Prospect Spotlight: Josh Jackson (2022 Sunset)

<p>As they say, shooting is a science. And if the way he shot it at the PrepHoops Top 250 Expo was any indication, [player_tooltip player_id="1229388" first="Josh" last="Jackson"] is getting an A in that subject. The lanky 6-foot-4 wing was knocking it down and knocking it down with regularity on Sunday and was arguably the top marksman in the building. What’s the secret of the Sunset senior’s success?</p> <p>"I say keep it simple," Jackson said. "The best way to get rid of error is to get rid of as many variables as possible. I know that from science, they talk about dependent and independent variables - if you limit your variables to just releasing it and getting enough power, it will probably go in. And if you can repeat the same thing every time, then it will go in every time."</p> <p>Jackson led 6A in three-point shooting in the shortened 2021 season at a 54.8 percent clip. He wasn’t going to just rest on his laurels though as he made the decision to train and play this summer with International Elite, which played in a number of tournaments around the country.</p> <p>"It was the first AAU program that I’ve been with and I loved those guys," Jackson said. "I love the coaches and it was a great opportunity. I had so much fun - it was the best summer I’ve ever had to be honest."</p> <p>With the team, Jackson worked on becoming more than just a standstill shooter. "I felt like I showed that I could shoot but near the end of the season I had confidence with the rock, stopped losing it off the dribble, and I could get my shot a lot easier by the end of it," Jackson said. "It boosted my confidence so much, it was a complete game-changer."</p> <p>That confidence was on display at the PrepHoops Top 250 Expo. He was canning jumpers left and right but was getting it done off the dribble and also getting some buckets at the basket, something he’s continuing to work on with his game.</p> <p>"I want to be bigger so that I can finish over people," Jackson said. "I also want to work on my confidence with the rock. It’s gotten a lot better but there’s still a lot to improve."</p> <p>Jackson’s hope is that the college coaches in attendance at the Expo were watching. Prior to the event, the school he had been in most contact with has been Multnomah. He attended elite camp at the school and made an official visit to campus earlier this month where they made him an offer.</p> <p>"Multnomah is a nice college and the coaching staff is great," Jackson said prior to the visit. "One of our alumni, [player_tooltip player_id="855955" first="Kell" last="Estep"] goes there and [player_tooltip player_id="855931" first="Brady" last="Grier"] from Westview is also there. It’s a cool atmosphere there and I like it. But I’m keeping the doors open and seeing how many I can open and make a decision from there."</p> <p>The season should be big for Jackson as he is looking forward to seeing how the work he’s put in this off-season pays off his senior campaign.  "I’m so excited - I’m ecstatic," Jackson said. "Playing with Jalen (Childs) - he’s a great player and we’ve got some nice guys coming up. I’m so excited to make some noise, it’s going to be different."</p> <p>Jackson currently ranks as the #75 player in the PrepHoops Oregon Class of 2022 rankings.</p>