Gavin Keefe: Andre Jackson getting ready for first season at UConn

[UconnU]

I've been told his vertical is 46 inches. Theoretically the kid could bite the rim if he set his mind to it. Just an insane ability to get off the ground. And he does it QUICK too, with tremendous end to end speed.

He’s also a pretty good, smart player too he’s not pure athleticism. He is a plus passer, plus rebounder, good handle for his size and an improving jump shot. He’ll be an immediate impact player for us, probably 3rd or 4th in minutes by the end of the year.

 

[uconngb]

Is it not okay for people to be excited we have an extremely talented young basketball player coming here? Who our head coach is extremely excited about?

He’s either being sarcastic or being his usual -ness, so I wouldn’t get too upset about it.

 

[ToolzieFan]

He’s also a pretty good, smart player too he’s not pure athleticism. He is a plus passer, plus rebounder, good handle for his size and an improving jump shot. He’ll be an immediate impact player for us, probably 3rd or 4th in minutes by the end of the year.

His passing ability and handle are why I'm so much more excited about Jackson than other players known for their athleticism. I can see why Sid Wilson was so highly recruited; he can run, jump, and make highlight dunks and blocks. Unfortunately, he didn't have a good handle, he wasn't a great shooter, and he didn't show any ability to create for others. Jackson seems seems like his might fill up a box score and impact the game in numerous ways. I can only hope we eventually get to see him, Bouknight, and a healthy Akok on the court together.

 

[UconnU]

Was watching some tape on him this game stuck out to me. He was an absolute beast in this game blocking shots, hitting 3s, dunking, stealing the ball, great passes. If y’all have some time watch this tape.

 

[metsfan2323]

That would be fantastic. Hamilton was a great player despite average athleticism. If Jackson is that skilled and far more athletic we would be a tough out.

I hope Jackson can rebound like Hamilton, if he can he could play the 4 for us next year in a small lineup. Maybe a James Worthy type of role which would be fun to watch. I also love the possibility of having an exceptional passer at the 4 position.

 

[Chief00]

"During an impressive senior season, Jackson put his all-around skills on display, averaging 18.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 2.7 blocks while shooting 51 percent from the field, 45 percent from 3-point range and 80.5 percent from the foul line. He finished with over 1,100 career points."

That's a lot of assists, and better 3-point and free throw percentages than I thought he had.

Great article. Thanks for sharing.

He worked on his shot. That was a Blaze take away.

 

[Ratso]

i have a feeling this kids gonna be really good

 

[RichZ]

Andre's skillset and body seem very much in the mold of a young Clyde the Glide.

 

[superjohn]

Andre's skillset and body seem very much in the mold of a young Clyde the Glide.

Clyde the Glide is my all-time favorite athlete, I have a feeling Jackson will be an all-time favorite as well.

 

[Deuce]

So we got Clyde Drexler, James Worthy and some Chief dribble about Blaze before the guy has played a minute of college ball #boneyardin’

 

[AntG168]

So we got Clyde Drexler, James Worthy and some Chief dribble about Blaze before the guy has played a minute of college ball #boneyardin’

He said his skill set and athleticism is in the mold. No one claimed he was as good as those guys

 

[Chief00]

The athleticism is there for all of us to see. Yet, there are guys who have that but don’t respect the game, so they never become great players. Dre though is a student of the game, he educates himself about former great players/teams and has that eagerness to learn. He’s a guy you can sit down and talk basketball and his insights are usually on the mark. He thinks basketball and therefore processes the game intuitively in real time because of his prep work. He‘s going to be really good. But, be patient on determining his ceiling because he’s going to keep getting better for quite awhile.

 

[Chief00]

So we got Clyde Drexler, James Worthy and some Chief dribble about Blaze before the guy has played a minute of college ball #boneyardin’

That Chief Blaze “dribble” started when Jackson and his mom visited Blaze on his recruiting visit.

 

[Deuce]

That Chief Blaze “dribble” started when Jackson and his mom visited Blaze on his recruiting visit.

