Jackson hopes to have an immediate impact
The first time Andre Jackson was on UConn’s campus during his recruiting visit a little over a year ago, he met Ray Allen and Jim Calhoun and was completely sold on being a Husky.
When he finally returned to campus this summer, after a few months bouncing off the walls at his Albany, N.Y. home — restricted by COVID-19 precautions — and undergoing meniscus surgery, he couldn’t have been happier.
“I was excited to stay,” Jackson admitted. “I didn’t want to go home, honestly.”
Over the past couple of months, Jackson has sought guidance from veteran players as he gets acclimated to college life. One player he is constantly learning from is James Bouknight, the precocious sophomore talent.
“Every day I’m in contact with Bouknight, (to see) how his freshman year worked, different things to
look for, things to do in practice that can help you,” Jackson reported during a Zoom call with reporters on Friday evening.
Bouknight is coming off a scintillating freshman season in which he averaged 13 points per game, earned AAC All-Rookie honors and emerged as one of the top freshmen in the nation. During one 10-game stretch from Feb. 1 to the Huskies’ penultimate game on March 5, Bouknight, a 6-foot-4 guard, averaged 18.7 points and played his way into the NBA Draft picture. He is a potential 2021 lottery pick.
There’s probably not a better player for Jackson to emulate.
“Everybody knows he’s a really good scorer,” Jackson said, “but I also like the way he can bring a team together. He helps everybody on the team. He’s reaching out to the bigs, reaching out to the guards. He wants to win. I saw that as soon as I stepped on campus. Not everybody knows his personality, and what he brings to the table mentally. And he’s one of the most competitive people I’ve met. He takes the game really seriously, and goes about his business.”
One of the more intriguing questions heading into UConn’s 2020-21 season is whether Jackson can have a similar impact that Bouknight had as a freshman. They are different players. Jackson, a long, 6-6 wing, isn’t the shooter that Bouknight is. He’s more of a slasher, who is also known as a magical passer. Both players are dynamic athletes.
“I definitely feel like I can make a big impact as a freshman,” Jackson noted. “I’m not sure how many points I’ll be scoring, but I know I’ll make an impact — whether that’s on defense, rebounding, whatever I need to do. If it happens, it happens, and if it doesn’t ... I know I’m gonna have an impact, it’s just a matter of where I can fit in and what things I can do to help the team win.”
Jackson, the No. 50 overall recruit in the Class of 2020, per 247 Sports, has been slowed by a meniscus injury that required minor surgery late last spring. He’s spent a lot of time in the training room with UConn trainer James Doran, rehabbing his knee and getting his body into playing shape.
Jackson has returned to the floor recently, and while he’s still not participating in most basketball activities, he’s ready to amp things up.
“I’m really excited to getting back into things,” he said “I feel good, I’ll say that. I’m feeling good about it, not really feeling that much pain anymore, so I’m ready to get back into it.”
No doubt, he’s happy where he is.
“It’s electric being on campus, seeing the banners hung up on the wall, seeing the different players who came through here who really made and impact and left a legacy,” Jackson said. “I feel like the nostalgia here is just as good or better than any program in the country, especially with the (women’s) and (men’s) side being so good in the past. I feel like, every day, coming in here, all the nostalgia definitely creates a lot of motivation for me, and I’m sure for everybody else.”