Tribute to the Seniors, Pepperdine Edition: Lorne Jackson and Caleb Willis

Feb. 7, 2013; Spokane, WA, USA; Pepperdine Waves guard Lorne Jackson (0) makes a basket against Gonzaga Bulldogs guard Gary Bell Jr. (5) during the first half at the McCarthey Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: James Snook-USA TODAY Sports

For those not associated with the Pepperdine basketball program, this season might have been considered a disappointment. However, for Lorne Jackson and Caleb Willis, this season was as memorable as any. Although the team did not experience a great deal of success, these seniors played extremely hard for the Waves and cemented a legacy at the university.

Lorne Jackson came to Malibu with a great deal of high school basketball success. At Simi Valley High School, he was named Ventura County’s Star Player of the Year and was a McDonalds All-American Nominee. He was a three-star prospect coming out of high school, according to rivals, and held offers from Portland, San Diego, Long Beach State, and of course Pepperdine.

During his freshman season, Jackson was the Waves third leading scorer. He scored at a high rate while only playing just over 16 minutes per game. His innate ability to score was on full display as a freshman, and only improved at his time at Pepperdine. He averaged 8.1 and 13.2 points per game in his sophomore and junior seasons. Jackson was poised for a great senior season the following year. However, in the summer before his senior year, Jackson suffered a torn ACL and was forced to sit out the 2011-2012 season. Fortunately for Jackson, he was granted a medical hardship and a fifth year of eligibility.

In his fifth year at Malibu, Jackson had his best season yet. He started 23 of the 30 games this past season, while averaging 13.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. Jackson stepped into his role as a senior leader excellently.

In his time at Pepperdine, Jackson ranks seventh all time in 3 pointers made, sixth in free throw percentage, fourth in career steals, and second in career games played. His strong resume of accolades is a testament of how great of a career Jackson has had at Pepperdine University.

Caleb Willis, a 6’2”, 220 pound guard from Stockbridge, Georgia experienced a great deal of success during his time at Pepperdine. As a freshman and sophomore, Willis started a total of 7 games and saw action in 47 games. Although he contributed in his first two season, Willis did not start to make a considerable impact until his junior season.

In his junior season, Willis started every game that he played in for the Waves and averaged about 29 minutes per game. He averaged 6.1 points per game in the duration of the 2011-2012 season. After a successful season, an even better senior season seemed imminent. However, Willis suffered a season, and career ending injury about 15 games into the season.

Willis and Jackson will leave Pepperdine with the universities good graces, considering all the contributions they made to the school’s basketball program. These are two players that will be sorely missed by the university and the West Coast Conference in general.