ND's Tolbert turns up dial in battle of talented juniors

MORLEY, Mo. -- Notre Dame boys basketball coach Kevin Roberts has known for quite awhile all the things that Jacob Tolbert is capable of doing on a basketball court.

"He can handle the ball, shoot it, score inside, make free throws when he gets fouled -- he's just a tremendous player," Roberts said.

But entering one of the most anticipated games of the season, Roberts took some time to tell Tolbert what he might not be able to do.

"I kind of lit a fire under him," Roberts said. "I challenged him. I said not very many people think you can play with Otto and with Bobby, and you're going to need to show it. And he definitely showed it tonight. He was the best player on the floor."

Tolbert and his Notre Dame Bulldogs defeated all-state performers Otto Porter and Bobby Hatchett and their Scott County Central Braves 71-62 on Tuesday.

"He came out and he had 19 in the first half, and then he got into foul trouble," Roberts said. "But I'll stand by it: he's the best player in Southeast Missouri, and that showed tonight. That definitely showed tonight."

Tolbert was relentless in heading to the basket early in game, forcing the Braves to foul him time after time as the Bulldogs built a lead early that they never relinquished.

"I just wanted to be aggressive and just try to take over," Tolbert said.

Sheepishly, he said he felt he was able to take over "a little bit" during the game.

"We just came in and tried to be aggressive, tried to attack and get a lead on them," Tolbert said.

As for a personal battle with Porter, Tolbert's not all that interested in dwelling on it.

"Not really," he said. "Everyone talks about it. I don't really think that we're that big of rivals. We're friends. He's a nice guy and he's really good."

Coaches from several Divison I colleges, including Southeast Missouri State, Missouri, Memphis and Missouri State, got to see the Tolbert and Porter, both only juniors, put up big numbers.

Porter finished with 31 points, seven more than Tolbert, who fought foul trouble throughout the second half and eventually fouled out with more than two minutes left in the game.

"He's so aggressive," said Roberts, explaining Tolbert's tendency to find himself with foul problems. "He's still young. He's only a junior, and he's still learning how to play, but his athletic ability and his aggressiveness to go get the ball sometimes gets him into trouble."

Before he headed to the bench after committing his foul, Tolbert gave a final message to his team.

"They can win without me, and that's what I wanted to tell them," Tolbert said.

"I encouraged them, obviously," he said, making a motion to draw attention to his raspy voice. "I lost my voice, I've been yelling for them so hard. I love them all and I just wanted to do their best and bring it home."

The Bulldogs completed the victory with Tolbert quietly standing on the sideline, watching as his teammates closed out a performance for which he had already provided the exclamation point in the second quarter with a two-handed slam that sent the sounds of the rim's vibrations rattling off the gym walls.

"I wouldn't trade Jacob for the world," Roberts said. "He's just a threat and he does so much for us."