Rick Pitino is making a switch at point guard on Saturday.
Ian Jackson will get the nod at the one in place of Dylan Darling, the St. John’s coach said on Thursday ahead of practice.
“I just feel that Ian has improved like Joson [Sanon] a great deal, he plays hard every single day. He’s improving, and everybody has started from Dillon Mitchell to Dylan Darling — everybody but Ian Jackson” Pitino said as the 22nd-ranked Johnnies prepared to host Iona University at the Garden on Saturday. “I think he deserves to have a chance to start as well, because starting to me is not meaningful, but starting to them is very meaningful and he deserves that opportunity.”
The 6-foot-5 Bronx native is averaging 11.4 points and 2.5 rebounds in 18.3 minutes per game while shooting 35 percent from 3-point range. Jackson has been used mostly as a reserve. But now the sophomore guard will get a chance in the starting lineup.
“It means a lot. I feel like I’ve put in a lot of work in practice to games just trying to be better every day,” Jackson said. “This is a tip to that I guess. I feel like I’m getting more comfortable as the days go on. I just feel better. Against Ole Miss [last Saturday], I felt way more comfortable than I did in prior games.”
Pitino believes Jackson is ready for a bigger opportunity. He has cut down on his turnovers in practice, and didn’t have any in the win over Ole Miss last Saturday. He has taken positive steps forward as a defender and rebounder, something the coach has emphasized since the preseason. Jackson has always been a gifted scorer, but Pitino is seeing progress in his all-around game.
“LIke [former St. John’s star Daniss Jenkins], we have worked diligently to improve his assists, turnovers, rebounding, and him and Joson have improved immensely,” Pitino said. “Ian Jackson has improved immensely since he’s been here. … He’s starting for the Iona game, because of the improvement he has made. But it takes time.”
Pitino said that Jackson at this point in his first year with him is further along than Jenkins was in his first season with Pitino at this juncture.
“It took [Daniss] a good three-to-four months from the summer on before he learned to really play the right way,” Pitino said. “And it’s taken Ian three-to-four months to get to this point, where defense matters. He was averaging five-to-six every practice, which is unheard of, and now he’s one or two max. So he’s come a long way.
CHECK OUT THE LATEST BIG EAST STANDINGS AND ST. JOHN’S STATS
“Ian’s turnovers have come way down, his rebounding has gone way up, and his defense has gotten significantly better, same as Joson. I just think being a New Yorker you get over-scrutinized, it takes time to develop into a complete basketball player. When this season’s over, he will be a complete basketball player ready to move on to whatever pastures he wants to get to.”
Jackson played down any pressure that comes with being home. He is thrilled to be able to see his family more frequently — roughly 20-to-25 people attend every game — and doesn’t mind the heightened expectations that come with being back in New York City.
“I have a level of understanding and discipline to myself to where outside things don’t really affect me too much,” he said.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
