For the last two seasons, Jackson Paveletzke has been the driving engine behind Ohio men’s basketball. The senior guard made an immediate impact since transferring from Iowa State before his junior year, earning third-team All-Mid-American Conference honors last year.
This season, he has been great again, leading the team in scoring with 16.5 points per game, assists with 5.1 and shooting 47.9% from the floor.
Following a win at home over Ball State, The Post talked with Paveletzke about many topics.
The Post: You’re from Kimberly, Wisconsin. What was the basketball culture like growing up in a smaller town?
Paveletzke: It wasn't bad competition out there. It's pretty good competition. My dad coached me growing up through grade school, and then once I got to high school, obviously, he didn't coach me, but I was always well coached. It just taught me how to play the game the right way, and I think that's helped me to this day.
The Post: You signed with Wofford out of high school. What was the recruiting process like then?
Paveletzke: It's obviously out in South Carolina, so far from home. But I really saw it as a blessing for me. I got to go in there and have a really big role as a freshman, which not a lot of freshmen get to do … I went in there, started every game, (won) Freshman of the Year. I was an all-league player as a freshman, and that's pretty rare.
The Post: After the year at Iowa State, what went into your decision to transfer here to Ohio?
Paveletzke: That place was not for me, so it was a great opportunity here. Coach Boals and the staff have had a great track record of point guards with (Jason Preston), Mark (Sears) and Jalen Hunter. Jalen was graduating, and I saw it as a big opportunity for me to come in and run the show.
The Post: What is your favorite memory so far playing at Ohio?
Paveletzke: It’s got to be hitting that buzzer-beater against Eastern Michigan, or the St. Bonaventure game down in Cleveland. That was one of the times when I just took over.
The Post: What is that feeling like for you to take over a game?
Paveletzke: You have uber confidence. I mean, you feel like anything you shoot is gonna go in, like the rim feels big.
The Post: What is the largest number of points you have scored in a game at any level?
Paveletzke: I scored 50 in high school in my senior year.
The Post: What do you remember about that game?
Paveletzke: It was actually on the night that I scored my 1,000 point of high school, too. I needed 12 to get it, and I ended up going for 50. It was on the road against the number one team in the state. I had all my family there, all my friends from college … that night was one of the best nights of my career.
The Post: What is your pregame routine like? Are there any superstitions or songs that are staples?
Paveletzke: I have to shoot around. I get a pregame meal, and then I watch the managers play five on five, and hang out with them for a little bit … I don't listen to music before the games. So, something that not a lot of people do.
The Post: If you had to choose one teammate to survive a zombie apocalypse with, who would it be and why?
Paveletzke: My guy, Javan Simmons.
The Post: This is your second year in Athens. What are your favorite spots to go in the city?
Paveletzke: I like Courtside (Pizza), I like North End … I get food there, just chill there, have a good time. Those are the main spots on Court Street. I live on Court Street this year, so I’ve been exploring a lot of the food spots and everything down there.
The Post: What are some goals of yours for the rest of the season?
Paveletzke: Just go out with no regrets. That's really the main thing. I don't want to end my college career thinking back and regretting stuff. So just play as hard as I can, have as much fun as I can, because after this, I'm done with college basketball… (also) just make it to Cleveland. You never know what can happen down there.”
