Jason Forte
{{Short description|American basketball player (born 1982)}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Jason Forte
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|12|29}}
| birth_place = Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 0
| weight_lbs = 165
| high_school =
| college = Brown (2001–2005)
| draft_year = 2005
| career_start = 2008
| career_end = 2008
| career_position = Point guard
| career_number =
| years1 = 2008
| team1 = Marinos de Anzoátegui
| highlights =
- Ivy League Player of the Year (2004)
- 3× First-team All-Ivy League (2003–2005)
}}
Jason A. Forte (born December 29, 1982) is an American former basketball player. He played college basketball for the Brown Bears and was selected as the Ivy League Player of the Year in 2004.
Early life
Forte moved with his mother and older brother, Joseph, from Atlanta, Georgia, to Greenbelt, Maryland, as a child.{{cite web |last1=Daniels |first1=Rob |title=MOM KNEW WHICH WAY WAS BEST FOR FORTE |url=https://greensboro.com/mom-knew-which-way-was-best-for-forte-guided-by-his-mother-and-a-good/article_abe62247-7a8f-506a-9cac-aed2eb14a30d.html |website=News & Record |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=January 26, 2015}} He started his basketball career at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland, where he played alongside his brother for two seasons.{{cite web |last1=El-Bashir |first1=Tarik |last2=Gallo |first2=Jon |title=At a New School, Forte Reaches New Heights |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/2001/01/08/at-a-new-school-forte-reaches-new-heights/5cf401f3-225f-4662-b370-afdaeeb70604/ |website=The Washington Post |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=January 8, 2001}} On January 5, 1999, Forte and teammate Keith Bogans were suspended for 10 games due to a fight in a locker room that injured a school trainer.{{cite web |last1=Barr |first1=Josh |title=DEMATHA SUSPENDS BOGANS 10 GAMES |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/sports/1999/01/05/dematha-suspends-bogans-10-games/5712034c-dfb8-4e92-aaca-0075a86ae179/ |website=The Washington Post |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=January 5, 1999}} He transferred to The Heights School for the 2000–01 season and led the team to their best start in school history. He committed to play college basketball at Brown University.
College career
Forte moved into the Bears' starting line-up as a point guard during his freshman season in 2001–02.{{cite web |last1=Zeitlin |first1=Dave |title=Rookie tearing up Ivy League |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2002/02/rookie_tearing_up_ivy_league |website=The Daily Pennsylvanian |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=February 2, 2002}} He improved his jump shot and on-court discipline during his sophomore season to become "the best point guard in the league," according to Bears head coach Glen Miller.{{cite web |last1=Cole |first1=Scott |title=Cinderella Story |url=https://www.brownalumnimagazine.com/articles/2007-06-22/cinderella-story |website=Brown Alumni Magazine |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=June 22, 2007}} Forte registered 155 assists during the 2002–03 season to surpass the previous Bears record of 150 that was held by Mike Waitkus. He also led the Ivy League in steals and free throws.{{cite web |last1=Tony |first1=Mike |title=Brown all-time moment No. 6: Jason Forte named 2004 Ivy Player of the Year |url=https://ivyhoopsonline.com/2015/08/28/brown-all-time-moment-no-6-jason-forte-named-2004-ivy-player-of-the-year/ |website=Ivy Hoops Online |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=August 28, 2015}} Forte was selected to the All-Ivy League first-team.{{cite web |last1=DeLaney |first1=Andrew |title=Onyekwe named Ivy League player of the Year, again |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2003/03/onyekwe_named_ivy_league_player_of_the_year_again |website=The Daily Pennsylvanian |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=March 14, 2003}}
