NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing 10 teams in running for Chandler Jackson
One of the top combo guards in the 2022 NCAA Basketball class has updated their respective recruitment. This time it’s Chandler Jackson, a 6’4 playmaker from Memphis, Tennessee. He’s a consensus four-star prospect, with 247sports personally having him at No. 51 overall.
Expect the other recruiting sites to bump Jackson up in the next round of updates, as he has a high floor and much higher ceiling as a college and even pro prospect. His size and 6-4and 210 pounds gives him an advantage over many guards and can play and defend multiple positions.
But the ideal position for this player is a point guard, as his distributing and playmaking abilities are where he shines most. A good athlete and shooter as well, Jackson is an all-around talent that projects to be a multi-year power conference starter. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a large role as a freshman in 2023.
We now know the 10 programs in the running for Jackson, and all of them offer something different that could be appealing. Here’s a closer look at the benefits and potential issues for the recruit to consider.
Alabama Crimson Tide
One of the best programs in terms of developing point guards, it makes sense why a prospect from the South would be interested in the Crimson Tide. Kira Lewis became an NBA Draft lottery pick, while Jahvon Quinerly went from a bust at Villanova to a star at Alabama. And they have five-star incoming freshman JD Davison to pair with Quinerly for the upcoming season.
The thing to consider here is that he Tide is also in the mix for five-star point guard Jaden Bradley, who has them among his finalists. Alabama has and can run a two-point guard offense but Jackson would have to be second fiddle and that doesn’t even include potential transfers or other top-level prospects next offseason that could prevent him from being a feature piece. But if he’s good enough, Alabama could be an excellent option.
Florida State Seminoles
Technically speaking, the Seminoles are also in the mix for Jaden Bradley as well. But if the rumors are true and the Crimson Tide are the favorite, this would allow the ACC program to be more aggressive with this prospect. And Jackson would be a nice fit with this team, as his size and skillset would work with the Seminoles and he’d have a spot in the rotation simply by them usually playing 12-13 guys a game.
The point guard situation here is comprised of Houston transfer Caleb Mills and top-40 freshman guard Jalen Warley. This is an opportunity for Jackson to be a primary point guard in case neither works out as a lead guard. Florida State has become a top-tier program and has plenty of great selling points if Jackson isn’t worried about immediate playing time as a freshman.