Jalen ‘Buckets’ Patterson scores at a historic rate and ranks among area’s best ever
Imagine having to deal with Jalen Patterson in the open court, the ball in his hand like a yo-yo as he blasts up court.
The Liberty Ranch High School senior guard is a marvel at his craft. He can dribble between his legs to evade defenders, or just because. He can score in the lane on runners with either hand. He can pull up for long 3-pointers or really long 3-pointers. He can zip passes in the lane to teammates who have to be ready or fear a leather facial.
What to do against Northern California’s most prolific scorer at 28.7 points per game?
Try to keep pace? Offer a shoulder to knock him off course, if you’re quick enough or brazen enough (and it’s been attempted).
“Basketball is all about matchups,” Brian Chavez, Patterson’s coach, said this week, “and Jalen is an absolute nightmare of a matchup.”
Imagine the glee of Chavez, who unleashes Patterson against defenses designed to at least make him work for his buckets. Patterson is a showman in the final laps of his historically great prep career. His versatile game was on display Tuesday night for Senior Night against Sierra Valley Conference rival Bradshaw Christian. Patterson and the Hawks will be a fun follow and a difficult out in the Sac-Joaquin Section Division IV playoffs that start Wednesday.
He’s a slight 6-foot-1, with high-rise hair and a confident smile. Patterson is the big man on his 1,100-student campus in Galt. He is a polite student who acknowledges everyone with a smile. But Patterson is neither basketball polite nor a smiling sort in competition.
He’s a demoralizer. Patterson’s nickname is “JP” or “General” but why not “Jalen Buckets?” On Tuesday in a the regular-season finale, Patterson attacked the lane at all angles. He smoothly hit a halfcourt shot that was not a desperation heave. It beat the third-quarter buzzer, a few feet from where Patterson’s father Mike was sitting in the front row. Mike leaned back laughing at another J.P. moment. Patterson’s mother, Shawna, high-fived anyone within high-five range.
That bucket put Patterson within one point of the 2,800-point career plataeu. He finished with 40. He made all 14 of his free throws. He dominated without dominating the ball as he is the best passer on the floor, dishing out eight assists. And then Patterson cheered on his teammates in the closing moments from the bench of a 102-70 victory. Students from the Hawks Goblin rooting section mobbed their classmates when it was over after chanting “MVP!” to honor Patterson.
It was Liberty Ranch’s best effort of this 15-13 season, and it was Patterson doing more Patterson things.
“Just incredible,” Bradshaw Christian coach Alex Williams said. “He runs the show. You can’t pressure him because he’s a one-man press breaker. You double-team him and he’ll make assists. He can dribble, score, rebound — everything. What do you do?”
Career scorer and headed where?
Patterson has done this over four varsity seasons at Liberty Ranch, which last decade became a section small-school powerhouse under coach Josh Williams. The coach stepped down following last season to chase his own kids around basketball courts, leading to the hire of Chavez.
Patterson’s 2,811 career points are the second most in the history of this section. To put that in better context, consider the Sac-Joaquin Section is the second largest of the 10 that are dotted across the state, and the CIF is more than 100 years old. That’s a ton of players who have paraded through arenas near and far, schools small, medium and large in enrollment.
DeMarcus Nelson is the state’s all-time career scorer with 3,462 points, according to CalHi Sports. The guard played his first three seasons at Vallejo High and his senior campaign in 2010-11 at Sheldon before starring at Duke.
Then there’s Patterson on the list. He’d be the section’s all-time scorer for those who attended one school. Loyalty is big in his vocabulary, and in an era where high-profile prep stars bounce from school to school, Patterson never wavered.
“We bought a house near Sheldon before Jalen’s freshman year because we thought he’d play there, but he wanted to remain in Galt, where he grew up,” said Mike Patterson. “So we stayed here. We’re big on loyalty. We wanted colleges to see that. It’s important.”
College programs have noticed Patterson — his good character, good grades and basketball prowess. But he hasn’t landed any concrete scholarship offers, though he has had interest from USF, San Francisco State, Nevada and Eastern Washington. He wants to study business and own one that specializes in basketball instruction.
Patterson seems to be a recruit for his dribbling and passing skills alone. That he can score in bunches is a bonus. Patterson is also an example of a numbers game. There are tens of thousands of high school players seeking one of the hundreds of scholarships available.
“It used to bother me that I wasn’t getting more looks, but now I just let if fuel me, motivate me,” Patterson said. “All I can do is just play.”
Said Chavez, the Hawks coach, “I tell college coaches all the time to grab this guy. He’s a student of the game. He knows the game. He loves the game.. Can’t fake that.”
