Perhaps lost in the ho-hum sludge that is preseason basketball, Southern Oregon forward Jacki Speer is quietly – if that’s even possible, considering – off to a phenominal, off-the-charts start to her senior season. Nationally, SOU’s inside powerhouse ranks fourth in scoring (21.47 ppg), first in rebounding (15.20) and seventh in blocked shots (2.33).
Speer also happens to be the best player on a very good team that’s winning a lot, though last weekend’s 0-2 road trip is sure to drop the Raiders from their No. 9 perch in the NAIA Division II national rankings.
Is Speer the leading candidate for NAIA player of the year? Actually, it’s not a hard sell. Here are some facts to consider:
* Through 15 games, Speer has yet to be held to less than 10 rebounds in a single game.
* Speer pulled down 28 rebounds in a Nov. 14 win over Holy Names.
* Speer has been held to less than 12 rebounds only twice. She has at least 13 rebounds in nine straight games dating back to Nov. 20.
* Speer has led the Raiders in both scoring and rebounding 12 times.
* Speer plays roughly 30 minutes per game, which means that, on average, she’s grabbing one rebound for every two minutes that she’s on the court.
