 16. Preston played high school basketball while blogging on the side. His senior year, he averaged just two points per game. Preston didn’t think he had a future in playing basketball. He enrolled in journalism school at Central Florida.
The same summer he started school, a friend asked him to play in a last-minute AAU tournament in Georgia. Preston went with him and that changed his career path. Preston got opportunities in that AAU tournament that he didn’t in high school. Preston put college on hold and went to play at a prep school. Preston went to play at Believe Preparatory Academy in Tennessee. The prep school had five different teams, Preston was on the C team. Preston grew four inches at that school and earned some college looks but still didn’t have much film. On an eight-hour bus ride, Preston asked coaches for his game film. Preston then sent it to his friend to create a mix. Preston then posted the highlights on Twitter. That mix caught the eyes of Will Ryan, an assistant at Ohio University. Also the son of former coach Bo Ryan.
Ohio offered him a scholarship and now Preston is on the verge of making the NBA. For the season, Preston is averaging 16.3/7.2/7.3 on 53.2% from the field and 40.5% from three. Preston is turning into a star after leading Ohio to the upset win over Virginia. Ohio and Preston plays tonight in the round of 32 against Creighton. He is must watch.
