UConn’s Andre Jackson on his future: ‘I’m probably going to be out;’ more NBA Draft Combine notes
CHICAGO – The last time Andre Jackson Jr. and Adama Sanogo took the floor in Wintrust Arena, home of the DePaul Blue Demons, they were both wearing the same uniform. But Wednesday, on the first day of scrimmages at the NBA Draft Combine, Jackson’s jersey was grey and Sanogo’s blue.
Off to the side, tucked in the corner of the arena, Jordan Hawkins looked on as his former co-captains went at it in front of hundreds of NBA scouts and executives, both trying to prove they’re ready for the next level.
Whether it was the black uniforms UConn wore against DePaul in January or the grey, No. 68 he wore Wednesday, Jackson Jr. displayed the same mentality. Starting the scrimmage Wednesday on the bench, he sat with his Gatorade towel wrapped around his neck and it wasn’t long before he stood up and whipped it around in celebration, encouraging teammates he just met.
“(Having Hawkins and Sanogo here) reminds me of everything we built together at UConn, the legacy that we left and everything that we did together to kind of cement ourselves in UConn history. Just to be around those guys and just feel their energy, feel their vibe, it just feels great,” Jackson said. “It’s empowering. When you’re out here sometimes you might feel alone but when you look to your right and you’ve got your teammates right there supporting you, backing you and understanding what you bring to the table and everything that you did for each other, it’s a great feeling to just have your brother right there next to you through the process as well.”
The Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, Sanogo finished Wednesday’s scrimmage as his team’s leader with 18 points, 9-of-15 from the field, and 10 rebounds – but one bucket had a little extra meaning to it.
With less than a minute to go until the halftime break, Sanogo caught an outlet pass in transition just inside the foul line. He had a step on Jackson and rose up to the rim. Jackson jumped with him from behind, but his right hand came inches away from the ball as Sanogo slammed it down.
“We’re no strangers to going against each other,” Jackson said, referring to their intense battles during practice in Storrs. “That’s my guy. It was awesome to take the floor against him, it was great to see him do well. It felt really good being out there competing against him – he boxed me out a few times, I contested his shots – it was definitely great to get out there against one of my UConn guys.”
‘Predicated on performance:’ Andre Jackson Jr. is letting his game determine his next step
Jackson, whose stock has risen since the week began, made a jumper from just inside the 3-point line on his first shot attempt and finished with four points (2-of-3) and an assist.
“When I can go back to the hotel room I’m definitely going to hit (Sanogo and Hawkins) up and go hang out with them and just chop it up with them because, I mean, Hawk is definitely out of here, so I’m not gonna have too much more time with him,” Jackson said. “I’m probably going to be out, Adama’s probably going to be out. It’s just a lot going on and just a great experience to be around these guys and, and just have this experience with them.”
Hawkins moving up draft boards?
Jordan Hawkins, like many other projected first-round picks, opted out of the five-on-five scrimmages at the combine. Instead, he’s using his time to meet with individual teams, interviewing to find the right fit.
With the draft just over a month away, Hawkins said Wednesday he has met with the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dallas (No. 10) and Oklahoma City (No. 12) each have lottery selections while Brooklyn has picks No. 21 and 22 and the Clippers (No. 30) round out the first round.
Hawkins said the national championship he helped UConn win about a month and a half ago has been part of each one of his conversations. He’s used it to say, “I’m a championship-caliber player.”
“Obviously winning a national championship is the best thing you can do in college basketball,” he said. “Then coming here, where you can have your dreams come true, has been really cool. It’s been a crazy month for me. My dreams are coming true but I’ve still got some work to do.”
ESPN’s Jonathan Givony has Hawkins slotted at No. 11 to the Orlando Magic in his latest mock draft. He also has Jackson Jr. going in the first round, No. 29 to the Indiana Pacers, who he met with last week.
Jackson said he met with the New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday and has four or five meetings planned for Thursday.
