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Standing 6-foot-7 with a feathery touch from outside, most years Jaques would have garnered significant minutes for the Big Red basketball team. However, since his arrival in Ithaca four years ago, the team has been a force in the Ivy League, making two straight NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament appearances. Because of the team's collection of talented players, Cornell Head Coach Steve Donahue says Jaques has been caught up in a numbers game--which has made playing time hard to come by.

But that doesn't mean Jaques hasn't kept himself ready. Last week, while competing against Drexel University in the final game of the Legends Classic, Jaques saw his first minutes of the season, and made the most of his opportunity.

With starting forward Alex Tyler sidelined with an injured ankle, Cornell entered the game shorthanded. Then early in the first half, two of the team's front line players got in foul trouble. Donahue looked down his bench and told Jaques, a senior tri-captain, to check into the game. Jaques did not disappoint.

On the court for 11 big first-half minutes, Jaques played hard-nosed defense, making two steals and collecting a rebound. Then late in the second half, with Drexel within striking distance and looking to foul to stop the clock, Donahue re-inserted Jaques, substituting him for a poor foul shooter.

Down by three with 21 seconds left in the game, Drexel fouled Jaques, sending him to the free throw line for a one-and-one. His first trip to the stripe this season, Jaques stepped up and cooly drained both shots to seal the victory. They were his first points of the season.

"This was special," Jaques told the Ithaca Journal. "Obviously my first significant minutes in a while, so it was special to come in and help the team win. Even if I hadn't made the free throws, I was happy with how I was contributing."

The feat was not lost on Donahue, who nominated Jaques to represent Cornell on the Legends Classic Philadelphia Subregional all-tournament team.

"I can't say enough about Jon Jaques," an emotional Donahue said during his post-game press conference. "I know people were surprised by that, but (deep breath). To me, it's um, he's what we're all about. No one cares about how it gets done, and that kid (deep breath, long pause) ... Yeah, let me finish with that, just because he's our captain. Three years of not playing. You don't know how difficult those two foul shots are for a kid like that. And then to go in and knock them down when we've got two guys in foul trouble, a guy hurt and a guy with the flu, he doesn't miss a beat with everything we do.

"He does everything we ask as a teammate and a member of our team, and that's why we're good."

Even before the game-clinching free throws dropped through the net, Jaques had been a significant contributor--on an off the court--to the Big Red's success.

"For four years, he's donned a white practice jersey and played the role of the upcoming opponent's best wing player," writes Brian Delaney, who covers Cornell for the Ithaca Journal. "On game days, he has sat on the bench offering encouragement and advice to teammates, embracing his role as deep reserve and setting an example for younger players who could very well leapfrog him on the depth chart."

Jaques positive example has resonated with his teammates.

"He loves basketball more than anybody on this team," Tyler told the Ithaca Journal. "To see him go out there and actually get some minutes and play well, it's so great when somebody has a chance and they're given a chance and they take advantage of it. Everyone on this team loves it when he gets an opportunity like that."

We at Athletic Management echo those thoughts and congratulate Jon Jaques on making the most of his opportunities--something we saw him do time after time during his time with us. We're confident that will continue to be the case throughout the season and along his chosen career path. And kudos to Donahue for publicly acknowledging the contributions of an unsung player and rewarding hard work.

Jaques' work is featured on our sister site, CoachesNetwork.com. Coaches Network offers a variety of resources for coaches, including educational resources, networking tools, and a way to connect with parents of their athletes. One article provides parents with first-hand tips on helping their child through the recruiting process, as well as offering coaches a look into an athletes' view of the recruiting experience. Another article addresses factors athletes and their parents should consider when choosing a club team.

Jaques is also an occasional contributor to The New York Times Web site. His work can be found at The Quad blog.

R.J. Anderson is the Online Editor at Athletic Management.