Dom Amore: Sophomore Andre Jackson embracing the challenge, responsibility of being ‘that guy’ for post-pandemic UConn men

[Fatroony5]

This. I think it’s really a reflection too as to why we didn’t lose anyone with a significant role on the team to the portal, unlike other schools. Dan has a real special connection with this team. In turn, they seem to really want to perform for him.

Hurley is authentic, for better or for worse at times. But there’s no denying he’d go to war for his players. There’s no one way to build a program, but I can appreciate how Hurley doesn’t try to be something he’s not. He’s never been a big transfer guy: recruit, retain, develop, that’s his M.O. That strategy can absolutely still work at a high level. Hearing guys like Andre acknowledge that tells me he’s got the whole team buying into that mindset. Well see how it shakes out, but I’m expecting a big jump from Andre and the team to put together a good showing.

 

[mauconnfan]

Absolutely on point @Chin Diesel , this is the truth of the matter. The big upside to Andre is his potential for having a complete game; the IQ, court vision, passing, open floor, ball handling, driving, ability to guard a bigger opposing point right through the 4 spot, aggressiveness, leadership, rebounding, all these things that make for quality minutes on the floor.

Sounds like he is working hard on his shooting, I hope the rest of the team follows his example.

I agree with both of you on this however if he can't find ways to score outside of dunks and cutbacks, his full skill set will not be as impactful (..for 8893 lol). He needs to be able to hit shots of some sort and make the defenses concern themselves with that. Then his drive and dish ability will be even much more respected.

 

[Dove]

Andre is The Answer.

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Andre is The Answer.

Post/Custom title

 

[August_West]

Try 30%. He doesn't even need to be that good at shooting to change the dynamic. His defender literally didn't need to guard anything but lobs and putbacks last year... give this kid a 1-2 dribble drive to the rim, and a 3 point shot off the catch, and we have a winner.

Hes got to finish off the bounce going to the rim too. Almost as important or maybe even more so than being a mild 3 point threat. Andre's handle is decent , we know his passing and court vision/awareness is off the charts good. It was easy to see last year why he was an ineffective 3 point shooter. What flummoxed me was his few forays into the paint off the bounce where he couldnt get a layup off, or if he got it up it wasnt even close going in. Someone like him should be eating guys alive if he gets a step on them in the paint. Otherwise other teams can just play him for the paint dump off. He needs to posterize some people off the bounce this year, not just from alley oops or breakaways. Then he is a threat.

 

[FlyChigga]

Hes got to finish off the bounce going to the rim too. Almost as important or maybe even more so than being a mild 3 point threat. Andre's handle is decent , we know his passing and court vision/awareness is off the charts good. It was easy to see last year why he was an ineffective 3 point shooter. What flummoxed me was his few forays into the paint off the bounce where he couldnt get a layup off, or if he got it up it wasnt even close going in. Someone like him should be eating guys alive if he gets a step on them in the paint. Otherwise other teams can just play him for the paint dump off. He needs to posterize some people off the bounce this year, not just from alley oops or breakaways. Then he is a threat.

It's cause he couldn't get a step on anyone when they were sagging off and already in the paint whenever he was defended.

 

[August_West]

It's cause he couldn't get a step on anyone when they were sagging off and already in the paint whenever he was defended.

It’s true. But he did get there from time to time. And he had shooters to kick to even if he couldn’t shoot tge 3 , which sometimes opened up driving lanes. And results were as bad as the 3 ball . I can say this though, he didn’t try and force it off the bounce. He made decent decisions on when to go, But the small sample size says that when he made the right decision to go there was still a finishing issue.

I guess my point is Im not waiting around for AJ to be a knockdown 3 shooter. I’m skeptical no matter how many reps. He’s gotta take advantage of his god given tools. And to me that’s utilizing his athleticism.

 

[Umami Zen]

It’s true. But he did get there from time to time. And he had shooters to kick to even he couldn’t shoot, which sometimes opened up driving lanes. And results were as bad as the 3 ball . I can say this though, he didn’t try and force it off the bounce. He made decent decisions on when to go, But the small sample size says that when he made the right decision there was still a finishing issue.

I guess my point is Im not waiting around for AJ to be a knockdown 3 shooter. I’m skeptical no matter how many reps. He’s gotta take advantage of his god given tools.

Don't disagree with your observations.. IMO. He was never given the "green light" to create his own stuff-- deferring to Bouk and others. Also think he was never 100% healthy last year.

This year you'll see a different dude.

