From game-sealing plays to flashy passes, senior basketball captain Jacob Armant has done it all for Emerson. Leading them through tragedy and triumph, Armant has been the go-to guy for the Lions for the last two years, consistently being the first guy in the gym and the last guy out. 

The men’s basketball team had a disappointing end to their season, missing the playoffs by just two games. 

While he might not have the flashy 40-point games and half-court threes that his counterpart on the women’s squad, Bri Frongillo, has, Armant’s impact goes beyond the white and purple painted lines of the Bobbi. 

“I learned basketball originally from my dad, my brother, my cousins, my grandpa, everybody in my family was a basketball player,” Armant said in an interview with The Beacon. “I was playing everywhere. Rec Centers, AAU, I played for different sponsored teams throughout the area.”

Armant’s father played basketball at Tuskegee University in Alabama, where he sparred with Jacob’s mentor, Ignatius Lott. 1,780 miles now separate Armant from his hometown in Arlington, Texas, and mentors like Lott, but their lessons still echo in his head. 

“Coach Lott … went from being essentially a stranger I used to work out with sometimes in the seventh grade, to one of my greatest mentors and one of my closest friends,” Armant said.

If you’ve ever watched Armant play, you might think of his quickness and basketball IQ, which could resemble that of a certain point guard from Philadelphia, whose number Armant chose to wear on the court.

“Allen Iverson wore number 3,” he said. “Once I saw the number was open, I was like, yeah, I’m snatching that.” 

Armant said his primary goal in life was to play basketball at the collegiate level. Before that goal was achieved, he wished to play high school varsity basketball.

“The first night I played a varsity game, I started, and I remember coming through that tunnel feeling like, I made it,” he said with a slight smile appearing on his face. “We ended up winning that game. I played really well, that was definitely a moment where I realized … that my career was just getting started.”

While reflecting on his time at Emerson, Armant said he learned a lot this season, both as a leader and a player. 

“I’ve definitely had some highs,” Armant said, noting that he scored 30 points against the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. “So there’s been moments where I’ve really looked in the mirror and been proud of myself.” 

Armant spent much of his freshman year on the bench, patiently waiting for a chance to play and “ball out.” 

“I would tell [my freshman self], ‘You were right. Even though you were sitting on the bench, you knew once you got in the game, you would get in and kill and overperform,’” he said.

Armant feeds on high-pressure moments. In his last two seasons, he said he felt the need to perform, for himself and his team. 

“I learned through these past two years that pressure is a blessing,” he said. “I think the only time people put pressure on you to perform is when they know you’re capable of performing.”

Still, Armant had his lows while at Emerson. He recalled last year’s semifinal playoff game against Worcester Polytechnic Institute, in which Emerson lost 93-73, and the disappointment of that season. 

“If one or two plays went differently, maybe we would have a banner up right now,” Armant said. “So I look back to that playoff game a lot. In the second half, I didn’t perform to my best ability, and that’s something I wish I could get back.”

Now, Armant looks at his Emerson career with pride. 

“I’ve scored 850 or so points in my college career,” he said. “So I’ve definitely seen achievements that I’ve been proud of.”

Armant said he is most likely not coming back for another year on the court, unless he joins as a graduate student. He hopes to take his love for basketball to his future career aspirations as an operations director for an NBA team or another sports-adjacent organization. 

“I will stay around the game, but from a completely different perspective as a player,” he said. “I’m not taking these last couple [of] experiences as a player for granted.” 

Armant sees how hard his teammates work, particularly the younger members of the team. He can’t wait to watch that hard work pay off in the years to come. 

“I know y’all will overachieve next year and for years to come, and we’ll continue to set a standard of excellence for the ones that come after you,” Armant said. ”I have really enjoyed my experience playing with y’all, and I can’t wait to see what y’all do next.”