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

[husky429]

I think we’re all also forgetting that Andre already did revamp his shot last summer. Remember that offseason videos of him draining like 20 threes in a row? His shot form did get a lot better, but the unfamiliarity and lack of confidence in that new form dropped his percentage by 7 points (!!)

Revamping it again this offseason is possible, but a huge risk. 3 different forms in 3 years will not set him up well for continuing it in the NBA. Its a lot harder than it sounds to just change your entire shooting form and re-program your muscle memory

He actually shot 36% from three on low volume his sophomore year. Revamping his form hurt him more than it helped him. That’s a big risk to try again. I’m with you here, keep excelling at what he’s best at and develop the shot in the league. Low to mid 30% on low volume is all he needs

EDIT just editing because this post seemed negative and I want to put positive energy out there by saying that every NBA team could use a guy like Andre Jackson and I hope he kills it and am confident he will get drafted

He hasn't really rebuilt or revamped his shot. His footwork is a little better, but the same fundamental problems are still there. He and the staff opted not to go for a total rebuild. In retrospect, that might have been the wrong decision. I think his off-season work was mostly just reps... not drills to rebuild the shot from the ground up and make the motion consistent and repeatable.

 

[Dogdeacon]

I would be worried about getting enough shots up in the g league to improve his offensive game enough. It’s not the NBA, but the G-League is filled with guys who were great in college. Given how inept Jackson is as a scorer in the college, it’s not like a G League team is going to give him a larger role than he had here. If Jackson wants to prove there’s more to his game and not be cast in the scrappy glue guy role forever, he might want to come back. But turning down guaranteed money this year is also a big risk in itself.

That's a great point. The G league is supposed to be developmental, but it is still heavily a pickup summer ball type of atmosphere with guys looking to post #s and get paid. The part of AJ's game that translates best to that environment is highlight real dunks, other strengths could get lost.

The key info is privately what AJ & Hurley get behind the scenes especially if there are any teams (late first round) that really love his game and will make any form of commitment. Scouts are paid by teams for their opinions, not to give them to reporters & put the rest of the league on blast with what a team is thinking.

The premium on 3pt shooting and the way the playoffs can make non-shooters unplayable looms large this time of year. Its a very borderline call either way.

 

[JohnFSilver]

That's a great point. The G league is supposed to be developmental, but it is still heavily a pickup summer ball type of atmosphere with guys looking to post #s and get paid. The part of AJ's game that translates best to that environment is highlight real dunks, other strengths could get lost.

The key info is privately what AJ & Hurley get behind the scenes especially if there are any teams (late first round) that really love his game and will make any form of commitment. Scouts are paid by teams for their opinions, not to give them to reporters & put the rest of the league on blast with what a team is thinking.

The premium on 3pt shooting and the way the playoffs can make non-shooters unplayable looms large this time of year. Its a very borderline call eit

Here is other thing. What can he show next year that improves his draft slot? I think scouts have seen enough. It is just a matter if the money is enough for Jackson right now.

 

[RipCity]

To some degree, it’s the same issue even in college. When we were giving ball at the 3 pt line early in BE play, results weren’t good. Once we moved him to the dunker spot and used his athleticism, things opened up for the offense.

trying to get him to work on the perimeter then moving him back to the dunker spot again won’t help his pro career. The real risk imo is he comes back and isn’t able to fix his shot….then what? He’s a year older with the same challenges

Yea true. It’s not even just jumpers though. It’s layups too. He rarely even attempts them

I think part of the pre-draft process for him is going to be discussions about what role and skill development will be available at the next level.

That being said, at the end of the day I still think he needs to go--even if they tell him he won't have a huge role in the g-league. He's 3 years into college with no major difference in his scoring ability and he's obviously been working on it the entire time. It isn't going to happen in Storrs. That's not a slight on our coaching staff... their time is limited with players in the off-season. Andre's best shot is to get with the best skill developers on the planet and shoot his shot in the league.

I'd still be thrilled if he returned (duh), I'm just thinking if I was in his inner circle, I would be encouraging him to go, even if it was the second round.

This is reasonable, but I also wouldn’t rule out a senior year jump if he does return. To use a cliche… he can take the sure thing or bet on himself.

 

[Jaydumo20]

Here is other thing. What can he show next year that improves his draft slot? I think scouts have seen enough. It is just a matter if the money is enough for Jackson right now.

