All about C.J. Webster

Hopefully, most will think of the following as a counterweight to the reservoir of misinformation, innuendo and downright falsehoods swirling around C.J. Webster's decision to forego his sixth year of college eligibility.

Setting his career numbers straight.

After an abbreviated-by injury-season at Texas State as a freshman and than a very brief stint at Arkansas Fort Smith (formerly a junior college) for the same reason, Webster transferred to San Jose State.

In 2007-2008 during WAC play, he shot .545% from the floor while putting up 12.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game in 27.4 minutes per game.

His production in 2008-2009: 12.6 points, 7.4 boards and 2.5 assists while shooting .485% in 32.2 minutes a contest.

This season brought 19 minutes of floor time each time out (with four conference games missed due to a severe eye injury) resulting in 9.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists each matchup. He shot .644% from the floor.



Webster played (or tried to play, referring to his initial pair of seasons) five years after his high school career concluded at Thurgood Marshall High in Missouri City, Texas.

So why did he choose to forego his last year of collegiate eligibility?

Nobody but C.J. really knows what was woven into the fabric of his decision.

What is known is that he became a father during last season.

Plus, he certainly endured a tough 2010 sports year what with a severe eye abrasion against the Fresno State Bulldogs -- something that limited his game participation from that point on and also negatively impacted his playing time once he returned.


Here are Webster's 2009-2010 WAC numbers preceding that January 11 game against Fresno State and then the remainder of the season:

* Idaho, January 4, a three-point SJSU victory at home: 32 minutes, 21 points, 11 rebounds and two fouls.

* Nevada, January 9, a 29-point loss on the road: 24 minutes, 15 points, three boards and four fouls.

Then came the eye injury and Webster missed league games against Boise State, Hawaii, Louisiana Tech and New Mexico State before returning to action against Hawaii.

In his return versus UH, Webster played 16 minutes, with four points, two rebounds and four fouls in a starting role.

* Versus Utah State, his production in 18 minutes was eight points and a pair of boards, alongside a pair of fouls in another starting role.

* In a road game against Montana State, Webster played 11 minutes with two points, three rebounds and a trio of fouls but not as a member of the starting five, as he came off the bench in this contest and for the remainder of the season.

* When SJSU faced Nevada again, he played 17 minutes and scored nine points, grabbed four boards and committed four fouls.

* In the rematch against Fresno State, Webster played 17 minutes again, produced seven points, six rebounds and three fouls.

* Likewise against Idaho with 24 minutes on the court resulting in 17 points, nine boards and four fouls.

* 24 minutes versus Boise State produced this: 24 minutes, six points, one rebound and a pair of fouls.

* In the WAC tourney matched up with New Mexico State, Webster had eight points, two boards and five fouls in 20 minutes.


The non-numbers/what we witnessed

* C.J.'s effectiveness defensively and offensively was proportionate to his weight -- less was more. Part of this was simply because he could play longer and remain a positive factor with less poundage carried.

* C.J.'s value as a defender in the paint lessened over his tenure with Chris Oakes superior in the middle in both blocking and altering opponents shooting attempts. In the best-of-all-world's department, a composite of Oakes' length and C.J.'s strength would have been the ideal. Plus, C.J's. employment at the four spot paid less dividends when his matchup possessed outside-the-paint shooting range or dribble-drive ability. His court movement definitely slowed this season and his foul totals increased because he was reaching rather than moving.

* C.J. remained a bull in the paint on offense, knocking around defenders and creating shooting space throughout his Spartan tenure. We would have liked to see use of the dropstep and up and under moves but he scored points regardless and shot .644% in his final go-around.

We hope this is viewed as a fair screening -- we believe it is but readers will make up their own minds. Our bottomline is that we wish C.J.and his new family well and we appreciate what he accomplished at San Jose State.

Carpe diem, C.J. Go all out and hook up with John Lucas or someone in a similar capacity back in Houston because it will pay off in both monetary and playing longevity manners. Reshape the body and add to your skills set.

We'll end with this snippet from a 2010 San Francisco Chronicle article on Omar Samhan: Good or great? [Randy] Bennett and [Kyle] Smith had gotten the line from ESPN's Doug Gottlieb, who said it at a St.Mary's camp. Samhan put together a solid freshman season, averaging 9.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, and Bennett and Smith wanted to turn solid into something special. Samhan began going to the gym at 6 a.m. to shoot for an hour and then lift weights for another hour before heading to class. Smith usually accompanied him in those early morning sessions."The night before," Samhan said, "I'd text coach Kyle, 'Are we going tomorrow?' and he'd just text me back, 'Good or great?' and I knew that meant we were on. 'I'll see you at 6.' "