Championship bling
Former UConn star Jackson gets NCAA title ring, sparks Bucks
Former UConn men’s basketball captain Andre Jackson Jr. got some special bling on the night of his 22nd birthday.
Prior to the Milwaukee Bucks’ matchup against the Chicago Bulls, the Bucks surprised the rookie with a NCAA National Championship ring ceremony. Bobby Portis and Khris Middleton presented the ring to Jackson at midcourt.
“It was weird,” Jackson told reporters, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I didn’t expect it. I was a little bit shocked. I didn’t really get to have the excitement that I would’ve wished. Right before the game I was super locked in to what we were about to do and I was like, yeah, forget about it, we’re going to do that this year. It’s good now to look back at it and appreciate it and kind of have those memories of all those times I had with teammates at UConn and reflect on those experiences and try to recreate that here. It was definitely a great experience.”
The ceremony follows last week’s presentation to Jordan Hawkins in New Orleans. Hawkins got a special ring ceremony with none other than Swin Cash presenting him with the national championship ring. Cash is the Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development for the New Orleans Pelicans, who selected Hawkins with the No. 14 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
UConn held a ring ceremony on Oct. 13 at the Werth Champions Center. The school purchased 59 rings for players, coaches, and others connected to the program, but several have left UConn — including former standouts Jackson, Hawkins and Adama Sanogo.
Jackson was a second-round draft pick of the Bucks, but he is steadily improving.
Jackson averaged 5.5 minutes across his first four games with Milwaukee. But in the Bucks’ two most recent games, Jackson was awarded 14 and 13 minutes, respectively. Against Orlando, Jackson shot 66.7 percent from the floor and grabbed three rebounds.
In Milwaukee’s victory over the Bulls Monday, Jackson shot 50 percent from the field and snatched another three boards with five points. Yet what makes him so impressive are the same abilities that helped UConn achieve the national title: Jackson’s strong defensive skills and
hustle plays that lead to points.
Two of Jackson’s rebounds were offensive boards that led to four Bucks points. He also carried the toughest defensive assignments while on the court, Jackson was tasked with guarding twotime NBA All-Star Zach
LaVine and six-time NBA All-Star DeMar DeRozan.
He also hit a 3-pointer from the corner in Milwaukee’s 118-109 win.
“I love what I see out of ‘Dre. I think the most important thing with ‘Dre is his competitive spirit. He gets out there, and he flies around. He’s gonna make some rookie mistakes. Last game, he stepped out of bounds and stuff like that. So, there’s going
to be a learning curve with him, but I feel good with him on the floor,” said Milwaukee coach Adrian Griffin, the father of UConn women’s basketball player Aubrey Griffin and a former college teammate of Dan Hurley at Seton Hall.
With Jae Crowder out for the next eight weeks due to needed surgery on his left adductor, Jackson will likely be used fill the
defensive void and receive even more minutes. Against the Bucks, he helped spark an 11-0 third quarter run.
“I think I can make an impact without scoring the basketball,” Jackson said. “Just screening, being in the spot to create the space for the guys that need the ball. On this team, if I’m on the court, I’m most likely, probably, the fifth option
in scoring, so I’m just going to try to do everything in my power to get those other guys clean looks and follow up their misses if they do miss and try to find another guy.”
Said Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo: “He brings good energy. He gives the team good minutes. We need him to keep on doing that. He had a big 3 … He’s just playing hard,
he’s just coming in, giving us good energy, playing hard.
“I love his energy.” Damion Lillard added: “Dre is a pretty smart rookie. He understands our coverages. A lot of time when he’s on the floor, he’s having a positive impact on the game. He understands what he’s out there to do. I think that’s really impressive for a rookie.”