It's also about happiness. Sometimes crappy situations pay more. If I was gonna go G League regardless, I'd come back to UConn and make NIL for an extra year. I'd venture to bet that winning this Natty may be the single best thing AJax accomplishes in his athletic career.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Here is other thing. What can he show next year that improves his draft slot? I think scouts have seen enough. It is just a matter if the money is enough for Jackson right now.

I think that's pretty obvious. Consistent scoring, a jumpshot, a 3pt % and ability to create of the bounce. Andre can control a game defensively and with his passing but not by scoring the ball. Just mixing in a few dribble drive finishes like Hawk did this year would be huge. The obvious issue is if defenses sag off him and he still averages <7ppg playing major minutes in college that translates to even less especially initially in the NBA.

 

[JohnFSilver]

It's also about happiness. Sometimes crappy situations pay more. If I was gonna go G League regardless, I'd come back to UConn and make NIL for an extra year. I'd venture to bet that winning this Natty may be the single best thing AJax accomplishes in his athletic career.

I would say happiness is probably very high on the list. Do you want to swing nba g league for 1 year or return to UConn?

Money is there. Is it enough that is overwhelming? I don’t know. $8mas an early second rounder is overwhelming. But a 2 way deal is decent, but he can get that next year.

Nice to have options.

 

[JohnFSilver]

I think that's pretty obvious. Consistent scoring, a jumpshot, a 3pt % and ability to create of the bounce. Andre can control a game defensively and with his passing but not by scoring the ball. Just mixing in a few dribble drive finishes like Hawk did this year would be huge. The obvious issue is if defenses sag off him and he still averages <7ppg playing major minutes in college that translates to even less especially initially in the NBA.

He is not going to have that next year.

He can improve shooting, scoring etc. but, there isn’t gonna be such a huge jump that it raises his draft stock into first round. He could easily be the same player and that hurts him.

He is who he is. A versatile defensive stalwart with rebounding, defenses, passing and playmaking at an nba level.

He has shown improvement last three years already. So it stands to reason he is going to keep improving that skill.

 

[dennismenace]

If I was an NBA GM, I'd draft him in the late First round. He just does too many things well not to take a chance on him.

With that being said, it seems like the consensus is that he's a likely second rounder. If that doesn't change after the Combine, why not come back for one more year with the NIL money? He can continue to work on his offense here instead of in the G-League. Worst case (barring injury) is that he's likely in the same place next year (a 2nd rounder and likely G league player). It seems like he really enjoys the college experience and one more year of that is invaluable. You can't go back in time and get that experience again. He'd need to leave for guaranteed money obviously, but I suspect he comes back if guaranteed money is off the table.

Why doesn't he spend the summer working with a professional and either have the team pay for it or himself (or future earnings). Then continue to work on that (which he learned through a pro trainer) through the next season at Uconn. Rip certainly changed Hawk getting through screens and getting off his shot on the run and I am not saying Rip is the guy for this at all. But there are people in the USA certainly capable of doing this. Just get it done. It's a matter of getting the right person and the willingness of Andre to be teachable and get out the kinks. Because he is such a great kid I have no doubt he will not lack willingness. I think he would learn better and respond better in a one to one relationship then trying to pick this up on the fly with a G league team. This is going to take time and patience and summer/college season seems more suitable to him. One of my favorite all hustle Uconn Huskies. But if he is taken first round hard to argue with that decision.

 

[husky429]

Why doesn't he spend the summer working with a professional and either have the team pay for it or himself (or future earnings). Then continue to work on that (which he learned through a pro trainer) through the next season at Uconn. Rip certainly changed Hawk getting through screens and getting off his shot on the run and I am not saying Rip is the guy for this at all. But there are people in the USA certainly capable of doing this. Just get it done. It's a matter of getting the right person and the willingness of Andre to be teachable and get out the kinks. Because he is such a great kid I have no doubt he will not lack willingness. I think he would learn better and respond better in a one to one relationship then trying to pick this up on the fly with a G league team. This is going to take time and patience and summer/college season seems more suitable to him. One of my favorite all hustle Uconn Huskies. But if he is taken first round hard to argue with that decision.

The idea that Rip had some profound effect on Hawkins is divorced from reality. I have no idea where this came from. They spent a couple afternoons together over the summer.

