Chad Jackson Seems As Good As Gone
According to Mark Selig, a source close to Northern Kentucky says the school is “recruiting Chad Jackson and that his transfer there could be eminent.” Coach Brady has spoken openly about the possibility of Jackson leaving the program due to his homesickness, so this doesn’t really come as a surprise. This is the first that I’ve heard anything about a potential destination for Chad however.
I’ve heard people say that this is some sort of ominous sign and a mark against Coach Brady. Yes, if Jackson goes, this will be the second year in a row the Dukes’ top freshman leaves. Two data points don’t make a trend though. Darren White could score the basketball, but Brady didn’ t think he’d ever get the kid to buy into the program, so he asked him to leave. Jackson got homesick. Just because these things happened in consecutive off-seasons, doesn’t mean there is something evil hiding below the surface.
Other folks seem to be of the opinion that Jackson stunk and they’re glad to see him go. I’ve got to disagree with them also. Jackson wasn’t an offensive juggernaut at all. Heck, his shot is downright ugly. The kid was given a role and he played it well though. He came off the bench, played solid defense and wasn’t afraid to do the little things other guys wouldn’t do. He dove for loose balls, hustled back to defend breaks, and seemed to like doing it. Sure, he wasn’t a scorer, but he definitely didn’t suck and I’m not glad to see him go.
Given all that, Jackson is still replaceable. I liked him a lot and enjoyed watching him play, but the Dukes will move on. We’re talking about a guy who played about 18 minutes a game and averaged 2.4 points. This isn’t quite the same as Mason looking for someone to fill Luke Hancock’s shoes. I grew to like Jackson because he appeared to play with more defensive intensity than anyone else on JMU’s roster at times. That’s not exactly high praise. Brady should be able to find someone who can do what Chad did and provide a little more offensively. Coach claims he’s got guys coming back who buy into his system and are hard workers. If he can’t get them all to play tougher defense next year, then that might be an ominous sign. Jackson transferring isn’t one though.
