Up Next

Justin Jenifer #3 of the Cincinnati Bearcats dribbles the ball up the court against the Georgia State Panthers during the game in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 16, 2018 in Nashville, Tennessee. Frederick Breedon/Getty Images
3 min read

Justin Jenifer went from can’t-miss 10-year-old to starting guard at Cincinnati

Baltimore product has remained levelheaded through it all

Jerry Bembry @Jerrybembry
Topics:
Men's NCAA Tournament Cincinnati Bearcats Men's College Basketball

Up Next From Sports

    11:16 AMNASHVILLE, Tennessee — When most Baltimore kids would have been happy making weekend trips to the Inner Harbor or playing games with their friends at Chuck E. Cheese’s, here’s what was going on in Justin Jenifer’s 10-year-old life:

    • AAU coaches across the nation were offering to fly him in for games.
    • A shoe company was sponsoring his team, seeking brand loyalty.
    • High school powerhouses were beginning to recruit him.

    “It was a fun time in my life,” said Jenifer, a junior guard with No. 2 seed Cincinnati. “But growing up and having a target on your back for years, it’s hard going out there and playing when you have that pressure on you.”

    Has Jenifer, who was profiled by The Washington Post when he was 10, emerged as the superstar player everyone expected him to be 12 years ago? Not quite, considering he’s not a household name.

    But Jenifer is starting for the Bearcats, one of the nation’s top teams, who will take on No. 7 seed Nevada on Sunday. Jenifer averages 4.9 points and 2.5 assists in just under 20 minutes.

    “I watched the NCAA tournament when I was young, so this is exciting to be here and be a part of this in college,” Jenifer said. “To be here and to be representing a city that doesn’t get a lot of opportunities, this is special.”

    Jenifer’s not the first in his family to play in the NCAA tournament. His cousin, Keith Jenifer, played his first two years of college at Virginia before transferring to Murray State. In 2006 he was the starting point guard for the No. 14-seeded Murray State team that lost to No. 3 seed North Carolina, 69-65, in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Keith Jenifer had led the Cavaliers to three straight wins over the Tar Heels before transferring to Murray State, where he was coached by Mick Cronin, now the head coach at Cincinnati.

    “He was one of the Baltimore guys I looked up to growing up, along with guys like Will Barton [of the Denver Nuggets], [former NBA point guard] Muggsy Bogues and [former Maryland guard] Sean Mosley,” Jenifer said. “There’s a lot of talent in Baltimore, including people in my family.”

    Jenifer enjoyed seeing No. 16 seed University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) upset top-seeded Virginia on Friday.

    “Anytime a team from the Baltimore area does something, it’s great,” Jenifer said. “I was really happy for them.”

    Jerry Bembry is a senior writer at Andscape. His bucket list items include being serenaded by Lizz Wright and watching the Knicks play a MEANINGFUL NBA game in June.