 

[Jaydumo20]

I would say happiness is probably very high on the list. Do you want to swing nba g league for 1 year or return to UConn?

Money is there. Is it enough that is overwhelming? I don’t know. $8mas an early second rounder is overwhelming. But a 2 way deal is decent, but he can get that next year.

Nice to have options.

100%. Well put

 

[AntG168]

Me think he’ll be a late first early second guy next year as well. So he comes back, gets his degree and then goes pro.

 

[Dogdeacon]

He is not going to have that next year.

He can improve shooting, scoring etc. but, there isn’t gonna be such a huge jump that it raises his draft stock into first round. He could easily be the same player and that hurts him.

He is who he is. A versatile defensive stalwart with rebounding, defenses, passing and playmaking at an nba level.

He has shown improvement last three years already. So it stands to reason he is going to keep improving that skill.

Agree it mostly comes down to what makes him happiest combined with what's best for long term development. And I agree a huge jump in offensive #s isn't a likely forecast, although some jump is what NBA teams would need to project. Evidencing that some growth is possible (vs same PPG avg soph & jr yrs) would improve his stock and it is simply easier to do that vs college players vs nba or g-league. If he's forever only a 7ppg scorer he's probably not a long-term NBA player.

The way defenses schemed against him this year seems logical & predictable in hindsight but it was nonetheless a surprise and took time to adjust AJ's and the team's offense to counteract. But now knowing that tactic makes it very possible to work on counters and developing skills to attack. I.e. he tried just shooting the open jumpers or one handed floaters and it mostly failed (but then using him as screener worked), with offseason work it will get better.

I think its pretty reasonable for AJ to drive to the hoop 3-4 times per game and increase his # of shots from 6 to 10, get to FT line more (1.3/game becomes 3-4/game) improve his shooting % and get himself to 10ppg. Maybe his assists go down 1+ but so would TO's. None of these things are huge leaps, yet together it could show enough to become a top 15 pick or guaranteed first rounder* & more likely to have a longer NBA career.

*say for example his resume says key piece on back-to-back NCAA championship teams

 

[NJHusky]

The way defenses schemed against him this year seems logical & predictable in hindsight but it was nonetheless a surprise and took time to adjust AJ's and the team's offense to counteract. But now knowing that tactic makes it very possible to work on counters and developing skills to attack. I.e. he tried just shooting the open jumpers or one handed floaters and it mostly failed (but then using him as screener worked), with offseason work it will get better.


*say for example his resume says key piece on back-to-back NCAA championship teams

The problem is that NBA teams aren't going to build their offense to accommodate AJ, like DH did this past year. He needs to be able to fit into a teams offense somewhere/somehow.

 

[dennismenace]

The idea that Rip had some profound effect on Hawkins is divorced from reality. I have no idea where this came from. They spent a couple afternoons together over the summer.

OK. How exactly did he develop so much skill over the summer? Please explain your thesis.

 

[mauconnfan]

Austin Reaves and Buddy Hield are two 4 year guys that come to mind who are thriving in the league now. I fervently believe Andre will have an incredibly successful career in the NBA whether he comes back to Storrs for a 4th season or not. I think he gets drafted late first or early 2nd(either year) and he’s got the character, makeup(identity?), and skill set that a young man needs in order to make it in one of the most prestigious organizations in world. A true captain and leader capable of galvanizing a locker room whether he comes back as a senior or starts his pro career off as a rookie in the NBA/NBA G-League.

Problem is Reaves and Held can both shoot the ball. Agree with many he is probably in his best position to go as we speak. If he doesn’t change his shot there won’t be any dramatic improvement anywhere. He already plays with a higher than normal NBA motor and can defend, pass in transition and rebound for his size. All depends on how he feels about 4 years. He may go late 1st he may not go at all.

Oh yeah and those who actually think he changed his shot, not sure what you saw. Same guy all 3 years but from deep worst this past year.

We will know soon enough.

 

[businesslawyer]

He hasn't really rebuilt or revamped his shot. His footwork is a little better, but the same fundamental problems are still there. He and the staff opted not to go for a total rebuild. In retrospect, that might have been the wrong decision. I think his off-season work was mostly just reps... not drills to rebuild the shot from the ground up and make the motion consistent and repeatable.

