BGSU men’s basketball junior guard Javontae Campbell rewrote the history books on Tuesday, breaking the program’s single-season steals record and etching his name into the Bowling Green history books.
“What an absolute stud. I mean, there should be, not an even an asterisk next to that; he should put a star around it for a kid to go do that with a broken hand on top of all things,” head coach Todd Simon said postgame. “What a special player, special human being; can’t say enough things about him.”
Campbell recorded five steals in BG’s win against Eastern Michigan to put his season total at 83, breaking DeMar Moore’s 82 steals during the 1996-97 season.
The Muskogee, Oklahoma, barely beat the buzzer to pass Moore, tallying his record-breaking steal with 11 seconds remaining in the game.
“It’s a blessing. I didn’t know until I got in the locker room,” Campbell said postgame. “My teammates got hype about it; they’re great supporting teammates. It’s fun to break it; it’s just a blessing.”
Campbell was more than a defensive wizard in the win over the Eagles, tallying a team-leading 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds. He has scored at least 20 points in four straight games with a broken hand.
Campbell has taken his game to another level since senior guard Trey Thomas suffered a season-ending broken leg against Kent State on Feb. 18, serving as the team’s primary ball-handler and floor general.
“He’s having to kind of take a leadership role. He’s getting better and better every game; we’re coaching him through situations,” Simon said. “There’s so much more than just having the ball in your hands; you have to run the team, and he’s developing that as well.”
When Campbell transferred to BG from Northern Oklahoma College before the season, Simon knew he was a special player.
“You never can project quite that impact, but we knew we had something special, and we’re really fortunate. He fits our system,” Simon said. “We knew for how we play and the way we spread things out, that he’s a guy that can get in those creases. But his basketball IQ, his toughness; those things separate him.”
Next up for Campbell, who ranks fourth in the country in steals, is an uphill challenge for the Mid-American Conference (MAC) single-season steals record of 103, set by Ball State’s Bonzi Wells in the 1997-98 season.
