Elite high school point guard, Elmarko Jackson, orally commits to KU Jayhawks basketball
Elmarko Jackson, a 6-foot-3, 180-pound senior point guard from South Kent (Connecticut) School, on Thursday night orally committed to play basketball at Kansas.
Jackson — he made an official visit to KU on Sept 9-11 — chose KU over Texas, Villanova, Miami and Notre Dame.
He made the announcement on the 247Sports Channel on YouTube. He sat behind a table filled with five baseball caps of his finalists, picking KU by placing the Jayhawk hat on his head.
Jackson is ranked No. 18 in the recruiting class of 2023 according to 247sports.com, No. 28 by ESPN.com and No. 63 by Rivals.com.
He made campus visits to all of his finalists.
He at one time also considered Kansas State, UCLA, Virginia, Louisville, Michigan, VCU, Maryland, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Penn State, Rutgers, Seton Hall, St. John’s, Syracuse, Tennessee, Georgetown and Wisconsin.
“When it comes to Kansas, it’s hard to beat,” Jackson said during his commitment ceremony.
“The coaching staff is great. Their winning record is great. Coach (Bill) Self is top tier. It’s one of the top coaching staffs in the country. For me going to college, I would rather be a guy who works for valuable minutes and helps my team win. I feel Kansas is a great opportunity for me to be a winner and key my development as a player.”
Jackson was asked to reveal KU’s vision for his college career.
“Short term as a freshman I have the opportunity to earn a starting spot and valuable minutes and help a great team possibly become better,” Jackson said. “Long term, being part of the Jayhawk family. On my visit I saw a lot of players come back (to campus). They continue to come back. It’s a family where they love each other and care for each other.”
Eric Bossi, national recruiting analyst for 247Sports, offered his take on the commitment on Thursday.
“Elmarko is a Bill Self guard if I’ve ever seen one,” Bossi said. “I like pretty much everything about him, his maturity, approach and physical nature of his play. He wants to get downhill, go through defenders and around defenders. He never gets too high, never gets too low. He pulls guys aside and leads them. But the way he gets downhill and gets to the rim is what stands out about him.”
Bossi said Jackson blossomed this summer as a recruit partly because of “improved decision making. There was a question is he more athlete than a skill guy? What I love about him is you never saw him going online saying, ‘Teams are sleeping on me this or that.’ He just worked and the work on his game showed. He eventually got to the level he should be at.”
Adam Finkelstein, director of scouting at 247Sports and the host of Thursday’s commitment video on YouTube, says Jackson “emerged as one of the most widely recruited prospects in the country this summer while starring for We-R1 in the Under Armour Association.”
Finkelstein added before the announcement: “Whichever school is able to land Jackson will be adding one of the best point guards and college ready prospects in the class. He has a unique combination of positional size, strength, and speed, with an almost unmatched ability to get downhill.
“What has taken his game to unprecedented levels in recent months though has been the progression of his decision-making and feel for the game. Jackson has learned to vary his speeds, make reads out of pick-and-roll, and create space in the mid-range area. Simultaneously, he is also utilizing his physical tools to change the game on the defensive end of the floor.”
Russ Wood of Rivals.com wrote recently of Marlton, New Jersey native Jackson: “He is a strong physical guard with a very good first step. If he gets his defender on his hip, it’s a wrap. A good two-way player with a high IQ and an equal amount of toughness. I was impressed at how Jackson doesn’t just use ball screens to get downhill or to get his shot off. He made some good reads and good passes. He definitely played above his current ranking (playing for Delaware-based WE/R1 at an Under Armour Association AAU event in July).”
In June, Jackson won the MVP award at the Under Armour Future 60 camp held at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.
A year ago, he averaged 17.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game on 47% shooting at Academy of the New Church in Pennsylvania. He’s decided to transfer his senior season.
“I felt I developed a lot under my ANC coaches and my teammates. For me to maximize my development, I felt like South Kent was the next step for me,” Jackson told SI.com. “Coach (Raphael) Chillious (at South Kent) is a very prestigious coach, a respected coach. He could teach me a lot about the game from the point guard position regarding halfcourt and fullcourt reads, becoming a better leader and sharpening up my all around game. Then when I get to college it’s not as much of a speed bump as it would be for most other players.”
KU has now received three commitments from players in the class of 2023.
Jamari McDowell, a 6-5, 180-pound senior combo guard from Manvel (Texas) High School, who made an official campus visit to Kansas in late August, committed to KU on Sept. 24.
McDowell, the No. 42-ranked player in the recruiting class of 2023 according to 247sports.com and 113-ranked player according to Rivals.com, chose KU over Texas A&M, Xavier and Wake Forest.
KU on Aug. 2 received an oral commitment from Chris Johnson, a 6-5, 180-pound senior point guard/shooting guard from Montverde (Florida) Academy. Johnson chose KU over Arkansas, Texas A&M, Alabama, Texas, UConn, Auburn, TCU, Houston, Tennessee, UCLA, Creighton, Georgia and others. Johnson is the No. 32-ranked player in the recruiting class of 2023 according to ESPN.com, No. 49 by 247sports.com and No. 55 by Rivals.com. Johnson — he is originally from Missouri City, Texas — plays for the Houston Defenders AAU team.
KU at this time has at least two scholarships to give in recruiting. Cam Martin and Kevin McCullar are seniors on the 2022-23 squad. Additional scholarships would be available if any non-seniors turn pro or enter the portal.
