Clippers’ Zancan took on new challenge
CUMBERLAND — He knew his senior year would represent a vast departure from the warm and familiar cocoon that helped to define previous campaigns.
There was the challenge of a new division and a chance to test his skills against a better brand of competition. There was the tall order of a task of bringing the supporting cast together, a group that save for one key holdover was fresh on the varsity scene.
Jackson Zancan knew that all eyes would be on him. Already a known commodity on the R.I. Interscholastic basketball circuit, could he establish his own brand of dominance on the court against Division I opponents? Just as imperative, could he lead the Cumberland High boys’ basketball team to a place that would allow him to have a senior sendoff that’s the essence of fulfillment?
The answer, based squarely on the Clippers as a No. 16 seed coming out of nowhere to reach this year’s Final Four of the Open state tournament, is a resounding yes. Zancan needed to be the sun, the moon, and the stars for Cumberland coach Gary Reedy. There was a lot of pressure resting on the shoulders of his lanky 6-foot5 frame, yet Zancan succeeded in checking off every important box.
“This kid … how can I not be happy for him?” said Reedy prior to a recent practice that was exclusively dedicated to game-planning for Woonsocket, Saturday’s opponent at URI’s Ryan Center.
Added junior point guard Dante Aviles-Santos, “He’s been leading us the whole year, whether it’s scoring, rebounding, passing or making tough plays. He’s really grown compared to last year.”
Ah, an ode to last year, one that for the Clippers also included a trip to the Final Four, albeit with a completely different cast and Cumber- land competing out of the Division II ranks. There was Zancan and Aviles-Santos, but there was also Tyler Kolek, the sharpshooting maestro who moved on to the prep-school circuit at St. George’s in Middletown following his junior year with the Clippers.
“It was tough to see Tyler go, but he had to do what was best for him,” Zancan said. “I think it helped me grow as a leader and become a better player.”
As the only Cumberland senior who figured prominently in Reedy’s rotation, Zancan knew that his plate would be full. He embraced the challenge of setting the tone for a team that desperately needed to be shown the varsity ropes.
Aviles-Santos was a fellow returnee, yet his role changed, going from the third option to someone who needed to run the point and provide scoring punch. The Clippers start two freshman (Seth Anderson, Colin Mories) and a sophomore (William Andrews), hence the onus was on Zancan to get his message across in a way that would result in everyone coming together for the greater good.
“I knew there was a lot of responsibility, but I was ready for it. I just had to come out and prove it,” Zancan said. “Now, you see Dante establish himself as a pure point guard and the young guys, they’ve established themselves.”
Even if the Clippers didn’t reach this year’s Final Four, Jackson still would have gone down as one of the most decorated players in Cumberland High basketball history. As a sophomore, he played on a D-II tournament winner that advanced to the Elite Eight of the state playoffs. Last year as a junior, Zancan was part of a Cumberland outfit that won the D-II regular-season title and went on to reach the Final Four.
“It was about taking the past and applying the lessons learned so this group understood the importance of what we’re trying to do,” Zancan said.
From swapping out Narragansett and Shea with Hendricken and Mount Pleasant, Zancan welcomed the challenge of a D-I slate. Stepping up a weight class meant that Zancan had to become a craftier sort on the offensive end. Whether that meant going left more than he did in previous seasons or stepping outside more, Zancan knew it was imperative that he seek out different spots on the floor that ensured opposing teams would remain on their toes.
“I wanted to be up there in D-I. I feel it’s more of a proving ground and enabled some people to start taking us more seriously,” Zancan said. “I knew I would get the box-andones or triangle-and-twos, but I feel I’ve proved a lot, whether it’s knowing where to move or when to dribble. The past couple of years, I could sit in the paint and score. This year, I had to be a threat everywhere.”
In Reedy’s eyes, Zancan is the ultimate self-starter. You don’t have to say much to him. Just wind him up and watch him go. As time has progressed this season, his fellow Clippers have made sure to follow his lead. Now, Zancan is someone who is well respected within the CHS locker room.
“He’s not glitzy. He’s got a different type of flash,” Reedy said. “He just does his job.”
Zancan labels himself as a point forward, someone who knows how to direct traffic and make sure everyone lines up in their correct spots. Defensively, he thrives on playing close to the rim and making opposing teams regret coming into his area, witnessed by the seven blocks he recorded against Toll Gate this past Sunday.
To Zancan, it’s all about setting the tone. To see everything crystallize in the spellbinding fashion it has … it’s a most fitting reward for a player who regardless of what happens this weekend has already authored a senior season to remember.
“To see everything emerge, it’s been awesome,” Zancan said.