The back of the Hawks’ warmup shirt reads, “Leave a Legacy.” Patterson has left his. His jersey number, 2, does not signify his section career status. It reflects his birthday — born on 2-2-02. On his game shoes, Patterson has #GOAT and the numbers 24 and 8. They are to honor retired NBA great Kobe Bryant, who died last month in a helicopter crash.
“I cried when I heard,” Patterson said. “Still makes me sad.”
Roots of a scorer
John Williams has had a closeup view of Patterson for years. He is the father of Josh Williams, the former Hawks coach.
The elder Williams sat on the Liberty Ranch bench as an assistant and stat keeper — and to remind players to rebound. He also didn’t mind pushing a mop across the home floor at the half, presumably to tidy up vapor trails left by Patterson. Williams is also something of a history buff, having worked as an editor years ago at the Galt Herald paper and as assistant section commissioner during a second career act. He has given Patterson a ride home after many a practice, the discussion bouncing from hoops to school to life.
“Just a great kid,” Williams said. “I first saw J.P. play when he was in the sixth grade, and I thought, ‘Wow! Unbelievable!’ I’d never seen a kid so you play so poised.”
Your thoughts on Patterson now, after his halfcourt shot?
“Unbelievable!” Williams said. “He can do it all.”
Joe Saramago is the Liberty Ranch principal, a one-time coach who recalls his first profound J.P. experience
“He was a freshman on varsity, in the playoffs at Calaveras,” Saramago said. “Jalen missed his first 3 then hit 10 in a row in a win. Couldn’t believe what I was watching. Some of his shots were close to half court. Kids just don’t do that. His basketball IQ is off the charts. Every game, our team is hinging on his performance.”
Father versus son
Mike Patterson said his son embraced basketball when he was 18 months old. The son disagrees with a laugh, saying it was “when I came out of the womb.”
“I’m so proud,” Mike said. “Jalen didn’t watch cartoons as a little boy. He watched basketball. He was born to do this.”
Mike used to challenge his pre-teen son to sprint-offs after games of 1-on-1. On their last race, the father pulled up lame — a torn Achilles. Now he just watches.
“It’s easier this way,” Mike said with a laugh.
Patterson plays within the flow of the game, and his relentless energy inspires his teamates such as Branson McClelland, Gavin Martinez and Cody Smith to play just as hard and smart. Patterson isn’t just a scorer. He is averaging 6.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 2.0 steals a game. He will also ask Williams at the scorer’s table, “How many fouls does No. 1 have” in an effort to attack.
“Basketball is my thing,” Patterson said. “I let the game come to me. I work hard at it. It means everything to me.”
And as fast as he cruises up court, Patterson’s prep days are coming to a close. He is soaking in every bit of the best days of his life.
“I do want to hold onto it,” he said. “It’s gone by so fast. I’m not ready for it to end.”
Prolific scorers
A peek at at the all-time great scorers in section history:
DeMarcus Nelson, 3,462 points: A dynamic guard for Vallejo for three seasons and Sheldon his final year in 2010-11, Nelson went on to play at Duke.
Jalen Patterson, 2.811: Dazzles now for Liberty Ranch as a ball handler and scorer and could start for any powerhouse team in the region.
Jordan Franklin, 2,590: Guard lit it up for tiny Trinity Prep in Napa through the 2014 season
Darius Nelson, 2,543: Kid brother to DeMarcus, Darius was a big-man scorer with skills, finishing at Sheldon in 2011.
Bill Cartwright, 2,449: Still the area’s greatest prep product, Big Bill played three varsity seasons at Elk Grove, including for a 30-0 team in 1974.
Jordan Ford, 2,394: The Bee’s Player of the Decade for the 2010’s, Ford dominated as a playmaking guard at Folsom and is a star at Saint Mary’s.
Adrian Oliver, 2,353: The Big O led dominant Modesto Christian teams, including in 2006. He went to Washington.
Nomo Williams, 2,213: A bomber in the early 1980s before the 3-point line came into play, Williams had several 50-point outings.
Christopher Schwartz-Edmiston, 2,191: An unstoppable small-school force through 2012 at Sacramento Waldorf, the combo guard played at small-college Domincan University.
Chuck Hayes, 2,100: When he wasn’t pulling in a record 31 rebounds in playoff games for Modesto Christian in the early 2000s, Big Chuck was scoring at will, eventually playing in the NBA.
Jordan Roberson, 2,048: A 6-4 combo guard for Cordova, he scored 31.8 points as a senior in 2015.