After a big game vs. Wolves, the shooting ace is averaging 18.7 points so far this season
Justinian Jessup showed he deserves attention with undefeated Ulm
Most of the attention this off-season and start to the year at ratiopharm Ulm has been on the team's star teenage prospects Ben Saraf and Noa Essengue. But the man to really shine the brightest thus far has been Justinian Jessup.
Jessup poured in 27 points with 5 three-pointers in Ulm’s 76-94 road victory over Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius.
“Getting an easy one early on helped me. And then the coaches and teammates were finding me and putting trust in me and let me shoot the ball and play freely,” said Jessup, who also chipped in 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal for a performance index rating of 30.
It was the second time in three EuroCup games that the 26-year-old forward has reached the 20-point mark in his debut season. In the opening round against Trefl Sopot, Jessup knocked down 6 three-pointers in tallying 20 points to go with 6 rebounds.
Jessup helped Ulm in other ways in the Round 2 win over Joventut Badalona as he collected 9 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.
Jessup returned to the club after being a late-season addition in 2023-24. But the sharpshooter, who had played at Zaragoza in 2022-23 and then the New Zealand Breakers before joining Ulm, was not high on the list of pre-season storylines for Ulm. The top of that was the dynamic pair of young NBA prospects 18-year-old Saraf and Essengue, who will turn 18 in December.
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But Jessup has shown he can really light it up. He is averaging 13.3 points in the German League for the 3-0 Ulm team, making 50 percent (14 of 28) from long range, including scoring 28 points with 5 three-pointers against Wurzburg in the first game of the season.
When asked about Jessup, Ulm head coach Ty Harrelson just laughed and said: “When he gets hot, he’s really tough to stop.”
Ulm has not lost in six games in the two competitions, and Jessup just wants to enjoy the moment.
“We’re just going to embrace it and take it one game at a time,” he said.