What are NBA Draft prospects for UConn men's basketball star Andre Jackson? 'He's in a tricky spot' | Page 3 | The Boneyard

What are NBA Draft prospects for UConn men's basketball star Andre Jackson? 'He's in a tricky spot'

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husky429 said:
Have you heard the word "strawman" before? You're embarrassing yourself.

Our coaching staff is on the road all summer recruiting. Practice hours are limited. And they're generalists by nature--they need to recruit, coach games, do team practices, individual practices... all of it.

Andre had a solid plan for improvement this summer. He's talked about it. But it simply can't compare to the 24/7/365 access to guys that are specifically hired for one job: individual player development.

It's the difference between seeing a primary care physician once a week or seeing a cardiologist every day for 2 hours. You're going to get a better diagnosis and improve faster if you're working with the specialist for more hours.
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In theory, this is right. But if that were completely true, then every top player should bypass college for the G League, Overtime Elite or even a professional European league.

There's something to be said about working with coaches that know you best (the UConn staff knows Andre far better than a G-League staff does) and where you're most comfortable. And playing in the G League can be demoralizing -- often little attendance, typically not televised, etc.

He'll get plenty of attention and practice time at UConn. Basketball would still be his primary focus. At some point, the law of diminishing returns kicks in. I don't know that the G-League provides any considerable advantage really -- but I acknowledge that reasonable minds can disagree.

I do know that many players seem to get lost in the G-League. There are certainly some success stories -- but many once promising athletes play in obscurity for a couple years and then ultimately go to Europe.
 
navery12 said:
I have no idea why you're so adamant about shipping Jackson off to an SEC school, it's a really strange look
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For a grad year after winning a 6th at UConn. I don’t think he can do a grad year at UConn ( I thought it had to be somewhere else by NCAA rules?)
 
NEforceUConn said:
For a grad year after winning a 6th at UConn. I don’t think he can do a grad year at UConn ( I thought it had to be somewhere else by NCAA rules?)
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No, that's only the Ivy League that has that rule. If he wanted to he could play 2 more years at UConn
 
Jaydumo20 said:
Look. I'm gonna say it:
Do I want him to succeed in the NBA? YES
But just do it AFTER this upcoming year.
Come back and make that 4,000 page nick timberlake thread a bygone trifle. (Yes. I know we still need a shooter)
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He needs to learn a jump shot straight up, off a screen and off the dribble. I cannot believe he has not learned. Hope Ray or Hawk works with him. Maybe NBA feedback will get him to change. If he can change the shot, add one more zero to his Lifetime earning potential and maybe another natty,
 
Platt81 said:
I feel like this is him being unselfish to a fault. In his first two years he was making high IQ passes that his teammates weren’t ready for when he maybe should have taken it to the hoop, and this year he looked to facilitate first to players who know we’re ready for those passes. I think he easily could have averaged 20ppg even with a lack in shooting ability, but didn’t bc it’s not who he is. That may now come back to bite him bc people don’t see him as a scorer.
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20ppg, no way unfortunately.
 
husky429 said:
I cringe every time I see a poster suggest some random former player should coach. Rip and Ray have no idea how to coach basketball. Refining and perfecting your shot as a player is an entirely different beast than overhauling Andre's broken shot.
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You realize Ray has coached his son.
 
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Mr. French said:
Well Ray does coach HS now and he's definitely a technician who works on the finer points of shooting with players, so I would disagree on Ray.

The random pointing to great players to teach a guy how to play is annoying, so I agree with your overall point. Just don't think this was that same thing.
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Didn’t Hawkins workout with Rip over last summer to be better at moving without the ball?
 
If Andre stays another year, he’s a 1st Round Draft pick.
The value of a team having a 2/3 defender is huge. He’s a gifted passer, adequate ball handler and a very good rebounder. His scoring will come with work, time and a focused mental approach on visualizing the ball going in the basket. Andre is an awesome player in the open court and a great teammate.
 
Him coming back really depends on if he thinks he can work to be a first rounder if he isn’t one this year.

If that’s possible it’s worth it to make teams more invested in his development. Would hate for him to go to the wrong team in the 2nd round where they have no plan for him. He’ll never be a 15 PPG scorer but if he can at least show the ability to get to the rim consistently and get his 3PT shot up to about 33%, it may be able to do wonders.
 