I don’t care what nonsense your again babbling on about. Look elsewhere for you starved attention please

 

[Chief00]

I don’t care what nonsense your again babbling on about. Look elsewhere for you starved attention please

LOL - You just love bringing up someone you profess not to care about.

 

[Slick]

I hope Jackson can rebound like Hamilton, if he can he could play the 4 for us next year in a small lineup. Maybe a James Worthy type of role which would be fun to watch. I also love the possibility of having an exceptional passer at the 4 position.

right now I do not see him playing the 4. He has some excellent skills. Very good passer with good vision. Needs to get a lot stronger.

 

[Watchdog]

Just finished watching the interviews at the end of the game and for those who didn't see the interview with the Albany Academy coach, Brian Fruscio, he scoffed at those who questioned AJ's outside shooting ability. Said AJ never took a three until after the first of last year (at least that's what I thought I heard him say) and he has worked hard on all aspects of his game and is a special player.

For the knowledgeable BYer's, the sophomore center looked really good in this game and did so in some other game videos that were posted earlier this year. Runs the pick and roll better than our centers, dunks with ease and plays good defense. Even made a 15 foot jumper in the 4th quarter. In his interview he said he wanted to play well in this game because he had a bad weekend the week before. Talked about how his coach told him he needs to hit his man inside when he makes his move to the basket and on defense and he seemed really pleased with himself as to how it worked for him. What are the chances he could play at the D1 level and in the Big East for our favorite team. Seems coordinated, knowledgeable, and makes plays.

 

[UconnU]

Been watching more tape on him lately kid is just unreal good. He’s as smart as he is athletic. He’s coordinating complex college level plays for his team telling guys where they need to be on the floor.

 

[AntG168]

Been watching more tape on him lately kid is just unreal good. He’s as smart as he is athletic. He’s coordinating complex college level plays for his team telling guys where they need to be on the floor.

His jumpshot looks a lot better than advertised

 

[husky429]

Been eatching more tape on him lately kid is just unreal good. He’s as smart as he is athletic.

16 PTS
9 REB
8 AST (3 FL AST)
6 TO
3 STL
0 BLK
4/8 2 FG
2/5 3 FG (including two TERRIBLE airballed/bricked attempts. I would expect this until he gets more comfortable with his shot and tightens up the form)
2/4 FT


- I really like how calm he is vs pressure. Certainly makes some mistakes. A lot of them. but even though he's incredibly fast he doesn't play fast usually. I would imagine replicating that in high-major D1 will be tough, but the pieces are there to be a really really good playmaker and pressbreaker.
- Easily the best passer on the court, but his whole team actually moves the ball pretty well. Best passes were in the PnR to Mulvey.
- awfully lazy defender. I imagine that won't last long, but he'll need to up his conditioning if he wants big minutes. I'd expect the Bouk treatment--increasing time as the year goes on.
- Hits ahead really well.
- Overdribbles at times
- Shot looks ugly as can be. But he seems to make them... 45% on the season too they say. He must be getting plenty of reps up.
- Team is so, so boring to watch defensively. They barely try in a 2-3 zone. And their offense is awful. Congested, no structure.
- He is going to average a crap ton of TOs unless Hurley can help him tighten up his game. Takes a lot of unnecessary risks. Tons of out of control dribbling
- Announcers mentioned he's getting frustrated by how many times he gets double and triple-teamed, fouled intentionally. It's noticeable late first half and in the 3rd especially.
- Needs to watch about 100 hours of Nova highlights to learn to stop leaving his feet to pass and use a jumpstop instead. You're 6'7 dude what're you jumping over 6'3 kids for

NAST assist at 1:01:00 to Mulvey. That's an NBA play.
1:08:20 nice pass to a shooter for 3

Game was out of reach for most of the 2nd half. Andre wasn't trying. I'm curious what his stats would look like vs a stronger schedule.

I'm not sure if Riley Mulvey will be athletic enough to play high major ball the way we like to with an athletic big, but he is going to kill it wherever he ends up. Great passer for a big, natural shotblocker, draws contact at the rim. Seems like the kind of kid Iowa would take. He could develop into a solid player. He and Andre have fantastic chemistry. Must've been 4 of his assists and all 3 foul assists to him.

