UConn's Jackson ready to shoot his shot

Jul. 23—STORRS — UConn coach Dan Hurley thinks Andre Jackson, the Huskies' 6-foot-6, high-flying wing, could, and perhaps should, become a point guard.

Not all of the sophomore's supporters are in agreement.

"Some of my family and friends tell me I pass the ball too much," Jackson says with a laugh this week. "But I think that's something I like to do."

Well, in order to appease all involved, perhaps the goal is for Jackson to become a scoring point guard.

To that end, Jackson says he has been watching old film of "Pistol" Pete Maravich, in hopes that he might emulate one of the sport's most celebrated ball handlers and scorers.

Maravich, the LSU star of the late 1960s, remains the NCAA's all-time leader in points scored (3,667) and per-game average (44.2). And his passing ability, both in college and during an injury-shortened NBA career, was even more dynamic than his shooting touch.

In fairness, Jackson has been a fan of Maravich's Hall of Fame career before this summer and has watched certain clips many times over, but all of those hours may be about to pay off.

Heading into his second season in Storrs, his coaches, family and teammates alike expect Jackson to make a big leap in terms of playing time and production in the upcoming season.

And that may include one or two Pistol Pete-style passes thrown into the mix.

"I'm pretty sure," Jackson said.

"It's going to happen by accident," he added. "Coach Hurley may not like it if it doesn't work."

Jackson, of course, has a bit of a ways to go if he's going to break Maravich's scoring record — though Maravich, as all freshmen were at the time, was not allowed to play varsity basketball his first year at LSU and set the mark in just three years of college action.

Jackson played in 16 games during the 2020-21 season at UConn, averaging 2.7 points and 2.9 rebounds. He was also fourth on the team in assists, despite missing nearly one-third of the season with an injury.

But because his athletic ability is through the roof, as evidenced by some of the high-flying dunks he pulled off during his freshman season, many believe Jackson capable of a breakout season.

Earlier this summer, Hurley praised Jackson's performance during offseason workouts.

"He's got to turn it into production and performance, and we're confident he will — and I've got to bring out the talent in him — but I've never seen somebody in the gym more than him," Hurley said.

Jackson says he's changed his approach to the game just slightly this offseason, which has perhaps led to accolades from the coaching staff.

"I think I've been attacking the basket with more aggression, playing more aggressive, more at the rim," said Jackson, who averaged 18.8 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 6.6 assists over his final season in high school. "Thinking score-first more, while also using my passing abilities."

Despite his friends' playful chides about him passing too much, Jackson admits he quite enjoys passing the ball. It may stem from the fact that there weren't very many kids who wanted to play point guard in his neighborhood as a youth.

"I think that's something I enjoy to do, ever since playing the game as a kid I always had fun passing the ball and getting my teammates involved," Jackson said. "I've always been from a town where there's not a lot of basketball players so if my team is winning, I have to find ways to get my teammates involved."

A native of Amsterdam, New York who starred just down the New York State Thruway at nearby Albany Academy, Jackson expected to make an immediate impact when he arrived at UConn. And in some ways, he did.

Despite missing some of the preseason due to a knee injury, Jackson had four points, five rebounds and six assists in his collegiate debut against Central Connecticut State.

But he played sparingly in the next three games and then another injury struck. Jackson broke his wrist during practice in late December and was forced to miss seven games.

In addition to injuries limiting his time on the court, foul trouble often hampered Jackson's progress.

"Last year was a big learning experience for me. As a freshman I was maybe too handsy, touching on the offensive guy too much instead of keeping my hands out and walling up," Jackson said.

"I think sometimes I did get a bad whistle but that's just the way the game goes," Jackson added. "Sometimes you're going to get some good calls, sometimes you're going to get some bad calls. The refs can't call everything right. I'm not really stressing about that."

What Jackson is focused on is emulating Maravich, not to mention another player much more familiar to him. James Bouknight, the UConn star who is expected to be among the first 10 picks in next week's NBA Draft, set new standards in many ways for Husky players. Jackson has certainly taken some cues from his former teammate.

"I just remember watching Bouknight and how he practiced," Jackson said. "He practiced really hard with a lot of energy. I try to approach practice the same way."

Now that Bouknight is on the verge of his NBA career, Jackson can envision himself following in those footsteps, too.

"For sure, that's something I've thought even before I was here. I've thought since I was a little kid in Amsterdam, New York," Jackson said. "I think he just gives me more of an inspiration to go out and work. Because I never, being from a small town and a small city, I never knew anybody who made it that far."

The Huskies will have to find a way adjust to playing without Bouknight, obviously. One of those adjustments has been to encourage a faster pace of a play and ask players like Jackson to be more aggressive this season.

"Obviously the ball is going to have to move better," Hurley said of playing without Bouknight. "When you have a player that's that dynamic of a guy, there's a tendency, you become a little bit less aggressive, a little bit more passive. A little bit wondering and waiting for Bouk to go do something."

Jackson says he isn't going to wait for anything to happen this year.

"This year there's no freshman excuse. It's my turn, it's our turn," Jackson said.

Neill covers UConn men's basketball and UConn football teams, and he keeps a finger on the pulse of Connecticut sports. For live game updates, and more insight into UConn athletics, player transfers, and team changes, follow Neill on Twitter: @NeillOstrout, Facebook: JINeillO, and Instagram: @NeillOstrout.