Iowa State men’s basketball preview: Getting to know Kourtlin Jackson
By Brian Spaen
Next up in the Iowa State men’s basketball player previews is Kourtlin Jackson, the JUCO transfer that’s been at the bottom of the pile in terms of newcoming players. Let’s give him the spotlight.
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Recently, Jackson has made headlines by winning the Hilton Madness dunk contest. Dustin Hogue, who didn’t participate in the event because he was too old, picked the underdog to win it all.
Even at 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds, Jackson has hops and it’ll be interesting to see how much action the guard gets among all the depth at the position. Bryce Dejean-Jones and Monte Morris are expected to be the starters, but will Jackson be one of the main backups among Naz Long, Matt Thomas, Sherron Dorsey-Walker, and more?
Experience gives him a shot to make it in the main rotation. At John Wood Community College in Illinois, Jackson averaged 8.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in his last season. The local Iowa product played at Hoover High School in Des Moines and averaged 8.8 points and 4 rebounds per game in his senior year. The school placed second at the Iowa Class 4-A state tournament that year.
Jackson is a walk-on this year along with Daniel Stensland. All 13 scholarships are exhausted for the 2014-15 season, but if Jackson is able to earn a big role on the team this year, it’s possible he could receive one in the upcoming years. Even though he is a JUCO transfer, he’s a redshirt sophomore and still has three years of eligibility.
Here’s some highlights of Jackson looking great on both sides of the ball.
How much of an impact do you think Jackson will have this season?