There’s no denying Jackson’s skill level. The big man has incredibly soft touch with either hand and prefers operating from the perimeter, where he uses his massive frame and handling ability to facilitate through DHOs and create opportunities for himself. Conditioning and athleticism remain concerns, as does bringing a more consistent approach on a daily basis. Still, Jackson has made significant strides over the last 18 months. Given his size, skill level and continued development, he has legitimate Division I tools.

Despite a lopsided final score, Roman’s matchup with a talent-laded CATS Academy (MA) team was actually a close contest until the closing minutes, with Jackson serving as a main catalyst for the Cahillite attack. Stepping right into a marquee role after missing his freshman season due to injury, Jackson was effective serving as a hub for the Roman offense from a variety of spots on the floor within the halfcourt setting. He displayed outstanding patience, footwork, and touch on a series of faceup buckets over taller, lengthier defenders and his ballhandling served as an important release valve with Roman’s guards struggling to handle the CATS pressure. Jackson’s conditioning will have to continue to improve but his offensive skillset and feel for the game are a joy to watch and a nightmare for opposing defenses to handle.

After missing just about the entirety of his freshman season with injuries and literal growing pains, Jackson projects to step right into the starting five this year as a consistent offensive focal point for the Cahillites. Jackson now enters into the family business, following the footsteps of his father Marc (Temple/NBA) and brothers Shareef (Lafayette) and Sammy (VCU) as lynchpins of the Roman program. He’s a brilliant passer with an abundance of natural feel, skill, and touch whether operating from the post or working on the perimeter with a live dribble. Jackson cut his teeth this past summer as a consistent standout for Roman in the June live periods and a bright spot for Team Final ‘s 15U group as an inside-out hub. His upside will be determined largely by what kind of shape he works into over time, but Jackson should jump firmly onto D1 radars over the course of the winter.

-Jackson scored pretty effortlessly around the basket as a nimble forward prospect with a soft touch around the basket. Jackson scored 16 points by finishing hook shots around the rim, tipping in putbacks under the basket, knocking down open jumpers from the elbow, and face-cutting to the rim to present a passing option to guards on the wings or corner that picked up their dribble. Love the way that he utilizes a strong frame and light set of feet to create better finishing angles around the basket as a young prospect that knows his role and understands his value for a young Roman team that graduated most of their scoring production.