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Jarrius Jackson

Jarrius Jackson profile
RCSI: 165 (2003)
Height: 6'1" (185 cm)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Position: SG
High School: Ouachita Parish High School (Louisiana)
Hometown: Monroe, LA
College: Texas Tech
Current Team: Venezia
Win - Loss: 8 - 10

Articles

Mid-West Workout Swing: Day 7 (Julian Wright, Thaddeus Young, etc)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
May 28, 2007, 02:50 am
Jackson is a bit of a forgotten name these days despite having a stellar four year career at Texas Tech, mostly because of the poor showing he had at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament. Watching him in this setting reminds you of the many things he does well when you aren’t trying to evaluate him as a pure point guard.

Jackson looked fairly decent in the drills for the most part, particularly shooting the ball, but once the competitive things kicked off, he really shined. He was the best player in the one on one games, using his body extremely well and hitting some extremely difficult shots with a hand in his face. That probably isn’t really a shock considering he shot 44% from behind the arc this season, despite the intense defenses he drew. He also used the threat of his shot to keep his man off balance and either punish him from mid-range with a pull-up jumper, or slash into the paint and finish with a tear drop.

In the five on five, Jackson played both on and off the ball, showing nice strength and toughness getting into the lane and even posting up on one occasion on the smaller Dominic James. Defensively, he had a tough time staying in front of the speedy Marquette sophomore, though.

If Jackson is going to make it, it’s probably in a route and role similar to Anthony Roberson’s stint with the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors these past two seasons. Ironically enough, the Golden State Warriors were the first team asking to bring Jackson in, so maybe that is in the cards for him as an undrafted free agent. If he doesn’t make it, though, a nice paycheck in Europe should await him virtually whenever he pleases.

Portsmouth Invitational Tournament: Day Two

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Eric Weiss
Eric Weiss
Apr 05, 2007, 05:58 pm
Jarrius Jackson had a very quiet game for his standards, not taking many shots and often just going through the motions on the offensive end. It wasn’t as if he was trying to prove he can be a point guard either, as he wasn’t the primary ball-handler or trying to create for teammates; he just wasn’t really consistently assertive as he is on Texas Tech.

When Jackson did try to create with the ball, though, he had pretty good success, scoring in a variety of ways from within the three-point arc. His first score of the game was on a nice drive where he brought the ball up and under to get past his man, then jump stopped before going into a lay-up off the glass. His next score was on a pull-up jumper from 15 feet at very high speed where he exhibited excellent body control. One of his most impressive moves was a stop-and-go where he came off a high screen and quickly accelerated down the left side of the lane to put up a nice floater which he converted. He also made two other drives left, one which he finished on the left side and the other which he changed directions to finish on the right side of the hoop with his right hand. Jackson didn’t really get his outside shot going in the game, not taking advantage of opportunities to shoot from behind the arc.

To Jackson’s credit, he really played within himself and didn’t force the issue when the lanes weren’t open for him to drive or pass, but it still would’ve been nice to see him play more assertively and fully show off his scoring abilities. He made a few nice passes on the game, making a few drive-and-dishes that weren’t converted, a nice pass to a cutter off a pick-and-roll, and a nice kickout for a three-pointer in transition. Jackson definitely projects as an undersized shooting guard at the next level based on what he’s shown in college and here, so he has a bit of an uphill battle to climb, especially since he isn’t extremely overwhelming athletically. He should have a good chance of getting into the Orlando pre-draft camp and getting invites to training camps, but he doesn’t have much chance of getting drafted unless he really wows with his ability to score against the better competition in this draft class at Orlando.

NCAA Tournament: Stock Watch (round of 64, Thursday)--Down/Neutral

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joey Whelan
Joey Whelan
Mar 15, 2007, 02:51 pm
Jarrius Jackson struggled throughout the day against Boston College, and his absence was a key contributing factor to Texas Tech’s loss. Early on, Jackson displayed his ability to create good scoring looks for himself, but they just weren’t falling today.