Chief00 said:
If Andre stays another year, he’s a 1st Round Draft pick.
The value of a team having a 2/3 defender is huge. He’s a gifted passer, adequate ball handler and a very good rebounder. His scoring will come with work, time and a focused mental approach on visualizing the ball going in the basket. Andre is an awesome player in the open court and a great teammate.
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Chief - His stock is at its highest now, not next year.
 
husky429 said:
Really, really difficult decision for any GM because his game is so unique. Like it says... he's basically the total package of an NBA wing, except he can't score at all. Elite defense, rebounding, passing, good handles for his size. Leadership... EVERYTHING, but this weird physical or mental hang-up keeping him from being able to score.

I think Andre needs to go. In the college environment, he doesn't have the level of coaching to develop that shot. There just isn't enough time allowed. He's had 3 years to do it with no appreciable change in his scoring ability. If it's going to happen, it's going to be with a 1:1 shooting coach that an NBA team can provide over a couple years in the G-League. If he's able to collect a half-way decent paycheck, he should. His stock is never going to be higher.
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I think he can do it in college if he wants to. The decision just needs to be made to completely rebuild his shot. They've had him practice shooting and he's gotten better, but they haven't done a rebuild.

My fear with guys going early when they aren't ready is their confidence and star power fades. I think it is better to enter the league feeling confident and capable than it is to claw your way in and then fight for a spot. Starting out as a solid first round pick gives you some cache and a longer rope at first. NIL money makes it that much more appealing to stay in college. I'd be very torn if I were him, but either way, he's got to get started rebuilding his shot asap.
 
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I am sure AJ has had people working on his shooting form since high school. It is something that was/is obvious to all who ever watched him play. At this point there is no quick fix by Ray, RIP or anybody else. AJ has to see whether his other skills (athleticism, defense, rebounding, court awareness, passing, ect..) are enough to get him an NBA contract. If he gets drafted he should take the next step and see if an NBA training/coaching can improve his offense skill set, as it has been proven that the college practice/coaching program is making no discernible improvement in shooting. If he gets negative feedback from the scouts, then coming back to UConn is something he will hopefully cherish.
 
NEforceUConn said:
For a grad year after winning a 6th at UConn. I don’t think he can do a grad year at UConn ( I thought it had to be somewhere else by NCAA rules?)
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Am I missing something? If he comes back and plays next year at UConn, he'll have played 4 seasons in 4 years, and he doesn't get the COVID year...so there really isn't an SEC (or UConn) postgrad opportunity.
 
@husky429 You know way more about this stuff than I do:
Do you think AJax needs to totally overhaul his shot? We've seen pros over the years shooting from a lower position with success. We've talked about the dip a bunch. Obviously AJaxs is way more exaggerated. How much more efficient does he need to be to reach passable nba level? Do you think he can do it with his current stroke, but tweaked?
 
Jaydumo20 said:
@husky429 You know way more about this stuff than I do:
Do you think AJax needs to totally overhaul his shot? We've seen pros over the years shooting from a lower position with success. We've talked about the dip a bunch. Obviously AJaxs is way more exaggerated. How much more efficient does he need to be to reach passable nba level? Do you think he can do it with his current stroke, but tweaked?
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Really the form doesn't matter as long as it's simple and repeatable with consistency. You could shoot upside down and backwards with one hand if it goes in. That's why dudes with wonky form can become passable shooters.

Whatever Andre is doing isn't repeatable .. that's why he's missing. Biggest issues to me seem to be how he grips the ball and some wonky stuff with his lower body. I'm not 100% sure without looking more.

A dedicated shooting coach would likely diagnose the issues more carefully and build some drills to fix his grip and get the shot more consistent. It's likely a 2-3 year process though.
 
tzznandrew said:
Am I missing something? If he comes back and plays next year at UConn, he'll have played 4 seasons in 4 years, and he doesn't get the COVID year...so there really isn't an SEC (or UConn) postgrad opportunity.
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He gets a Covid year
 
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Scrutiner said:
No surprise to hear major schizophrenia in the scouts' comments about him.

Even though he loves UConn and the college experience and wants to make his mark with a second championship, leaving now may make the most sense, but who knows for sure?

So many unknowns and he must be feeling big pressure to make the right decision for the rest of his life. Hopefully Dan Hurley has enlisted knowledgeable people to give AJ advice on the process and the factors he needs to consider to make the best decision.
So, now or later. Does it really make any difference?

Now camp: "Somebody," one scout predicted, "is going to take a chance on him."

Later camp:"People are not going to forget about him," one scout reckoned, "if he goes back for another year."

First or second, surely not undrafted......but is anything for sure?

