NCAA Basketball: Liberty, Jhivvan Jackson top mid-major performers of the week
By Logan Butts
Best Performance, Individual – Jhivvan Jackson, UTSA
Jackson was an unheralded mid-major star last season, and he has lit up opponents at an even higher rate this season. The junior is second in the nation with 25.8 points per game, behind only Marquette’s Markus Howard.
On Thursday, Jackson led UTSA to an upset of Conference USA frontrunner Louisiana Tech. The Road Runners won handily, 89-73, thanks to Jackson’s killer performance: team-high’s with 37 points and six assists, plus five rebounds and one block and steal apiece. He hit eight of 15 three-point attempts and went nearly perfect from the line (7-8).
For good measure, he added in a 23 point, six-rebound, four-assist outing in an 80-70 win over Southern Miss earlier in the week. If the Road Runners are going to make a run in the C-USA Tournament, Jackson and fellow bucket getter Keaton Wallace will have to keep up their current pace.
The junior duo combines for 42.4 points (25.8, 16.6), 10.2 rebounds (5.6, 4.6), 6.2 assists (2.7, 3.5), and 3.2 steals (1.5, 1.7) a game to form the most underrated backcourt duo in the country.