South Carolina Gamecocks Dawn Staley revealed the “unsung hero,” and it’s far from everyone’s imagination. Many would think it could be assistant coach Khadijah Session, who has managed to build quite the chemistry within the team, but it’s not anyone associated with the team directly.
There lies a hero who continuously puts his head into the computer and gives Staley and the rest of the Gamecocks important footage and analytical stuff.
After falling short against the Texas Longhorns in the SEC Tournament, Staley appreciated the job of video expertise Hudson Jacobs ahead of the NCAA Tournament first round.
“Hudson is our unsung hero,” Staley said, “great, great, great, great guy.”
After three seasons, Staley needed a person for the video job and during an AAU Tournament, someone mentioned Jacobs’ name to her. Jacobs, a former multisport athlete, turned his attention to stats and video after suffering several injuries. He did the same role for Hall of Fame coach Kay Yow at NC State before getting the call from Staley for an interview. That happened in Aug. 2011 and Jacobs has remained with Staley and South Carolina ever since.
During this period, the duo has enjoyed 10 SEC regular-season titles, nine 30-win seasons, seven Final Fours, five Coach of the Year honors and three national championships with the Gamecocks.
Jacobs’ setup is at the corner of Carolina Coliseum, where South Carolina practices. Whenever the need arises, Jacobs is ready with his setup for players and coaches to best prepare for an important game. Jacobs ensures to record everyone’s film from opponents to scouts, South Carolina practice and game film. All this stuff is dissected by the analytical team.
“He is the connector of all things basketball to our coaches and our players,” Staley said. “Not just coaches. Everybody asks Hudson for his expertise and he comes through every single time.”
Hudson Jacobs Needs To Be On Top Of His Game To Help Dawn Staley
Hudson Jacobs’ role isn’t just limited to before and after the game. Even during the game, Staley would often look to his video guy and know whether to review the call. In those split seconds, Jacobs has to give Staley the best reference so that she can make the decision.
“If I don’t have a good look or solid feel, I’ll tell her,” Jacobs said. “I just go with what I see.”
One such notable moment of brilliance from Jacobs came to the fore in the SEC Tournament semifinal vs. LSU. In the third quarter, South Carolina’s Joyce Edwards was called for last touching the ball before it went out of bounds. Jacobs made the signal to Staley, who appealed the decision. Upon review, it was deemed South Carolina’s ball and it was pivotal in South Carolina’s win.
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