Forte averaged 16.8 points, a league-leading 5 assists and 1.8 steals per game during the 2003–04 season. On February 27, 2004, he recorded the first triple-double in Bears history with 11 points, 10 assists and 12 rebounds in a game against the Dartmouth Big Green.{{cite web |title=114 Years of Brown Basketball |url=https://brownbears.com/sports/2018/5/8/109-years-of-brown-basketball |website=Brown University Athletics |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=May 8, 2015}} Forte was awarded as the Ivy League Player of the Year and was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League first-team.{{cite web |last1=Troy |first1=Joshua |title=M. basketball places three on All-Ivy; Forte '05 named Player of the Year |url=https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2004/09/m-basketball-places-three-on-all-ivy-forte-05-named-player-of-the-year |website=The Brown Daily Herald |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=September 21, 2004}}
On November 13, 2004, Forte was suspended indefinitely by the Bears for "behavior detrimental to the team."{{cite web |title=Forte is team's top returning scorer |url=https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/news/story?id=1922026 |website=ESPN |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=November 13, 2004}} The suspension stemmed from an altercation that occurred during a preseason practice.{{cite web |last1=McNamara |first1=Shaun |title=Forte '05 anxious to return as suspension continues from m. basketball squad |url=https://www.browndailyherald.com/article/2004/11/forte-05-anxious-to-return-as-suspension-continues-from-m-basketball-squad |website=The Brown Daily Herald |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=November 17, 2004}} The suspension was only expected to last a couple of weeks,{{cite web |last1=Borowsky |first1=Eric |title=Forte, Wallace early picks for Ivy Player of the Year |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2004/11/forte_wallace_early_picks_for_ivy_player_of_the_year |website=The Daily Pennsylvanian |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=November 15, 2004}} and he ultimately missed two games.{{cite web |title=MEN'S BASKETBALL HOSTS BROWN AT 1:00 PM IN FRIDAY MATINEE |url=https://umeshawksports.com/news/2005/1/14/men_s_basketball_hosts_brown_at_1_00_pm_in_friday_matinee.aspx |website=University of Maryland Eastern Shore |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=January 14, 2005}} Forte averaged a team-best 18.4 points per game during the 2004–05 season,{{cite web |last1=Tayler |first1=Jonathan |title=Replacing Forte: Will Bears Be Stronger? |url=https://www.columbiaspectator.com/2005/11/10/replacing-forte-will-bears-be-stronger/ |website=Columbia Spectator |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=November 10, 2005}} and was selected to the All-Ivy League first-team.{{cite web |title=Begley named Ivy Player of the Year |url=https://www.thedp.com/article/2005/03/begley_named_ivy_player_of_the_year |website=The Daily Pennsylvanian |access-date=January 23, 2024 |date=March 11, 2005}} He was the third Bears player to accomplish three consecutive selections to the all-league first-team.
In Bears program history, Forte ranks first in steals (192), second in three throws (538), third in assists (514), fourth in points (1,597) and tenth in field goals (469).
Forte was inducted into the Brown University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2016.{{cite web |title=Jason A. Forte (2016) |url=https://brownbears.com/honors/hall-of-fame/jason-a-forte/585 |website=Brown University Athletics |access-date=January 23, 2024}}
Professional career
In the 2005–06 season, Forte had a pre-season stint with Agricola Gloria Montecatini in Italy and later briefly joined Śląsk Wrocław in Poland but did not play.{{cite web|url=https://basketball.latinbasket.com/player/Jason-Forte/46507|title=Jason Forte|work=latinbasket.com|access-date=January 25, 2024|url-access=subscription}}
In March 2008, Forte joined Marinos de Anzoátegui of the Venezuelan Liga Profesional de Baloncesto.{{cite web|url=https://www.mediotiempo.com/otros-mundos/nestor-che-garcia-es-el-nuevo-entrenador-de-marinos|title=Néstor ';Ché'; García es el nuevo entrenador de Marinos|work=mediotiempo.com|date=March 28, 2008|access-date=January 25, 2024|language=Spanish}} In four games, he averaged 11.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game.
References
{{reflist}}
{{Ivy League Men's Basketball Player of the Year navbox}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forte, Jason}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Venezuela
Category:American men's basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Atlanta
Category:Basketball players from Prince George's County, Maryland
Category:Brown Bears men's basketball players