From Tucker’s article in The Athletic..
Isaiah Jackson
The skinny: Started 18 of 25 games, averaged 8.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks in just 20.7 minutes per game due to frequent foul trouble. One of the most athletic and best defensive big men in the country, he started putting it all together late in the season. Jackson averaged 14.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 blocks over the final six games. He’s ranked 20th among 2021 NBA Draft prospects on
Sam Vecenie’s Big Board.
Where things stand: “We’re just being patient, trying to be smart, treading lightly, because what everybody else says isn’t always what the league says,” Wesley Jackson said. “It’s about putting him in the right situation for him to succeed. Where a kid lands in the draft can determine whether he makes it. We understand that people are saying it’s a no-brainer, but we just want to hear it directly from the NBA teams, not from outside scouts or people making lists. If we hear it from the NBA, that this is his position, then OK, we’re gone. But we just don’t want to do it half-cocked. There are so many kids who make this decision based on people selling them dreams. People gas them up, their families gas them up, agents gas them up, and then the real lay of the land turns out to be different. We want to hear it from the right people.”
Looking for a lottery guarantee: “In my opinion, that’s what he is and needs to be. In the lottery, he’ll go to a team where he can play minutes and showcase to the world what he can do — and he hasn’t even shown half of what he can do,” Wesley Jackson said. “We know his value, and we’re willing to be patient. Whether they say he’s that guy this year or next year, they’re eventually going to see it, and we just want the right opportunity for him.”
Cal’s message: “Take your time, listen, gather information, digest it all and then make a decision you can live with,” the elder Jackson said. “Cal told him, ‘If you come back, do it with a purpose. Do it because you’re committed to getting better and you want to fight your butt off, win us a bunch of games and leave no doubt that you’re a top-five guy.’ When you hear that, you have to consider it. Cal has coached a lot of great players, a lot of top-five guys, and hearing him say that is just confirmation to me that Isaiah is on the right track. My mindset is like Cal’s: If he came back for another year and worked like crazy, I believe he can definitely be a top-five guy.”
No hurry: “It’s not about income,” Wesley Jackson said. “Me and his mom have been working for years, and if I have to work another year or two, it’s no skin off my bones. And we had to let him know that, to take the pressure off him. I can wait. And I’ve got to give Cal credit, because he reminded me of that. Me and him have been talking a lot, and he reminded me to let Isaiah know that’s how we feel, because as a parent you might be thinking it, but if you don’t communicate it to him, kids walk around with a ton of pressure on them. We just want to let him play. My role is just to be a filter, to remove all the outside distractions and inside emotional distractions. He’s been blessed with a gift, and those of us around him have to do our jobs to let him maximize that potential.”
Footnote: Wesley Jackson connected with Paul Washington, PJ’s dad, this week to talk through this big decision. PJ Washington was a five-star recruit who returned for his sophomore season at Kentucky and blossomed into an All-American and a 2019 lottery pick. He’s now one of the best second-year players in the NBA. Paul Washington talked a lot like Wesley Jackson, about patience and not needing the money, leading to that decision to return to school