Another star basketball recruit picks Kentucky. ‘He does all the things that Cal likes.’
The No. 1 recruiting class in college basketball just got even better.
Five-star power forward Isaiah Jackson — a 6-foot-9 prospect from Detroit — announced his commitment to Kentucky at a ceremony at his high school Saturday afternoon. Jackson becomes the sixth commitment to pick the Wildcats for the class of 2020, and he bolsters a group that was already ranked No. 1 in the country.
UK beat out Alabama and Syracuse — his other two finalists — for the commitment, and the Crimson Tide were widely seen as the Cats’ primary competition going into Saturday’s announcement.
Jackson is the No. 26 overall prospect in the 2020 class, according to the 247Sports composite rankings.
“Isaiah is an athlete,” national analyst Evan Daniels told the Herald-Leader. “This is a guy that excels in run-and-jump situations, playing in transition, getting up and down. He’s a pogo stick. He can get off his feet quickly. He’s a good athlete, and he protects the rim. So, he brings value from an athleticism standpoint, a rim-protection standpoint, and a rebounding standpoint.”
Jackson averaged 10.9 points and 6.0 rebounds in Nike play this past spring and summer, and he was among the league leaders with 2.7 blocks per game during the regular season. That aspect of his game — protecting the rim — is what he has become known for in recruiting circles, and he should be able to provide Kentucky with instant-impact talent on the defensive end.
“To be honest, with the defensive prowess he has already, he can be very good at the next level,” Waterford Mott head coach David McGlown told the Herald-Leader. “If he keeps developing his jump shot — and he’s really not a post-up guy; he’s really a ‘3’, a small forward — he can do all of those other things that small forwards do. He’s so explosive as an athlete. And he’s put on a little bit more weight. He looks skinny, but he’s strong. And he’s a great athlete. So, I think he’ll succeed at the highest level.”
Jackson played at 190 pounds this spring, but McGlown said he’s already up to 205 pounds and wants to put on another five for his senior season of high school. The coach said Jackson has also been working hard to polish his offensive skills, especially his jump shot.
“If that keeps coming along at the rate it’s going along, he’ll be outstanding. I can tell you that,” McGlown said. “In some circles of basketball, he’s known as an elite defensive player. He is that, but he’s also got more to his game. He can get the ball off the rim, take it full court, throw a no-look pass. … As long as he keeps developing, he’ll be very good at the next level.”
Kentucky got involved in Jackson’s recruitment a little later than others. UK assistant coach Kenny Payne was the primary recruiter for the Cats, and he reached out to Jackson’s family after the coaching staff watched him play over the summer.
UK then hosted Jackson for an official visit to Lexington in late August — a scholarship offer to play for the Cats was extended during that trip — and John Calipari traveled to Michigan to visit with Jackson at least twice after the fall recruiting period began.
McGlown said his star player clicked immediately with Calipari, Payne, and the current players on UK’s team. He also said Jackson has what it takes to win over Kentucky’s head coach from day one once he gets to campus next summer.
“He’ll fit in right away. He does all the things that Cal likes,” McGlown said. “Cal likes that defense, and that’s his specialty. He has a high IQ — people don’t know that about him. He’s not the kind of guy that’s going to try and block every shot. He knows when he can get it and when he can’t. He’s a smart kid, and he’ll blend right in.”
Jackson joins a Kentucky recruiting class that already included five-star point guard Devin Askew, five-star shooting guards Brandon Boston and Terrence Clarke, four-star wing Cam’Ron Fletcher, and four-star power forward Lance Ware.
There’s a chance that UK could lose all three of its frontcourt players off the current team. Nate Sestina will be out of eligibility following this season, and junior Nick Richards and sophomore EJ Montgomery have both been mentioned as possible pro departures in 2020, though neither is currently projected as an NBA Draft pick next year.
The Cats still have scholarship offers out to Greg Brown and Cliff Omoruyi — two other highly touted frontcourt players in the 2020 class — and UK’s coaching staff is expected to keep an eye on other options, possibly another graduate transfer, if they need more help in the paint next season.
Jackson knows for sure he’ll be teaming up with Ware — another 6-9 forward — in Lexington. The defensive-minded Jackson and offensive-minded Ware should blend well next season.
“Those two could certainly play together,” Daniels said. “And I think their strengths play well off of each other. So, yeah, I think those two will fit nicely together.”
This story was originally published November 16, 2019 at 2:47 PM.