 

[husky429]

15 PTS
9 REB
3 AST
10 TO
5 STL
1 BLK

2/12 2 FG
3/9 3FG
2/3 FT

0:50 monster block on the 2nd possession right in front of Hurley and Moore. And neither bats an eye haha

-Seems to be a lot better catch and shoot shooter. Makes sense, he probably hasn't repped footwork and pick up points nearly as much as other guards his age.
- Felt like he had at least 10 passes that should've been assists in this game. His team couldn't hit a shot.
- I cannot believe how much he turns the ball over. Both games I watched tonight and the others at AA. He did not turn it over at this rate in AAU, even if he did turn it over too much. His coach needs to hold him accountable for this. It's going to be a serious concern for when he gets here. More than his wonky shooting. This game isn't even close if he takes care of the ball in the first half. 0 assists and 8 TOs in the first half. Ridiculous. Coach finally pulls him after his NINTH turnover in the 3rd quarter early on without an assist. Finally took care of it a little after that. and only had 1 in the 4th.
- He's quick enough to be a good or great defender on the ball. Team stuff will take longer. I'm sure Hurley will get to him, but his defensive fundamental are bad. Reaches, too upright.

Team looked way better when they went to man pressure late. The 2-3 zone is just so bad for HS kids if you want them to play with any energy at all.

Roosevelt coach is doing way more with less. Andre's coach is not very good. Have yet to see anything that impressed me from him and I've probably watched 5 or 6 games by now.

 

[Huskyforlife]

15 PTS
9 REB
3 AST
10 TO
5 STL
1 BLK

2/12 2 FG
3/9 3FG
2/3 FT

0:50 monster block on the 2nd possession right in front of Hurley and Moore. And neither bats an eye haha

-Seems to be a lot better catch and shoot shooter. Makes sense, he probably hasn't repped footwork and pick up points nearly as much as other guards his age.
- Felt like he had at least 10 passes that should've been assists in this game. His team couldn't hit a shot.
- I cannot believe how much he turns the ball over. Both games I watched tonight and the others at AA. He did not turn it over at this rate in AAU, even if he did turn it over too much. His coach needs to hold him accountable for this. It's going to be a serious concern for when he gets here. More than his wonky shooting. This game isn't even close if he takes care of the ball in the first half. 0 assists and 8 TOs in the first half. Ridiculous. Coach finally pulls him after his NINTH turnover in the 3rd quarter early on without an assist. Finally took care of it a little after that. and only had 1 in the 4th.
- He's quick enough to be a good or great defender on the ball. Team stuff will take longer. I'm sure Hurley will get to him, but his defensive fundamental are bad. Reaches, too upright.

Team looked way better when they went to man pressure late. The 2-3 zone is just so bad for HS kids if you want them to play with any energy at all.

Roosevelt coach is doing way more with less. Andre's coach is not very good. Have yet to see anything that impressed me from him and I've probably watched 5 or 6 games by now.

The turnovers are a huge concern for Freshman Jackson. I hope people have the patience for that, and his lack of shooting.

 

[StllH8L8ner]

Kid looks good. Let's let him put on a jersey for a few games and play against D1 players every night before we anoint him the next Uconn NBA lottery pick.

Let's also not forget that Kwintin Williams was a staple on social media with people falling all over themselves hyping up his athletic ability yet his contribution to Uconn basketball ended the day after the Midnight Madness dunk contests every year.

 

[CL82]

I don’t care what nonsense your again babbling on about. Look elsewhere for you starved attention please

#unintentionallyironicposts

 

[mauconnfan]

Kid looks good. Let's let him put on a jersey for a few games and play against D1 players every night before we anoint him the next Uconn NBA lottery pick.

Let's also not forget that Kwintin Williams was a staple on social media with people falling all over themselves hyping up his athletic ability yet his contribution to Uconn basketball ended the day after the Midnight Madness dunk contests every year.

I agree with your first paragraph but let’s also not compare Andres basketball skills to Kwintins. I mean not even the same planet.