By SAM LANCE
Class of 2023 four-star point guard Elmarko Jackson has committed to Bill Self and Kansas, he announced to 247Sports on YouTube.
“When it comes to Kansas, it’s pretty hard to beat,” Jackson said. “The coaching staff is great. Coach Self and his staff are top tier when it comes to coaching staffs around the nation.”
He added: “For me going to college, I don’t want to be that guy that averages 30 and the team loses. I’d rather be the guy that contributes hard, valuable minutes and helps the team win. I like to win.”
Jackson, the 6-foot-4, 185-point guard from South Kent School (CT) and the We R1 AAU program, chose KU over Miami, Notre Dame, Texas and Villanova. The point guard is the third player to commit to Bill Self’s 2023 recruiting class, joining fellow four-star guards Chris Johnson and Jamari McDowell.
The three players are certainly familiar with each other, as they all played in the Under Armour AAU circuit over the summer. Johnson and McDowell played for the Houston Defenders, who were knocked out of the UAA finals by We R1. Jackson dropped 26 points that game to eliminate the Defenders from title contention.
Early on in the summer, Jackson was ranked in the 80s nationally. However, the point guard consistently dominated the UAA circuit, which led to a significant rise in the rankings. Most notably, Jackson posted 15.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game at the UAA Finals.
“It’s always great to see your work come to the front line,” Jackson said. “I’ve had just a lot of players and coaches help me become a better player, a better person. Just to see [my recruitment] explode like that was unreal.”
Jackson is currently ranked the No. 18 recruit in the nation by 247Sports and No. 4 overall point guard. He’s also the No. 1 player in Connecticut.
“Elmarko has tremendous upside and is blessed with a ton of natural ability,” South Kent coach Raphael Chillious told ZAGSBLOG. “He hasn’t been playing the game or the position that long, but he’s a sponge and super smart, so he’s picked up the little nuances of the game very quickly. Elite level talent, scorer, competitor and extremely underrated passer.”
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