The journey of KU Jayhawks freshman Elmarko Jackson, from big hype to transfer rumors

Elmarko Jackson took flight at the free-throw line and hung in the air for what felt like forever.

It was a moment where he just played — without overthinking. He dunked the ball between two Cincinnati defenders, showcasing his full-throttle athleticism and not the hesitation that comes from worrying about making a mistake.

Hesitation that has shown up in a somewhat underwhelming freshman season. Jackson is averaging 4.2 points and 1.7 assists entering the NCAA Tournament. He plays 18.6 minutes per night and has started about half of KU’s games entering March Madness.

That moment — at the Big 12 Tournament inside Kansas City’s T-Mobile Center — wasn’t only two points in a blowout loss. It provided a glimpse into the promising future of the 19-year-old Kansas freshman. In November, coach Bill Self had pulled Jackson aside to deliver a message.

“I just want you to play,” Self told Jackson. “Don’t worry about running plays. Just go play. Don’t worry about screwing up. Just go 100 miles per hour.”

At the time, Self admitted the advice is easy to give — but doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll work. To this day, the results have been mixed.

Jackson has come a long way since he arrived in Lawrence for KU’s summer practices. He says he’s growing in his understanding of what shots to take and when to be aggressive. He’s learning when it’s time to get a bucket and when it’s time to play conservative and not force anything.

Still, he has plenty to work on. The former McDonald’s All-American has had a tumultuous freshman season.

Projected as a preseason one-and-done prospect — and potential lottery pick — he lost his starting job to fellow freshman Johnny Furphy midseason. But now, with Kevin McCullar out for the postseason, the freshman is getting a shot to prove himself on college basketball’s biggest stage: March Madness.

“It’s put up or shut up time,” Self said on Tuesday. “There’s no really no message (for Jackson or Nick Timberlake, potential starters in McCullar’s absence). Both kids have practiced well and worked hard. They’re prepared to be out there.”

Finding his voice

Jackson came to Kansas as a highly touted prospect in the 2023 class — ranked No. 21 (five stars) in the 247Sports Composite, No. 25 (four stars) by Rivals.com. He was known for his hyper-athleticism, speed and powerful finishes around the rim.

He played a combo-guard role at South Kent High School in Connecticut for his senior year, but he was never seen as a vocal leader — at least until his team was getting blown out by Brewster Academy in a game.

At that moment — which took place last February — Jackson’s extreme competitiveness came out.

As Raphael Chillious, South Kent’s basketball director and head coach, walked into his team’s locker room at halftime, he couldn’t believe his eyes. The usually stoic Jackson, 18 at the time, was no more. It was a version of Jackson that Chillious had never seen.

“He’s in there going off (on) the guys,” Chillious recalled, “to the point that it looked like blood was coming out of his eyes.”

And then Jackson came out in the second half like a man possessed.

According to Chillious, who has coached NBA players like Markelle Fultz and Isaiah Thomas, he had never seen a player play like Jackson did in the second half.

He took over the game on both ends, hitting tough shots and creating fast-break opportunities with steals that turned into dunks. It was an awe-inspiring display of Jackson at his best — an athletic star who can turn games around.

Jackson’s South Kent team still lost, but the moment provided a window into his competitive spirit. It’s a spirit Jackson hopes he can carry into college basketball — even in the midst of a rocky season.

“The (KU coaches) were saying that he’s getting there, but he still has a lot to learn,” said Chillious, who keeps in close contact with KU assistant Norm Roberts about Jackson’s development. “They are encouraged that he’s the type that when you show him something and he makes a mistake, he acknowledges his mistake. He wants to learn, and he’s always in the gym shooting.”

Jackson acknowledges that the learning curve from high school to college basketball has been steep. The biggest changes, he said, have been the pace of the game and the physicality. He’s had to learn to make decisions on the fly and do it all quicker.

Also, Jackson has had to fill a different role. He was used to playing on the ball at South Kent, while he’s been a supporting piece at KU.

But Jackson has kept a positive attitude. He hasn’t publicly complained about his role and has praised the staff for continuing to work with him.

They’ve simplified what they’ve asked of him, too.

“Getting to my spots on the court and defensively hunker down and make it easier for Dajuan (Harris) and the other guys out there,” Jackson said. “Just holding my own, carrying my weight.”

His future plans

Although several NBA Draft experts projected Jackson as a one-and-done for the Jayhawks, Jackson said he never set those expectations for himself.

“I came in with the (mindset of) whatever happens, happens,” Jackson said. “This program under coach Self has a great history of developing players and teaching them the fundamentals. I feel that’s what I need.”

He continued.

“I’m not really looking at the NBA right now,” Jackson said. “I’m just focused on Kansas. I’m here at Kansas right now. So I’m just focused on Kansas and contributing to winning.”

Chillious believes this season has provided a great learning experience for Jackson. He also said he didn’t see Jackson as a one-and-done prospect, even while comparing his athleticism to NBA stars he’s coached in Thomas and Dejounte Murray.

Jackson, Chillious continued, needs time to learn to play the point guard position.

“Some guys just take longer, and Elmarko has only played high-level basketball for five years — this is his fifth year,” Chillious said. “I always thought it would take some time.”

And there’s been plenty to handle, even off the court.

In early March, rumors circulated online that Jackson had told the coaching staff he would enter the transfer portal. Jackson emphatically denied those rumors when asked by The Star if there had been consideration of transferring.

“Nah, not at all,” Jackson said. “Nah, not at all.”

For now, Jackson is focused on helping the Jayhawks advance as far as they can in the NCAA Tournament. And, should he stick around, he could potentially join the group of Jayhawks who have taken a second-season leap as he has an intense offseason planned.

“An offseason under coach Self and his staff is going to help a lot with understanding defensively just sharpening up things,” Jackson said. “Offensively, (it’s about) knowing where to get to my spots and where my shots are.”