"Jackson is viewed as a potential late first-round draft pick, where the money is guaranteed, but far more likely a second-round selection, where it gets, well, trickier. He could still make good money. Look no further than former UConn teammate Tyrese Martin, who was drafted No. 55 overall by Atlanta last year and signed a two-year, $2.7 million contract, with over $1 million guaranteed. "

Let's all hope AJ makes the best decision for himself, regardless of what it may mean relative to his career at UConn.
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Scouts are ridiculous. What kind of takes are these? Someone will take him? He needs another year?

Take a stand , scout and project. Say, “high risk , high reward but we feel the ceiling is worth the risk.”

Man. Scouts act like every player in the 9th man and needs another year.

One guy, at least says he can play D now. Others are so…I don’t know.

Your job is to know. Make a projection. Sheesh.
 
Hey Guys,

A Lot of well-thought out responses here about a kid we really like. Great job!

My opinion is that Andre has run out of time for college ball. He has to leave for the pro's now or be considered "too old," another of sports' ongoing 'makes no sense, but everybody is on the bandwagon' trends.

HOWEVER, the name of the game of basketball is to put the ball in the basket. When we all were children, someone introduced us to basketball by lifting us up to the hoop so we could put the ball through it (& get hooked on it). That's It! That's the game's essential goal.

But Andre cannot put the ball through the hoop & has that obvious, debilitating mental block in learning how to shoot or even wanting to shoot outside of dunking.

Question: How many 6'6" NBA guys cannot shoot the basketball a lick & still get playing time, no matter how athletic?

And only one such current player - Draymond Green, who has the same mental affliction as Andre & Ben Simmons when it comes to shooting - does so many things to make his team run smoothly & to win, that all his blown layups can be ignored. (I think his decade of anti-sportsman like antic's will finally get him traded this contract year).

Do you think that Andre could be that Draymond kind of player in the League long-term?

So as much as we really like the kid in college? Andre's NBA prospects for success - to me - are very dim indeed.

Gotta be able to put the ball in the basketball. Andre' has had plenty of time to develop a shot at UConn. He just jsn't wired that way, the way of the NBA & the whole sport really.

But NBA teams WILL take a chance on Andre bacause he's a winner & is actually likeable & articulate. Andre will simply KILL the combine.

Father Demo
 
BigErnMcCracken said:
I honestly don't understand posts like this. Do you think Andre would be surprised by the feedback that he can't shoot?
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My least favorite genre of off season post is “He needs to hear feedback” variations. Like some 20 year NBA scout is gonna tell them something our coaching staff hasn’t repeated before. The only point in testing is to see exactly what range you’re looking at in the draft, and even then I’m sure players can just ask their coaches what their NBA friends are thinking.
 
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Trayce jackson davis(this year) Jalen Williams Chirs Duarte etc... all guys who CAME back and became high picks and went from undrfated or 2nd rd to big guaranteed money

This would be his team--gives him a whole additional year to improve. His downside injury his upside maybe 7-12mm locked
 
The two scouts are dead money. He’s likely a second rounder because he can’t shoot well
…yet. It’s G league or college. He should go for the golden ring, work his reared off refining his shooting and emerge as a first rounder next year with guaranteed money. Even at the bottom of the scale, he’ll make at least a minimum of 2x.
 
"Or does he see that he's going to be a middle to late-second round pick and come back for another year, adds even a little bit to his offense, all of a sudden now, he's a top 20-25 pick and makes himself guaranteed money?"

I hope this is what happens. Come back get some NIL money as the face of the program and work his butt off on the offensive end. He could be a candidate for National Player of the Year if he gets his shot to even 35%
 
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You label it please.
 
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No one ever mentions this, but if the player develops in college vs G league, the person also gets a college education and potentially a degree, which offers a great deal of fulfillment in its own right, plus some alternative career options should basketball not pan out.
 
UConnRock said:
I look at how Bouknight's 3pt percentage changed this season after getting coaching and refining his shot in the G-league. He shot 33% in G-league in 2022 and improved to 43% from 3 in the G-league in 2023. In 8 NBA games after the return from the G-league in March & April he shot 38% vs 25% in the 1st part of the season. For reference Bouknight shot 32% from 3 at UConn. Total commitment and immersion into being a pro can change a player. AJ probably needs that total focus at this point in his career. Hoping that a late 1st round established team sees AJ as a multi-tool player that can find a role.
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That’s impressive numbers for a guy, solid improvement without a doubt. My question would be did you see Bouknight shoot at UConn versus Andre shoot at UConn? I mean there’s no comparison as to who you would expect to improve potentially with 1:1 coaching. He already had form and made shots, the other not so much at all. Complete blow up and start from scratch for a team and AJs jumper. Hope he can do it but he honestly can’t shoot the ball well. Does all the great things he can do give him a chance to play at that level? We will see.
 
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