Jaqualon “Jake” Lovette of New Iberia was preparing to play basketball in the spring at Baton Rouge Community College, but after a couple of departures from Xavier University of Louisiana opened up a spot for a good ball-handling guard who could shoot the ball, Lovette is now headed to the Crescent City to play basketball for the next few seasons.

Lovette said he’s excited for the opportunity, in large part because of the school’s academic reputation. He’s looking to make his mother proud, and glad family.

“No doubt, that’s what I was working for,” Lovette said of the opportunity to play for a four-year program. “That’s what I’ve been working for these past two years.

“My main goal is to graduate from there, get a degree; do good on the basketball court, and go on from there.”

“We’re just excited,” Russ said at a signing ceremony for Lovette Friday morning in the NISH gym with family and former NISH teammates among those attending. “Another kid from our program getting a chance to continue to play and continue to move on. I’m just so excited for Jake and his family.”

Xavier associate head coach Tyrone Mitchell, who played at NISH before finishing his prep career at at Marine Military Academy Prep School in Harlingen, Texas, was at NISH Friday to sign Lovette up. He went on to play at Northwestern state and earned All-Southland Conference honors as a senior.

“Any time a kid has a chance to get his education paid for, any time a kid has a chance to continue playing and chasing his dream, I think it’s great,” NISH head coach Todd Russ said.

Russ said that having Mitchell there to mentor Lovette is a big plus. Mitchell, now in his sixth season at Xavier, had kept his eye on Lovette, Russ said, and offered him a spot on the team after the departures during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think it’s great,” Russ said. “Jake is going to have someone that can continue to mentor him, somebody that walked the halls of New Iberia, somebody who’s an integral part of Xavier basketball, somebody who can help mentor and guide him to help move him forward.”

Mitchell said his new player has good fundamentals. Lovette is the first NISH player that he’s signed at Xavier.

“The dribble, pass and shoot game with Jake is really good,” Mitchell said. “It comes from Coach Russ that teaches that day in and day out. And Jake can really score the ball, so we need him to come in and make an immediate impact, not just on the court, but off the court. I think Russ instilled that in his program, not just on the court but off the court. I think Russ instills that in his program, not just on the court but off the court you’ve got to represent the program in a positive light.

“They wanted to bring in a kid that could shoot it and score it, that’s what Coach Mitchell informed me of, and Jake fit the bill,” Russ said. “Xavier was in need of a guard that could do the things he’s capable of doing, handling the ball, scoring the ball, shooting the ball really well, so they came in and made an offer to him. Now he gets to go to Xavier University for 3 1/2 years, a very good academic institution, and continue his playing career and his education.”

Lovette can play either the point of the shooting guard position and likely will be given the opportunity to play both the 1 and 2, Mitchell said.

“Jake is definitely a combo guard,” he said. “He can put it on the floor, but he can score also, and he can pass. That’s what we’re looking for. We’ve got another guard, Terrance Jones, he’s from LCA, doing well his freshman year. He and Terrence Jones will be playing beside each other.”

Lovette said he works hard on his ballhandling and shooting. Though he thinks he’s a good leader, he thinks he can improve on that by being more vocal.

“I think he’s going to play some point,” Russ said. “He’s skilled enough to play off the ball, but I think his skill set allows him to do both.”