During his freshman season at Columbia University, Jack Forrest realized that basketball motivates him more than anything else. His desire to immerse himself in a basketball-centric environment led to his transfer from Columbia to St. Joe’s, where he hopes to contribute to a winning team.
“I want to win some championships at St. Joe’s, that’s first and foremost,” Forrest said. “I want to win games, it’s not just about me.”
Forrest acknowledged that the decision to transfer from Columbia, an Ivy League university, to St. Joe’s is “unorthodox.” The 6-foot 5-inch guard from Lower Merion notes that while education remains a top priority, his primary focus was to join a program that would allow him to reach his full potential as a basketball player.
“Education is very important to me, and St. Joe’s still provides that aspect,” Forrest said. “But being at a school that has the tools to get me to the next level became very apparent.”
Forrest lives about five minutes from St. Joe’s and graduated from Lower Merion High School, where he scored over 1,200 points and is the Aces’ eighth all-time leading scorer. Forrest said that there are many parallels between the Lower Merion basketball program and the St. Joe’s program that Head Coach Billy Lange is building on Hawk Hill.
“Lower Merion is a storied program, and there is a tradition of culture and a tradition of winning in this area,” Forrest said. ‘“Even though St. Joe’s didn’t have a great season last year, I see where [Lange] is taking the program, and that winning culture is of the utmost importance of a winning team.”
After Forrest’s freshman year at Columbia, despite being a bright spot on the Lions’ basketball team, they placed last in the Ivy League. Forrest then experienced a “paradigm shift” and realized that his talent and work ethic was foundational for a professional career.
“I think it happened this year while going through a Division I basketball season, and seeing where I fit in and how I can play,” Forrest said. “When I transferred, I knew it was going to be a basketball decision and I wanted to go to the best fit for me to get to play professionally.”
When Forrest decided to transfer from Columbia, he received guidance from his high school coach, Gregg Downer, in choosing his next college. Downer reached out to Lange and sent him a film of Forrest.
“[Lange] liked what he saw on film and aggressively pursued Jack,” Downer said. “He’s more athletic than people think, and hopefully he’ll be able to guard multiple positions on defense.”
Forrest will go from playing in the Ivy League, considered a low-major conference, to the Atlantic 10, a mid-major conference. With that jump in caliber comes more skilled and athletic competition. Matt Gifford, creator of 247Sports blog Hawk Hill Hardwood, likens Forrest’s transition with that of senior Ryan Daly, another 6-foot 5-inch guard who came to St. Joe’s after playing for the University of Delaware in the Colonial Athletic Association, another low-major conference.
“Guys are an inch or two taller at each position, which doesn’t seem like a lot, but can make a big difference,”Gifford said.
Gifford said that Forrest’s athleticism and size will enable him to lessen the learning curve.
“[Forrest] is really big for his position, and he’s really athletic,” Gifford said. “He has the size and skillset to make the adjustment easier.”
Additionally, Gifford believes that Forrest’s redshirt year will aid his development immensely.
“I do think the year of sitting out for him is really going to help,” Gifford said. “Going up against guys like Greg Foster and Dahmir Bishop [in practice], who are pretty elite defenders, will make him a better player.”
During his senior year of high school, Forrest and his Lower Merion teammates flew to Los Angeles to spend several hours with Lower Merion’s most famous basketball alum, Kobe Bryant.
“Kobe dropped a lot of knowledge on us that day, and it had a really strong effect on me,” Forrest said. “I’ve carried that knowledge with me throughout my life, not just basketball. The way he carried himself and the mindset he had, the revered Mamba Mentality.”
Forrest said that Bryant’s competitive nature and work ethic, dubbed the “Mamba Mentality,” stood out the most. According to Downer, Forrest also embodies these characteristics.
“What you’re going to see is a person who loves to compete and a person who loves to work hard,” Downer said.
