Of all the Terps’ targets and offerees in attendance for the ballyhooed Maryland-Georgetown bout Nov. 17, junior combo forward Jaren Jackson (Park Tudor/Indianapolis, Ind.) garnered the most attention.
Of all the Terps’ targets and offerees in attendance for the ballyhooed Maryland-Georgetown bout Nov. 17, junior combo forward Jaren Jackson (Park Tudor/Indianapolis, Ind.) garnered the most attention. After all, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound four-star, who grew up in Silver Spring, Md., was the only out-of-state attendee , flying in just for the occasion. The son of the former Georgetown and NBA standout by the same name, Jackson Jr. took the opportunity to see two of his foremost suitors in action.
“I have offers from both schools, but I was there for Maryland,” Jackson insisted. “This was solely about Maryland, and I was concentrating on them because I hadn’t been there before. So I was focused on their playing style and how they went about their business. And it was good to see them gelling, and it was good to see them come out with the win. I’m happy they won. The moves Coach [Mark] Turgeon made, bringing in a guy like Rasheed Sulaimon, it paid off.
“I was really impressed with the team and what I saw at Maryland. They’re going to be really, really good this year. The spotlight is on them, and I was very impressed. I’ll be back and will be paying attention to how they do.”
Jackson, along with Jackson Sr., arrived just in time for the 9:15 p.m. tipoff. The recruit said he didn’t have time to see his UMD recruiter, Cliff Warren, or head coach Mark Turgeon beforehand, but went to the Maryland locker room afterwards. Then the Park Tudor product sat down with the staff for an extended chat the next morning.
“It was really cool to go down to the locker room and see all the players and coaches, and just see how they interacted,” Jackson said. “I met Sulaimon specifically, and he was a really cool dude. I was so impressed with how he played. Just his experiences from Duke and how he led the younger players [Nov. 17], helping them get back into the game — I feel like he’s the reason Maryland won.
“And he was actually texting me some too. He was telling me I needed to come to Maryland and continue the tradition. So that’s something that stayed with me and something I’ll be thinking about.”
The Sulaimon meeting certainly resonated, but Jackson had similar comments for the Maryland coaches. He readily took to Turgeon, who Jackson met for the first time in late September when the headman trekked out to Park Tudor to offer the 6-9 forward, and Warren as well.
“Coach Turgeon and Coach Warren are both great; they’re both really great to talk to and are great recruiters,” Jackson said. “I really enjoyed seeing Coach Turgeon in action and then talking to him after the game. They run a great system there, and I believe I’d fit really well into their up-tempo style.
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