 

[Huskybass]

It’s true. But he did get there from time to time. And he had shooters to kick to even if he couldn’t shoot tge 3 , which sometimes opened up driving lanes. And results were as bad as the 3 ball . I can say this though, he didn’t try and force it off the bounce. He made decent decisions on when to go, But the small sample size says that when he made the right decision to go there was still a finishing issue.

I guess my point is Im not waiting around for AJ to be a knockdown 3 shooter. I’m skeptical no matter how many reps. He’s gotta take advantage of his god given tools. And to me that’s utilizing his athleticism.

I think improving his handle so that he can take guys off the dribble is even more important than becoming a real shooter. With his athleticism, if he improves his handle a bit he should be able to take guys to the hole regularly.

 

[Mr. French]

It’s true. But he did get there from time to time. And he had shooters to kick to even if he couldn’t shoot tge 3 , which sometimes opened up driving lanes. And results were as bad as the 3 ball . I can say this though, he didn’t try and force it off the bounce. He made decent decisions on when to go, But the small sample size says that when he made the right decision to go there was still a finishing issue.

I guess my point is Im not waiting around for AJ to be a knockdown 3 shooter. I’m skeptical no matter how many reps. He’s gotta take advantage of his god given tools. And to me that’s utilizing his athleticism.

I agree with your take A dubs. He needs more than athleticism but it's clear he's working on his skill and he's got some solid skill right now.

Getting to the rack and finishing with just his god given ability and current skill set should get him 10-12 points and 4-5 assists a game as a primary creator. If he gets a semi-consistent jumper he can be a 16-18 ppg guy.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Andre as a 35% 3pt shooter transforms this team.

Mike Miller was a 35% three point shooter at Florida. That seems like a reach.

 

[August_West]

Don't disagree with your observations.. IMO. He was never given the "green light" to create his own stuff-- deferring to Bouk and others. Also think he was never 100% healthy last year.

This year you'll see a different dude.

We could use it. He’s a plus defender who can guard 1-4 who will only get better under Hurley on that end. Just need a few points.

 

[RichZ]

The Pistol reference is nice, but I'd really rather see him trying to emulate Elgin Baylor.

 

[Umami Zen]

The Pistol reference is nice, but I'd really rather see him trying to emulate Elgin Baylor.

Have hesitated to say this before but had a former biz associate(now deceased) who was on the LSU team with Pistol.. Some funny stories.

 

[Chin Diesel]

“Definitely, I think the fact he didn’t go out and try to get someone out of the portal is a good thing. We had enough players. We had the talent. We had the guys to go out and be a really good team. I use that as a daily motivation, thinking that if he is banking his career on me, then I have to live up to that standard.”

That quote speaks volumes, I’d bet other players feel the same. Confidence in young athletes is key, no better way to build confidence then the coaches showing they fully trust in their own players.

This. I think it’s really a reflection too as to why we didn’t lose anyone with a significant role on the team to the portal, unlike other schools. Dan has a real special connection with this team. In turn, they seem to really want to perform for him.

Same was true when Dan Hurley came here from URI. No one left.

The players feed off that confidence that Hurley was just as confident with the Jimmy's and Joe's on the roster as he was with the X's and O's on his coaching staff.

 

[Mr. French]

The Pistol reference is nice, but I'd really rather see him trying to emulate Elgin Baylor.

Emulating Pistol's work ethic and how often and the ways he worked on his handle and shot is about as good as you can get. The dude had a rock in his hand since the crib.

 

[Deleted at users request]

Kemba had a similar jump shot issue where he dropped the ball to his knees before shooting. Became a much different story when he started bringing the ball straight up. Hopefully that’s what AJ is practicing. Practice all kind of shotmaking and not just 3s too!

 

[Hans Sprungfeld]

Have hesitated to say this before but had a former biz associate(now deceased) who was on the LSU team with Pistol.. Some funny stories.

We're you waiting until the guy died?

 

[boog204]

We need someone to step up and be one of the three scorers on this team. We know Cole and Martin can be 12-14/gm guys but I truly believe that's their ceiling. Jackson or Hawkins would make the most sense filling that role.

 

[uchusky32]

We need someone to step up and be one of the three scorers on this team. We know Cole and Martin can be 12-14/gm guys but I truly believe that's their ceiling. Jackson or Hawkins would make the most sense filling that role.

Hawkins already posseses these skills. Needs to work on handle which will allow him to better create his own shot. But shooting ability is already there. Jackson has a much bigger gap to close. Confidence is also a major factor. He can practice and change his form. But what I know is there is a big difference between doing it in a gym with nothing on the line and game time.

 

[SportsFan88]

Y’all are trippin. Instead of being happy he’s working hard we have ANOTHER thread over run by OT non sense about god damn sleep schedules.... it’s the SAME people every topic, every time. If you think I’m talking to you then you are an offender. Maybe find a friend or three...

