By ALANNA OLKEN
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November 29, 2012
Hopkins’s men's basketball team launched a powerful start to the young season, winning two of their first three contests. In the Centennial Conference this past week, the Blue Jays beat Haverford College convincingly by the score of 72-46. Much of the success this past weekend is attributed to sophomore Jimmy Hammer. Last year he exploded onto the Hopkins basketball scene, possessing a shooter’s touch and undeniable poise. His reputation precedes him; last week, Hammer stole the show by scoring five buckets from behind the arch, leading the team to victory. Hammer is impressive both on and off the court. He is an economics major who also has a passion for marketing, which has prompted him to take on leadership roles in marketing for Relay for Life and involvement in the American Marketing Association. On the court is truly where Hammer feels he belongs, “I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t play basketball,” says Hammer, who attributes his success and happiness in college to the team. Hammer is not one to brag and seems to be quite self-reflective about his game – constantly looking to improve his skills with each season. Looking back at his rookie year, he says that one of his proudest accomplishments was “the comeback to beat Dickinson in their gym when our team was down by ten with only a few minutes on the clock.” Hammer did his part in pacing the team to a nail biting victory with his back-to-back three-pointers. Not too shabby for a freshman, “it felt good to make those shots and to help us get the big win. It was our last game before a long winter break and we were able to go 3-0 in the conference.” In addition, Hammer views the team making it to the conference playoffs last year as another noteworthy triumph for the Blue Jays. The Jays also beat 15th ranked, St. Mary’s College (MD), last November in the semifinals of the Pride of Maryland Tournament. The Jays rallied to defeat St. Mary by just one point, with a final score of 67-66. Hammer remarks, “That was a huge win because it was in front of a great crowd at Hopkins and it was a come from behind victory. They came into the game as a top 25 team and we just battled with them all game. We weren’t as talented as they were, but we were able to fight them off and get the win.” Hammer views these past accomplishments, not as a reason to pat himself on the back, but as motivation to make the NCAA tournament this season. He shares the same goal as Coach Nelson, to yet again make the Conference tournament and then to advance to the NCAA tournament. He does not express any doubt that this will become a reality and says he looks forward to this future endeavor. This is all because he believes Hopkins basketball “has lots of talent” and “a lot of players returned from last years successful team.” He is extraordinarily optimistic about this season, asserting that the hot-out-the-gate start is a promising sign for things to come. This season, he plans on improving his overall game, including his defense, rebounding, and consistency in his shooting. Hammer emphatically claims that his life revolves around Hopkins basketball. He feels lucky to be on a team of “great guys” who are all his “best friends.” His time is spent with the team off the court, as well, and considers the team’s chemistry the mark of a “true team.” Not only has the basketball team become something that Hammer has grown impassioned about, but it has literally become the center of his universe and something he can never see giving up. “I am very lucky to have such a great group of guys surrounding me," Hammer exclaimed, "It makes going to practice and playing in games so much fun. We hang out outside of basketball, we study together, and support other teams and organizations in the Hopkins community.”
