Spending a season as injured red-shirt paying off for Nash

Jaron Nash has a bright future with Division I basketball on the horizon.

It's much easier now for the Waterloo native to look forward after a difficult first year in college. Nash injured a knee early in practice last fall at Tyler (Texas) Junior College, causing him to take a red-shirt season.

“It was a building year for me,” Nash said.

Nash matured in his season on the bench. Unlike many junior-college athletes, Nash stayed in school, gained weight on his skinny frame and learned about team basketball.

“Jaron just needed to have some mental toughness that really helped him improve,” Tyler Coach Mike Marquis said. “The other thing is, he's become a better teammate, which really has been an improvement.

“I think he spent his high school career trying to play for some imaginary goal that's not really always there. Here he's maturing, he's gotten stronger he's starting to play within a system that really highlights his own abilities.”

Nash was second team all-state at Waterloo East, averaging 17.1 points and 6.1 rebounds his senior year. He was twice first team all-Mississippi Valley Conference and created mismatches with his quickness, size (now 6-foot-8) and ball-handling skills.

Nash decided to attend Tyler because of his ties with Marquis, a former junior college basketball coach at Marshalltown and Indian Hills. Marquis coached Nash as a youngster on the Martin Brothers AAU team. Nash is one of four former Iowans on the roster at Tyler, including former Iowa City High player Malcolm Moore.

“I've known Coach Marquis for a long time,” Nash said. “I felt comfortable with what he's saying, and I trusted his program.”

This summer Nash competed in the Prime Time League and showcased his explosive skills. He averages nearly 14 points and eight rebounds a game.

“I feel real confident in my penetration game and just posting up and getting to the rack with my ball-handling skills,” he said.

“I'm just getting stronger and working on my jump shot. Everything else is pretty good.”

Nash will play at Tyler this winter, graduate with an associate of arts degree and have three years of Division I eligibility. He's looking at Iowa, Iowa State, West Virginia and Nebraska.

“He's a little bit unknown because of the red-shirt, but I think he's got a chance - if he continues to improve - to be really good at that level,” Marquis said.