Jermaine Patterson adds to his repertoire, then adds to his accolades

Jermaine Patterson says he never looks at a scoresheet. Bluffton coach Michael Tew tends to underplay them, too, saying the only numbers that matter are the team scoring totals.

Every so often, though, you don’t need numbers to validate what’s taking place right in front of you.

“Sometimes you’d get this feeling — man, this kid’s having a massive game,” Tew said.

Patterson had more than his share of massive games during the 2016-17 season. In his second game out, he weaved through Whale Branch for 29 points. On eight occasions, he topped the 30-point mark. Three of them exceeded 40.

By the end of the season, Patterson’s 27.1 scoring average ranked No. 4 in all of South Carolina. With an improved outside shot added to everything else he brings to the hardwood, it’s little surprise that area coaches made him a repeat choice as The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette’s Boys’ Player of the Year.

“He definitely gives us a hub to build around,” Tew said.

Said Patterson: “I’m going to do whatever it takes for my team to win. ... I felt like my team depended on me a little more.”

As various factors aligned early on to keep the Bobcats in neutral, it could have been a year for Patterson to step back a little.

New coach, for starters, as Brett Macy left to become May River’s athletic director and Tew came down from Fort Mill. Patterson also had settled in as quarterback for an unbeaten Bluffton football team that had designs on a state title.

That second item was complicated even more when Hurricane Matthew struck the Lowcountry. Though mainland damage paled in comparison to what happened on the islands, the rest of the football schedule was pushed back two weeks into the heart of December.

That left scant time for Patterson and Tew to get comfortable with each other.

“It was really different,” Patterson said. “Macy had been with me a long time, since I was growing up, so I already trusted him. ... Coach Tew is more of an old-school coach. He just runs his offense different.”

Patterson suggested it took until early January before they really got on the same page. At the same time, Tew also had been laying the groundwork for what he saw as Patterson’s biggest area for improvement.

Patterson’s quickness made him great on the fast break or slashing to the basket. But his outside shot didn’t throw any fear into defenders.

“In one-on-one situations, it’s almost impossible for defenders to stay in front of him,” Tew said. He’s just so quick and so good with the ball. ... But one of the things I identified when I first got the chance to be in the gym with him was his perimeter shot.”

Patterson’s shot tended to be of the line-drive variety, making for a tough angle to let the ball fall through. As it turned out, it wasn’t so much a mechanical issue as one of focus.

“I’ve just got to put the ball over the rim,” Patterson explained.

“I’d usually shoot it dead at the front of the rim, so I didn’t give it a chance to go in. But they told me if I’d just put arc on it, it’d have a better chance of going in. That was the whole game-changer.”

Instead of working on his ball handling, Patterson set the dribbling drills aside to work almost exclusively on his shot. The results didn’t come instantly, but they took hold as the season went on.

The first indicator, perhaps, came in a 46-point outing against Ridgeland-Hardeeville just before the holiday break. Not only was it a career best for Patterson, it turned out to be the fourth-best outing in South Carolina all season.

Patterson, though, points to the Bobcats’ first game against May River. It might have been his best all-around game, with 20 points to go with seven rebounds, four steals and three assists.

“Now not only is he a guard that’s going to drive you and take you to the basket and score on the fast break,” Tew said, “he’s a legitimate threat from the perimeter to knock down that 3-pointer. That’s just making it more miserable for other coaches, I’d think.”

From that point, Patterson’s scoring total dipped below 20 only twice. Mention to him that he finished just three spots on the state scoring list behind Zion Williamson, the Spartanburg Day phenom attracting nationwide attention from recruiters, and he just smiles.

“I was shocked,” Patterson said.

There’s still one season left, too, as Patterson tries to raise his own recruiting profile.

“I think it’s obvious to pretty much everyone that he has the ability to play at the next level,” Tew said. “Whether it be a (Division) 2, a mid-major, even possibly a big D-1. Right now, you just really don’t know.”

All that matters to Patterson is that he gets a chance to play in college somewhere.

“I just want to go to college,” he said. “I’m not going to settle. I need to keep working.”

This story was originally published May 7, 2017 at 9:11 PM with the headline "Jermaine Patterson adds to his repertoire, then adds to his accolades."