Saturday, February 23, 2002
Five questions with Casey Jacobsen
By Michael Perry
The Cincinnati Enquirer
![[img]](http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/02/23/jacobsen_150x200.jpg)
Casey Jacobsen celebrates after Stanford defeated Oregon 90-87 in overtime, Thursday, Feb. 7, 2002 in Stanford, Calif.
(AP photo)
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It's no wonder Stanford's Casey Jacobsen is one of the best shooters in the country. His father Von, who played basketball at San Diego State, built a regulation halfcourt in the family's backyard, complete with lights, a college 3-point line and breakaway rims.
Now Casey leads the Pac-10 Conference — and is 10th in the nation — in scoring, averaging 22.5 points a game for the 10th-ranked Cardinal. The 6-foot-6 junior doesn't think he'd be as good a player without having had the court in his yard growing up. “Every time I eat dinner at my house, I look out the window and there is a basketball court right in front of me,” he said. “It encouraged me to get out there and work hard. The basketball court was always there growing up, and I really had no excuse not to work on my game and became a better player."
Jacobsen, who has not said whether he will return for his senior year or declare for the NBA draft, took the time to answer five questions from Enquirer reporter Michael Perry.
Q: Any superstitions where basketball is concerned?
A: I try not to be a superstitious person just because if something goes wrong before a game, I don't want to panic and feel I like I'm going to lose a game because I didn't wear my lucky socks or or my lucky underwear. On road trips, though, I like to play video games as a tradition.
Q: We've done some research. Is this true, you're a Dawson's Creek fan?
A: I watched the show in high school and I like Katie Holmes. I had a crush on her. That's why I tuned in. She's tall, she's beautiful. She has that girl-next-door kind of look. She looks pretty, not Hollywood.
Q: So, you'd rather take a 25-foot shot than a 20-footer, eh? Explain your philosophy on the “deep 3.”
A: I wouldn't rather take a 25-footer than a 20-footer, but nobody lets me shoot 20-footers any more. I don't have a choice. The deep 3 is a shot that I've worked on and put in my repertoire of offensive weapons because defenders are not taught to guard people from 25-feet.
Q: Your favorite H-O-R-S-E shot?
A: I haven't played H-O-R-S-E in a long time. My philosophy in H-O-R-S-E is to take fundamental shots, because those are the ones that people usually miss. The closer the shot, the more nervous people seem to get, and miss. A 5-footer in H-O-R-S-E seems to be a 20-footer when the pressure is on.
Q: Is there a college player you've seen on TV and thought: “I'd love to play that guy in one-on-one?”
A: I have already fulfilled that dream. To me it's Jason Williams of Duke, who I think is the best player in college basketball. We are friends off the court, and I have played him several times one-on-one. He has won some games, and I have beaten him a couple times. I enjoy playing him more than anyone else.
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![[img]](http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/02/23/jacobsen_zoom.jpg)
Five questions with Casey Jacobsen
