KU basketball freshman Elmarko Jackson reflects on semester after big shot vs. Mizzou
Kansas freshman men’s basketball guard Elmarko Jackson has entered final-exams week confident he’s made the grade in the classroom.
“All A-pluses in my classes,” Jackson, KU’s 6-foot-3, 195-pound newcomer from Marlton, New Jersey, said after Saturday’s 73-64 victory over Missouri at Allen Fieldhouse. He was speaking as a guest on the Jayhawk Radio Network postgame show.
“My mom is super proud. Academics is always No. 1 with her,” he added of mom, Ellen, who will be pleased to hear her son even aced what he called his most difficult class: Geography.
On the court, Jackson had his finest game offensively as a college player in Saturday’s Border War victory over MU. Jackson scored 11 points on 2-of-5 shooting (1-of-2 from 3 and 6-of-7 from the line) with one assist, one rebound and a steal while playing 26 minutes.
He was fouled on a 3-point swish from the corner, then converted the free throw for a 4-point play — one that gave slow-starting Kansas a 31-29 lead with 3:58 left in the first half.
“We work on driving and kicking a lot,” Jackson said in explaining the bucket and foul shot. “I just happened to be in a gap where Kevin (McCullar, 17 points, four assists) saw me. I got my feet set. It’s a shot I’ve been working on a lot with coach (Joe) Dooley. I felt like I was working out with him, got my feet set, let it fly and knocked it down.”
Jackson’s previous high in points was nine against Manhattan College on Nov. 10. For the year, the McDonald’s All-American who has started all 10 games averages 6.2 points with 31 assists to 17 turnovers. He’s made 17 of 45 shot attempts for 37.8%. He’s 5-of-20 from 3 for 25%. Also he’s cashed 23 of 25 free throws for 92%.
“Talking with my teammates and my coaches, buying in more and more every day,” Jackson said of his progress as a collegian. “(I’m) just putting in my work, trusting in myself. Knowing the type of player I am, I feel I am starting to really get over the hump I was at. I feel the game is coming more easy for me, slowing down.”
It was impressive that Jackson had no turnovers against a Missouri team that applied full-court pressure much of the game.
“They pressured us the whole game. Some of it we were expecting,” Jackson said. “I feel we handled the pressure a decent amount.”
As far as how he’s handled the pressure of adjusting to major college basketball, Jackson, who played his final high school season at South Kent School in Connecticut, said: “I put more pressure on myself in the beginning of the season. But I just talk with my teammates (about) finding little niches, how to get easy buckets or help the team defensively. They have helped me a lot. Getting it on the defensive end is an easy way to propel yourself to put in work on the offensive end. I’ve just been level headed talking with people in my circle and just trusting my work.”
KU senior guard McCullar said Jackson “has been great. He is probably one of the most athletic people I’ve played with. His first step is crazy. He’s a quick guard who can create for himself and others and definitely pick up the ball and guard.”
Jackson said he’s already learned the difference between high school basketball and college “is probably speed and strength of players. Everybody here is bigger, stronger, faster as you go up levels. So I feel like that for sure.
“My teammates push me to be better every day, push me to work harder. The transition has been good. Coming into this from high school, the pace is a little bit different. The speed of the game ... I just had to adjust to that a little bit, but I feel like I’m good now.”
Jackson has held down the starting job next to McCullar, Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams and Hunter Dickinson in all 10 games for KU, 9-1. Others on the list of players five-through-9 would be Johnny Furphy, Nick Timberlake, Jamari McDowell and Parker Braun.
“The chemistry in the locker room is amazing. We have no guys that are jealous or anything like that. I feel like our continuity is top tier,” Jackson said.
KU coach Bill Self is expecting continued improvement from Jackson and the four reserves.
“The expectations that are put on kids when they go to a school because of hype or being a McDonald’s All-American or people saying this or that about them is not fair in lot of ways,” Self said. “Mario Chalmers is one of best players we’ve recruited here. He didn’t play until Christmas (of freshman year). Christian (Braun), Frank (Mason), Ochai (Agbaji) and Jalen (Wilson), the reason people don’t look at them and say they got off to a slow start is nobody expected them to get off to a fast start.”
He continued.
“Elmarko, Johnny and those guys when they first got here, too, (had high expectations). The light will come on. It’ll come on sooner rather than later. They also are young kids. Sherron (Collins) is the best player we ever recruited here,” Self noted. “He didn’t start until he was a junior. He had pros playing in front of him. It’s different for different guys. Tyshawn (Taylor) wasn’t one of the best players (ranked No. 77 in his high school class by Rivals.com). He was darn good and so tough. He started as a freshman because all our pros had left.
“Don’t get impatient with anybody. It’s too early. Even Hunter (Dickinson) … the player he is now isn’t going to be the player he will be in February. At least we hope not. He’s got to keep getting better. The whole key is at the right time getting everybody to mesh right. We’ve not done it yet but have shown flashes.”
KU, which is well into final exam week, will next meet Indiana at 11:30 a.m. Central on Saturday in Bloomington, Indiana.
