Jack Sallie relates he doesn’t have a nickname, but is open to suggestions.
Taking a cue from seven-time NBA champion Robert Horry, or 'Big Shot Rob,' Sallie is well on his way to earning a ‘Big Shot Jack’ moniker.
The consensus was Sallie had the biggest bucket in Ozark’s 49-44 triumph against Republic on Tuesday. His 3-pointer with 3:56 to play gave Ozark a 39-33 lead.
It was the winners’ only 3 pointer.
“That was a huge momentum switch, the biggest play of the game,” teammate Kylan Pickren said, noting the Sallie trey held off a Repmo rally. “The crowd got super loud, probably the loudest they got all night.”
Feeding off the confidence his team has in him, Sallie has shown he isn’t shy about looking for his own shot.
"I have dudes who will find me when I'm open and I have coaches that tell me to keep shooting, even if I miss a couple,” Sallie said. “I started off 0-for-2 (Tuesday), but still had coaches telling me to shoot. If I get an open look, they’re wanting me to shoot, no matter how much time is left.”
Sallie was set up by guard Nate Birden, who drove along the baseline and fired the ball to Sallie alone in the opposite corner.
“It was a great play and he has great court vision,” Sallie said of Birden. “Sometimes Nate can be passive about driving. He might stay up by half-court. But when he gets downhill, everything gets better for everyone. He can spray it really well and that leads to open shots.”
“We’ve talked about (Birden) being a little bit more aggressive and trying to make some plays,” Donnelly said. “He did that and found a good shooter.”
As for Sallie's prowess as a shooter, Pickren gave him one of the best compliments he’ll ever receive.
“He's definitely our best shooter,” said Pickren, who of course is a proven 3-point threat himself. “I have complete confidence in him. Everybody has a certain role on the team and Jack’s role is hitting shots. He’s doing great at it.”
At the Blue & Gold Tournament, Sallie sent Ozark’s second-round loss to West Plains into overtime by swishing a 3-pointer to tie things up with :36 remaining.
Donnelly hasn’t been surprised to see Sallie shoot so well come crunch time.
“He preps the right way and mentally he is not an overly emotional player,” Donnelly said. “I think that allows him, in those big moments, to be able to lean on his work. Jack's one of our hardest workers. That guy gets in the gym almost every single day, getting shots up. He knows what he does every day, so he's going to be confident in those moments.”