In the first half of the game, Jackson did make a nice three pointer off the dribble to get his first basket, but he followed it up with a couple misses from mid-range. As the game went on, his frustration grew, and his shot selection seemed to get progressively worse. He started forcing up contested three point jumpers off the dribble, and turned the ball over a few times while trying to get to the basket. Inside, he was also unable to finish effectively, as he struggled to get his shot off against some of Boston College’s taller front court players.

Performances like this aren’t what Jackson needed to prove that he can play in the NBA. One game doesn’t make or a break a 4-year senior like this, but he needed help going into this game that he just won’t get now. He has the ability to create his shot, however, and could possibly secure a place in the NBA as a shooting specialist, ala Allan Ray. Jackson’s scoring and leadership has helped Texas Tech during numerous times this season, but was nowhere to be found today. From here, Jackson must decide if he wants to play at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament or not, something that he appears to sorely need considering how little he’s managed to help his stock over the past few months.

NCAA Weekly Performers, 2/8/07-- Part Two

Rodger Bohn
Rodger Bohn
Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Mike Schmidt
Mike Schmidt
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Feb 08, 2007, 03:12 am
Texas Tech senior guard Jarrius Jackson had a very impressive week against Oklahoma and Texas, showing off his sensational scoring ability, but not contributing much in any other facets of the game. Despite being only 6-1, Jackson plays primarily off the ball, only getting spot minutes at point guard and not showing much in terms of consistent playmaking abilities for others. But for himself, Jackson can get off his picture perfect jump-shot in the blink of an eye, and only needs the smallest of spaces to get it off.

Jackson’s jump shot has pretty much flawless form, with high elevation, a high release point, consistent shooting motions, and a lightning quick trigger. Jackson is extremely efficient from behind the college three-point arc, shooting .469 on the year, which definitely isn’t an anomaly, as evidenced by his circa-.450 three-point percentages over the past two seasons. In his games against Texas and Oklahoma, Jackson was able to get his shot off with ease, either creating for himself off the dribble or moving without the ball to his spot-up shots off screens. Very fundamentally sound in his play, Jackson is equally comfortable dribbling left or right off screens, possessing excellent footwork and a seamless motion from his dribble right into his shot. Just the slightest screen, the simplest crossover, the slightest change in speed, or the simplest ball fake are usually enough for Jackson to get room for his shot, and he has no problem hitting them with a hand in his face, not succumbing to defensive pressure.

Jackson definitely is most comfortable behind the arc, as he actually shoots a higher percentage from three-point range than two-point range, but he also uses his craftiness and smarts to create scoring opportunities inside the arc, as he doesn’t possess or rely on much quickness or athleticism to create. Continuing in the fundamentally sound theme, Jackson is excellent at using his body to shield the ball, and rather than blazing by defenders with an explosive first step, he relies on changes in speed and direction, ball fakes, crossovers, and the respect defenders give him on his outside shot. Jackson tends to take most of his shots before he gets to the basket, relying on pull-up jumpers and floaters which he converts with decent regularity. Here, he also possesses the ability to go into these moves dribbling either right or left. When going all the way to the basket, Jackson tends to favor his right hand more noticeably, and most of his left-handed drives result in mid or long-range shot attempts. Jackson doesn’t show much creativity around the rim, usually just drawing contact and going straight for the basket. With his height, lack of explosive athleticism, and straight-forward style, Jackson sometimes runs into problems with contested shots in the lane, not being able to score if he doesn’t have an open path or draw contact to get to the free-throw line.

When Jackson doesn’t have the ball, he does a good job frequently staying in motion on coach Bob Knight’s motion offense, using screens to get open for spot-up shots or cuts to the basket. He does a good job recognizing what the defense gives to him, and will adjust by using floaters or lay-ups and using glass when the angle is right.

Jackson possesses little in terms of point guard instincts, only averaging 1.7 assists per game on the year, though part of that is due to him being heavily relied on as a scorer for his team. He’s averaged as high as 3.5 assists per game in his tenure at Texas Tech, doing so in his sophomore year. Still, Jackson definitely has a scorer’s mentality, and he doesn’t show much ability to break down a defense and create for his teammates. Unlike most undersized scoring guards, Jackson actually doesn’t force the issue often, and most of his shots are high-percentage shots. He rarely takes shots without his feet set or without being balanced.