Real talk lol

 

[husky429]

We need someone to step up and be one of the three scorers on this team. We know Cole and Martin can be 12-14/gm guys but I truly believe that's their ceiling. Jackson or Hawkins would make the most sense filling that role.

Hawkins will average more points this season than Jackson. Never thought about this before... but I'd practically guarantee it. I think either could be the more impactful player overall, but Hawkins is just an elite, efficient, bucket-getter.

 

[dennismenace]

Let's get him to 20 or 25% first from 3. I'm not even sure it's an exaggeration to say Andre Jackson shooting 35+% from 3 would be the best player in the Big East and one of the better players in the country

I agree with this and I also believe that the staff has impressed that on AJ. He sounds very motivated with his goals and I am sure the staff will be watching him with love this summer. If he just gives his best and trusts the staff he has the brightest of futures. I am so impressed with the recruiting of the staff (and Sool!!) and the level of hustle of these kids.

It will take time and patience but you can see the motivation is there; Dan Hurley and co. just need to keep it hot. Top level recruits on top of top level recruits and they keep coming!

 

[boog204]

Hawkins already posseses these skills. Needs to work on handle which will allow him to better create his own shot. But shooting ability is already there. Jackson has a much bigger gap to close. Confidence is also a major factor. He can practice and change his form. But what I know is there is a big difference between doing it in a gym with nothing on the line and game time.

Reportedly, he does... He's also played exactly 0 seconds of college basketball. Roscoe Smith supposedly had those skills, too. And Scott Hazelton. And Jamal Coombs-McDaniel. And... I like what I've seen, but I'm hesitant, given all of our unrealistic expectations of the past, to assume he will be a guy who can step in and immediately be a 10-14ppg scorer. That's what we desperately need. Cole and Martin are solid complimentary pieces. But if they are your go-to guys, I just don't see an offense that will be very effective or efficient.

 

[jibsey]

We should all be very excited by his report because having that feel for the ball with those 1000 makes is something he did not have last year. He could be scoring 20 a game because his athleticism has always been there. I agree though that some kids can do it in practice but not the game. He has to get over that hurdle.

 

[Watchdog]

Hawkins already posseses these skills. Needs to work on handle which will allow him to better create his own shot. But shooting ability is already there. Jackson has a much bigger gap to close. Confidence is also a major factor. He can practice and change his form. But what I know is there is a big difference between doing it in a gym with nothing on the line and game time.

There you go. Derailing the thread by hinting at another Ater Majok.....

 

[SeattleHoop]

Hes got to finish off the bounce going to the rim too. Almost as important or maybe even more so than being a mild 3 point threat. Andre's handle is decent , we know his passing and court vision/awareness is off the charts good. It was easy to see last year why he was an ineffective 3 point shooter. What flummoxed me was his few forays into the paint off the bounce where he couldnt get a layup off, or if he got it up it wasnt even close going in. Someone like him should be eating guys alive if he gets a step on them in the paint. Otherwise other teams can just play him for the paint dump off. He needs to posterize some people off the bounce this year, not just from alley oops or breakaways. Then he is a threat.

You posted this exact comment in another thread about Andre.

Were you watching how far the defenders were sagging off Andre?? I would say at least 6 feet. Strictly following social distancing protocols.

But joking aside, I don’t think I’ve ever seen defenders sag off one of our players as much as they did Andre. They were daring him to shoot the 3.

There was absolutely no room to drive. And when he did drive he often finished pretty well in traffic, although I admit I haven’t looked at any stats.

I think his finishing ability will be fine. And is more innate and linked to his athleticism.

Once he develops a respectable 3 point shot, Defenders will have to close out and he has a pretty quick first step and insane leaping ability which I think will shine two-fold after gaining a respectable jumper

 

[uchusky32]

There you go. Derailing the thread by hinting at another Ater Majok.....

Ater wanted to shoot.

 

[Chin Diesel]

We need someone to step up and be one of the three scorers on this team. We know Cole and Martin can be 12-14/gm guys but I truly believe that's their ceiling. Jackson or Hawkins would make the most sense filling that role.

I really don't want Martin scoring 12-14 unless he is fifth or sixth on the team in scoring.

He is remarkably inefficient against better D1 teams.

 

[August_West]

I really don't want Martin scoring 12-14 unless he is fifth or sixth on the team in scoring.

He is remarkably inefficient against better D1 teams.

Or if he’s the spearhead of a full out running game like Donny Marshall. I could accept 12 then. It would be efficient .