ONCE A LOBO, NOW A HOG
Jackson transferring to Arkansas
Vance Jackson’s next landing spot is a little slice of Hog heaven.
The 6-foot-9 small forward is headed to the University of Arkansas in the Southeastern Conference as a graduate transfer next season.
Jackson announced Tuesday afternoon he was leaving the University of New Mexico men’s basketball team and putting his name in the NCAA transfer portal. Less than 24 hours later, he was posting to social media that he will be joining Arkansas as a graduate transfer who will have immediate eligibility in the 202021 season — assuming there is a next season. Jackson played two seasons with UNM after spending his freshman year at Connecticut. He was one of the first recruits signed by Paul Weir after he had been hired as the Lobos’ coach in April 2017.
Billed as the cornerstone of UNM’s rebuilding process, Jackson appeared in 60 games as a Lobo. He averaged 12.2 points and 6.2 rebounds with 44 starts in his two seasons, earning all-tournament honors for his breakout performance in the 2019 Mountain West Conference Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.
He struggled badly in the first 12 games this season, shooting just 30 percent from the field (24-for-80) and 24 percent from 3-point territory while averaging 6.7 points — barely half of what he did as a sophomore. He bounced back with a strong finish, and by the end of the season, he was one of the team’s most reliable scorers.
Jackson is the second UNM player to transfer to Arkansas in recent years, joining former Lobo Jalen Harris. Harris was UNM’s starting point guard as a freshman but left for the Razorbacks when Weir was hired. Harris recently reentered the transfer portal with the intent of finishing his career as a graduate transfer next season.