Defensively, Jackson showed some trouble staying in front of some of Texas’ quicker guards, and his lateral movement is suspect against quicker players, which is a concern looking at the next level. Most smaller guards in the NBA possess good quickness, and despite Jackson being a pesky and fundamentally sound defender, he doesn’t really possess the natural ability to consistently stay in front of them. Looking at the next level in a more general sense, Jackson doesn’t project to be much more than a role player in the Eddie House, Salim Stoudamire, or Jannero Pargo role, as a scoring spark off the bench. Should he go to Europe, Jackson should be able to have a tremendous impact with his scoring abilities, which may be more appealing than just being a marginal role player in the NBA, if his scoring abilities can even take him that far. Jackson should have a chance at being drafted in the second round, though there’s equally a good chance he could go undrafted.

Top NBA Draft Prospects in the Big 12 (Part Two: #6-#10)

Jonathan Givony
Jonathan Givony
Wojciech Malinowski
Wojciech Malinowski
Joseph Treutlein
Joseph Treutlein
Oct 30, 2006, 03:53 am
The top returning scorer in the Big 12 finally makes an appearance at #10 on this list, as we remind that NBA potential is what’s being taken into consideration rather than a player’s impact at the collegiate level, where Jackson would surely be at the beginning of the pack.

At the NCAA level, there is no doubting what Jackson brings to the table. He’s one of the better scoring guards you’ll find around, and does it even more impressively playing for one of the most methodical offenses in the country under Bobby Knight. What Jackson lacks in size (he doesn’t appear to be more than 6-0 at best) he clearly makes up for in toughness and strength, being a stocky pitbull type in the Jameer Nelson mold, only without the point guard skills. He plays mostly off the ball (although he will see at least a few minutes a game at the point) and does a fantastic job moving around and finding creases in the defense from which to present himself, whether in the post, from mid-range or behind the arc coming off a screen.

If an immediate scoring opportunity is not available (Jackson only needs a fraction of a second to get his shot off), he’ll usually use his strength and smarts—rather than a terrific first step or some crafty ball-handling moves—to bully his way into the paint and finish high off the glass. Most of his slashing attempts come using his right hand, and at some point this can become predictable, especially considering that his first step is pretty average. When he does get to the basket, he is tough and crafty enough to usually get his shot to go down, but there are serious question marks about whether his lack of vertical explosiveness will allow him to finish should he make the NBA.

Jackson’s mid-range game is one of the more odd you’ll find. Rather than pull-up off the dribble to elevate and get a clean jumper off, he’ll almost strictly attempt to get off a one handed half jump-shot/half floater that isn’t always very appropriate considering how far out he will be sometimes, and the results are predictably not as consistent as you’d hope.

From behind the arc, though, there is no mistaking the fact that he’s absolutely lights out. When Jackson has a chance to set his feet for just a second, the ball is going to go in the basket more often that not. His release is lightning quick and his mechanics absolutely terrific, indeed making him one of the best 3-point shooters you’ll find in the country as far as volume and percentages go. He hits tough shots with a hand in his face on a regular basis, and does not have a problem taking responsibilities on his shoulders when the game is on the line.

Despite his disposition as a scorer through and through, he doesn’t force the issue nearly as much as you’d usually expect players in his mold (read: undersized shooting guards from bad teams) to. He’s a patient player who lets things come to him and is very much adept at looking for the best shot he or his teammate can find. Although he shows nothing close to the instincts you’d hope for in a point guard, he’s definitely not a selfish player and will rarely hurt his team as long as his shot is falling.

Defensively, you get more of the same. Jackson is a tough and strong guard who doesn’t like to give his matchup anything easy. While he might not be quite big or quick enough to be a lockdown defender in the NBA, his fundamentals and hard-nosed attitude ensure that he’ll always be quite solid in this area. As far as the NBA is concerned, stranger things have happened than a 20+ point per game scorer from a high major conference making it, combo guard or not, but the early inclination would be that he’s going to be absolutely ideal for Europe.

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