Patterson a Quality Pick Up for Knights

Jason Patterson doesn't look like the most threatening figure out on a basketball court, but the 5-11, 160 pound combo/point guard from St. Patrick H.S. in Elizabeth, N.J., has put more than one opponent six feet under.

Simply put, Patterson can be a lights out three point shooter, and he laid St. Benedict's to rest on Saturday night at the Elizabeth Coalition to House the Homeless Basketball Classic.

Patterson collected nine points in a key 13-2 fourth quarter surge that saw the Celtics blow open a tight contest and go on to a 74-63 victory. For the game, Patterson finished with 25 points, and connected on five three point baskets.

Perhaps his biggest basket of the game was a three pointer at the 5:51 mark of the fourth quarter. He was fouled on the play, and converted the free throw for a backbreaking four point play that gave St. Pat's a 59-48 lead. Moments later, he closed the big run with a pair of free throws to give the Celtics what proved to be an insurmountable 61-48 lead.

Patterson told Rivalshoops.com that he visited both Fairleigh Dickinson and Long Island University in the fall. As reported recently on our sister site NJHoops, Patterson has orally committed to Tom Green's Knight program.

"They want me to play both the one and two positions," he said.

While he may be a little smallish to play the two slot, Patterson can carry a team offensively when his shot is falling. At St. Pat's, he has the luxury of playing off the ball because the Celtics have a pair of other guards who handle the point guard duties.

Any way you slice it, he appears to be a quality late pickup for the FDU basketball program.