Athlete of the Week: Overton fitting right in at RBHS

Many of the players who have passed through Rancho Bernardo High’s basketball program have grown up playing Bronco Youth Ball. Sophomore J.J. Overton did not.

He grew up in Salt Lake City, Utah, playing with Jr. Jazz. He did not move to the Rancho Bernardo area until just before his eighth-grade year. So, when he made the Broncos varsity as a freshman, he had to prove his worth.

“I most definitely had to prove I belonged,” said Overton, a wiry 6-foot, 4-inch, 160-pound point guard. “When I got here a lot of players were talking to our former coach and they were like, ‘he is a freshman and he is not ready to play this level of competition.’ ... But I just kept working.”

It didn’t take long to show he could play with the big boys.

In his first game, Overton scored a team-high 16 points and buried a 3-pointer with 20 seconds to go to send the game into overtime. The Broncos eventually lost 76-68 to Valhalla, but it was an eye-opening performance by Overton.

“After I hit that big shot in the first game, everyone realized, ‘OK, he can hang in there,’” Overton said. “I think it was an eye opener. They realized that they can trust the freshman point guard.”

Overton fit right in the rest of the season, averaging 11 points per game, and he broke the school record for 3-pointers made in a single contest with eight against Westview. He has been even better this season, averaging 17.8 points per game while leading Rancho Bernardo to a 13-11 mark entering this week.

“He definitely has some sophomore moments now and then, but he has gotten a lot better,” first-year Broncos coach Marc Basehore said. “He has done a much better job with shot selection ... and he has learned to move well without the basketball. He can dominate a game without having the ball in his hands ... I think it is scary how good he can be in the next couple years.”

At 15, Overton is the youngest player on the Broncos. He has grown close to his older teammates. They often tease him about his age and call him “Princess J.J,” mocking his Instagram handle, “King_JJ.”

“I love being around my team,” said Overton, whose first name is Jamison (J.J. is a nickname that has stuck ever since his sister started calling him that when they were younger because she could not pronounce Jamison). “They tease me all the time because I am the youngest. They crack jokes, but when I get my chance I take my shots at them. It is all in fun.”

Said Basehore: “J.J. has a big personality. He is not the shy kid in the corner. He is cracking jokes and he always has his teammates laughing and he often has me laughing. Just a big personality and he has a great big smile. The type of kid everyone wants to be around.”

And the type of kid everyone wants on their team in the fourth quarter.

Overton has shown he can handle the big stage and big moments. He has been huge for the Broncos late in close games. He hit a late 3-pointer against Poway earlier this season that could have easily winded up being the game winner, if it wasn’t for the Titans responding with a last-second score.

“When it is crunch time he definitely wants the ball in his hands,” Basehore said. “He is not afraid to take a late shot to win a game. He has proven on several occasions that is when he is at his best. He is definitely the guy we try to get the ball to in those situations.”

Said Overton: “I have gone through a couple situations where I was able to hit big shots. It is not nerve-racking to me. I embrace it when it comes down to the end like that. I am always thinking, ‘I am hitting this shot.’”

And now everyone in the Rancho Bernardo program knows he can.