If I was his personal coach, bringing his 3 point shooting percentage up is not near my top priority. It’s possible that could happen without changing him, but it would only take him so far. His 3 point shot is really more of a set shot than a pure jumper — if you make it better he could shoot unguarded 3s in the league after ball movement, but not guarded 3s. He needs a jump shot. The reason he shoots push shots from just inside the elbow is he doesn’t have a jumper. He needs to be able to shoot 10 to 12 feet jumpers, even though you don’t want to take too many of them in today’s game, and after he can do that be able to extend the range of that shot to 3 point range. That will take more work and time than just trying to improve the percentage of the way he shoots 3s now.

Second priority is to be able to dribble through traffic, take contact and attack the rim instead of only dribbling into the paint when guarded to look to pass.

 

[husky429]

OK. How exactly did he develop so much skill over the summer? Please explain your thesis.

He was working out with skill coaches all summer. Same ones NBA guys use. That's why he was working out with pros all summer. In Miami I believe.

That wasn't as much of a "gotcha" as you thought it would be, huh?

You really thought a couple afternoons transformed his game?

 

[husky429]

If I was his personal coach, bringing his 3 point shooting percentage up is not near my top priority. It’s possible that could happen without changing him, but it would only take him so far. His 3 point shot is really more of a set shot than a pure jumper — if you make it better he could shoot unguarded 3s in the league after ball movement, but not guarded 3s. He needs a jump shot. The reason he shoots push shots from just inside the elbow is he doesn’t have a jumper. He needs to be able to shoot 10 to 12 feet jumpers, even though you don’t want to take too many of them in today’s game, and after he can do that be able to extend the range of that shot to 3 point range. That will take more work and time than just trying to improve the percentage of the way he shoots 3s now.

Second priority is to be able to dribble through traffic, take contact and attack the rim instead of only dribbling into the paint when guarded to look to pass.

The way you learn to shoot 3s is starting at 10-12 feet and working out. He certainly isn't spending the time to learn a true jump shot though. It's out of vogue in the league.

 

[navery12]

OK. How exactly did he develop so much skill over the summer? Please explain your thesis.

With the hardwork and practice he put in over the whole offseason. It's really hard to say what was more impactful, the 3 days with Rip or the other 211 days he practiced all summer

 

[Jaydumo20]

With the hardwork and practice he put in over the whole offseason. It's really hard to say what was more impactful, the 3 days with Rip or the other 211 days he practiced all summer

Right. We all expected him to make a huge jump freshman to sophomore year, without any conditions on him finding the "right" teacher. Most guys with his ability improve greatly from year 1 to year 2 with normal work. You can throw a dart and hit tons of guys who have improved greatly from year 1 to year 2.

 

[RichZ]

"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. "

Not really a fair comparison. Martin can shoot the three with confidence.

 

[dennismenace]

He was working out with skill coaches all summer. Same ones NBA guys use. That's why he was working out with pros all summer. In Miami I believe.

That wasn't as much of a "gotcha" as you thought it would be, huh?

You really thought a couple afternoons transformed his game?

No it's not a "gotcha". You merely confirmed what I suspected all along only it was with more than one coach instead of just Hamilton. Therefore, the initial suggestion is still the same as I said. There are people in the USA he can work with and that should not be too hard to find. I don't see why he cannot do what Hawk did. That is, put in the time with the appropriate talent coach.

BTW, you seem to agree with my suggestion so why does it sound like you don't?

 

[TheChamps990411]

Listen we all love the kid but reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeelax..

You dont think he has the potential to be NPoY? He does everything at a high level except shoot.

 

[Jbirdp5]

Trayce averaged 21 points a game on 58% as a senior
Jalen 18 a game on 51% as a junior
Duarte 17 a game at 53% as a sophomore

Very different scenarios with very different players. Andre’s best value as a player is exactly what he excelled at last season - hyper athlete, defensive stopper, high energy floor general who runs fast breaks better than anybody else

In my opinion, bringing him back to try to be a scorer would hurt him more than help him. It’d be taking away from what he’s best at, and forcing him to do something he’s bad at. In my opinion an NBA team would be wise to take him as he is, try to develop a 35% three point shot, and utilize him as a 3&D point forward

So you think it would be a bad idea to bring him back and try to score because that’s not what he does but think he can play a 3 and d role in the nba? That seems like even less of what he’s good at.