Payton Jacob to play basketball at Illinois Wesleyan

By Fred Kroner

There are moments in time that help to define a player’s goals and ambitions.

For St. Joseph-Ogden senior Payton Jacob, those occurred during her freshman season in basketball.

She was good enough to dress for the varsity and appear in 33 of 34 games played by the state’s third-place team.

Jacob wasn’t the star, but she was one of four ninth-graders issued a varsity jersey.

That got her thinking about the future. Not just her next three years with the Spartans, but beyond.

She saw that the top three players on the SJ-O team during that 2018-19 season were seniors – Bree Trimble, Peyton Crowe and Maclayne Taylor – who were getting recruited to play in college.

Jacob wanted to one-day be one of those players.

“I think the goal became a reality my freshman year when I was able to be a contributor on the team that finished third in state,” Jacob said. “There were three seniors on that team that I really looked up to who ended up playing in college and that’s when I think I began to see it as a potential reality, but I knew it meant I would have to work hard for it because I saw them work hard for it.”

By the time college coaches were seriously recruiting athletes in her Class of 2022, the COVID-19 pandemic was in full force.

Jacob didn’t know what to expect from the process. She had nothing to use for comparison.

“It’s hard to say because honestly I didn’t know any different,” she said. “From talking to those who did it before me, the main thing I missed out on was overnight visits.

“Otherwise, I felt fortunate that I was able to do quite a few in-person visits. I also think it was very helpful that I played on a travel team, which allowed me to continue to play and get exposure during times when that wasn’t possible in Illinois (high schools).”

Jacob – who is in line to be SJ-O’s valedictorian – wound up visiting Franklin College, North Central College, Knox College, Millikin University, Hope College, Lincolnland Community College and Illinois Wesleyan University.

“I was very fortunate to have such great options, but ultimately I decided on Illinois Wesleyan because it really felt like home,” Jacob said. “The history of their women’s basketball program, the academic reputation, and the location were some of the main deciding factors.

“I also really connected with the coaching staff and am excited to get to play for them.”

Jacob signed her letter of intent last week and is looking forward to a full season this winter after COVID limited her abbreviated junior year to 14 games, with no postseason opportunities.

But, she was appreciative of what was available during the 2020-21 school year.

“Covid definitely made the season challenging, but it was a reminder that getting to play the sport is a gift,” Jacob said. “It was not perfect, but I was thankful to be able to still get to play with my team, and it allowed for some continued growth that I think will carry into this season.

“Since playing my first varsity game as a freshman, I’ve grown in confidence both in my abilities and in leadership, largely because of the leadership of players before me.”

Jacob scored 10 points on Monday (Nov. 15) as SJ-O opened its season with a 55-8 decision over Urbana. On Tuesday (Nov. 16), she netted two points in a 43-34 conquest of Tri-County.

She is playing for a new head coach after Drew Arteaga took over for Kevin Taylor, who headed up the program the previous four seasons, resigned.

Taylor was one of the first people to believe Jacob could play beyond high school.

“As a freshman, Coach Taylor had more confidence in me than I had in myself, which ultimately led to me pursuing the dream of playing college basketball,” Jacob said. “Having a new coach as a senior has taken a lot of adjustment, but I really believe our team is buying in and I’m excited for not only this year but the future of the program.

“I’ve played travel basketball since I was in fifth grade with many of the girls that are currently on my team at SJ-O. The summer of my eighth-grade year I began playing for a travel program out of Paris, which is now Indiana Elite Havoc.

“Many of my teammates are now going to be playing at the next level as well, which I think shows a lot about the program. I absolutely loved my experience playing for Havoc and I am thankful for the lifelong friendships I now have in my teammates.”

Arteaga anticipates that Jacob – a team captain – will have an impactful season.

“Payton is one of the most selfless people I have ever met in my life and such a joy to be around,” Arteaga said. “We are really excited for her this season. She has shown tremendous growth from last season to this season and we firmly believe she is going to be vital for our success.

“I think she is going to give teams fits because of her versatility and size. She is comfortable from ‘three,’ but can also finish well inside. The biggest difference we have seen from last year to this year is her defensive intensity and really wanting to pressure the basketball.

“She is practicing so well right now and has so much confidence and I firmly believe this is because of the time she spent getting better in the offseason in the weight room and in the gym.”

Jacob grew up also playing soccer, softball and volleyball before deciding to focus all of her athletic energies on basketball.

“I ultimately stuck with basketball because I love how fast it can be and I think it’s one of the greatest team sports,” she said. “A love for basketball also somewhat runs in the family, so I think that definitely helped.”

She is undecided about a major, but is considering psychology and education.

“I would really love to work with kids, but overall, I plan on pursuing a career that allows me to help others,” Jacob said.

Illinois Wesleyan University’s location – about an hour down Interstate-74 from St. Joseph – was a factor in Jacob’s college choice.

“It’s not too far from home,” she said. “I think it’ll still be a good distance to allow me to feel the full college experience, but it’ll be really nice to have friends and family only an hour away.

“We also have a lot of connections in the Bloomington area, so knowing that I’ll have people there already will help to make the transition easier.”

Jacob has met many of her future teammates and is already preparing for the next level.

“I’ve thankfully had the opportunity to meet the majority of the team. They’ve been very welcoming and I think they’ll help me with the transition into college and playing at that level,” Jacob said. “From talking to the coaching staff, I believe I’ll fit in well with their style of play because of my versatility.

“The main things they want me to focus on, and that I’ve been working on, is my outside shot and ball handling.”

Signing Day was a one-of-a-kind experience.

“I was a little nervous going into it because I really don’t like being the center of attention, so it was a weird feeling for sure,” Jacob said. “It ended up being really cool to see how many people came to support me, and it was an awesome way to get to thank those that helped me get there.”

The other current Spartans who were members of the 29-5 state-placing Class 2A team in 2019 are Ella Armstrong, Abby Behrens and Ashlyn Lannert.

Whatever success Jacob has will be well-deserved, Arteaga said.

“I honestly don’t think there is a better kid that this could happen for,” Arteaga said.