Titan Men No. 1 in Florida; Jackson Secures Third Player of Week Honor

Today is a banner day for Eastern Florida's men's basketball program and freshman C.J. Jackson.

The Titans are ranked No. 1 in Florida in the latest FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 poll and Jackson is the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Player of the Week for the second straight week and the third time this season.

The No. 1 ranking is the first for the Titans in the six-season tenure of head coach Jeremy Shulman and most likely the first since the banner year of 1999-2000 when the Titans won a school-record 29 games and the state championship.

Last season's Titans squad equaled the record 29-win season, finishing 29-5. It finished as FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Tournament runner-up for the second time in three years and advanced to the NJCAA Men's Division I Championship tournament for the first time since 2000.

But, it never attained the top ranking, finishing the season at No. 2 after losing to eventual national champion Northwest Florida State in the FCSAA/Region 8 final.

In 2013 the Titans lost to eventual national champion College of Central Florida in the FCSAA/Region 8 final and finished second in the state.

As for Jackson, the freshman point guard from Charlotte, North Carolina and Montverde Academy, the award comes in the wake of his 39-point, three assist, two steal performance in a 96-85 overtime victory against Palm Beach State. The victory gave the Titans their believed to be unprecedented fourth straight FCSAA Southern Conference title.

Jackson's resume for the week was:

• Shooting 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the field, 57.1 percent (12-of-21) from the three-point line and 77.8 percent (14-of-18) from the free throw line.

• Leading Eastern Florida State to a 2-0 record, including its third victory over nationally-ranked Palm Beach State, and the fourth straight Southern Conference championship.

• Scoring 21 points, recording six rebounds, two assists and three steals in a win over Miami Dade and hitting eight three-pointers at Palm Beach State.

The week before Jackson was honored for:

• Averaging 21 points, 7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 3 steals in three games during the voting period.

• Shooting 51.3 percent (20-of-39) from the field, 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from the three-point line and 63.2 percent (12-of-19) from the free throw line.

• Leading Eastern Florida to a 3-0 record in FCSAA Southern Conference games on the road.

• Recording a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in win at ASA Miami.

• Scoring a career-high 44 points in a win at Indian River State. He shot 15-of-25 from the field and 9-of-14 from long distance.

"I'm humbled on two accounts," Shulman said. "One for having the privilege to coach this extraordinary team and second for having C.J. Jackson in a Titan uniform.

"I'm blessed this season with a team that doesn't know the definition of the word quit and for having the best NJCAA point guard in the country who is as special off the court and in the classroom as he is on the court.

"That being said we've got a lot more work to do beginning with tonight's home game against Broward. There's still a lot for us to play for."

The Titans, 11-0 in conference and 23-3 overall, host Broward College (6-5, 15-10) at 7 p.m. in a game to televised live on WEFS-TV and streamed at www.efsctitans.com/webcast

They have the opportunity to qualify for the NJCAA Men's Division Championship tournament in Hutchinson, Kansas by winning the FCSAA/Region 8 tournament or by playing well enough to secure one of four national at-large bids.

The NJCAA ranks the Titans seventh nationally. They are fifth in the nationwide Massey Ratings.