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Texas Tech finally got it's first basketball commitment of 2015 this weekend. After visiting Texas Tech and enjoying his visit, he commits to the Red Raiders. He gives Texas Tech another athletic guard and somebody that could be a big playmaker for the Red Raiders. Here is my review of Jordan Jackson from back in August:
Jordan Jackson - Guard (St. Puis X, Houston, TX)
Height Weight 6'3" 175 lbs Ratings: 84 by 247 / 78 by ESPN / 3-star by Rivals / NR by Scout
Interest: Texas Tech (Warm), Bowling Green (Cool), North Texas (Cool), Houston (Cool)
Jordan Jackson was offered by Texas Tech last week, and Red Raider nation took notice. This is because Jordan Jackson is the son of none other than Red Raider legend Sheryl Swoopes. Jackson also took notice of the offer, with Tech being his mom's alma mater and all. In fact, in this interview, he stated that Tech was his front runner for many reasons, including his mom's legacy. I wouldn't be surprised if another reason was to learn from Tubby Smith. Right now he's being coached by TJ Ford (former NCAA POY) and his mom, and adding Tubby to his coaching regime would be impressive. He says in the interview that he will likely decide around the time basketball season starts, and is looking for a school with a good Sports Management (or Computer Engineering) program and fan base. He currently has 14 offers, his most noticeable being Tech, Houston and North Texas. I'm not sure how many more programs are going after him, but I'm sure that list will grow. Now let's look at what Jordan Jackson can do. What I like about Jackson is his quick first step and electric finish at the basket. For a player that's only 6'3", he has a big vertical and is not afraid to throw it down on defenders. Not only does he finish big in the paint, but he his also developing an outside shot. Another attribute I like about Jackson is his hustle on the defensive end, blocking shots and constantly putting pressure on the opposition. I find it strange that ESPN is the only site to rank him (as a high 3-star), and it may be because other sites just haven't ranked him or don't know enough about him. He plays for a private school in Houston, so maybe that possibly has something to do with it. I think Jackson is the guard Tech is most likely to get, and he wouldn't be a bad addition either.
We learned about Jordan Jackson in the summer when we Texas Tech offered the Point / Shooting Guard out of Houston. The Red Raiders were his lone Power 5 offer. He decided at the end of the summer to name a Top 6, with Texas Tech making the list along with Houston, SFA, Bowling Green and Tulsa. Jordan took visits to SFA, UH and Tulsa before visiting Tech this weekend. He talked with Scout before his visit and said that he liked the level of competition at Tech and the ability to learn under Tubby, along with the fact that his mother (Sheryl Swoopes) went to Tech. He also said that if he liked what he saw and felt comfortable with the Red Raiders, he would commit after the visit. Well it looks like that's the case.
Now let's take a look at Jordan Jackson's play on the hardwood. Jordan Jackson has everything I want in a Point Guard. First off, he's athletic offensively and defensively. He has the ability to blow past defenders on the way to the basketball or cut off a pass on the defensive end and score on the fastbreak. When your guards provide pressure on both ends of the floor, its wears down the opposition and gives opportunities to his teammates. Another attribute I like is his ability to shoot from beyond the arc. The Red Raiders don't really have a 3-point option at the moment, so adding Jackson gives the Red Raider a threat on the perimeter. Finally, I like Jordan's intelligent decision making. You may not see it much in the film below, but I have seen highlights where he draws in defenders and makes the right pass to give his team the best chance to win. He knows what his opposition is thinking and uses that to his advantage. He has basically everything I want in a Guard.
This commitment gives Texas Tech some depth at the guard position when Gotcher, Williams and Turner leave. It gives Tubby a young, talented PG/SG to develop and now flexibility in recruiting. Tech only has two scholarships available, and now with one gone, Tubby can focus more attention on some bigger targets for the other scholarship. The basketball team will likely add a forward, so it's likely we see more attention towards CJ Williamson and Kaiser Gates. Not only that, but we'll see more 2016 recruits getting attention now with Jackson committed. Jodan Jackson is a great basketball talent and I'm excited that he's committed to the good guys.