Isaiah Jackson got hurt in practice trying to block a shot but says he's fine and excited about the season. (Zoom Photo)
During his high school junior season at Spire Academy in Ohio, Kentucky freshman Isaiah Jackson played several games in Kentucky that drew capacity crowds
“It was crazy,” said Jackson thinking about those games. “It was a bunch of people. It was just crazy. I feel it’s gonna be the same way (now at UK). Everything here is about basketball really. Our fans … it’s like about us and it’s about basketball in general. It’s gonna be nice.”
Maybe he just always knew it would be that way because growing up in Michigan he was a Kentucky fan. He had a UK mini hoop on his bedroom door. He remembers having a bunch of Kentucky shirts.
“Then I had a sticker on my wall. It didn’t have anything Kentucky on it, but I used to draw like different things on it,” Jackson said.
He would put a Kentucky jersey on the player dunking the basketball on his sticker.
He got hooked on UK when the Cats won the 2012 national championship behind the play of Anthony Davis, the nation’s top player that year. Davis now plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and just won his first NBA championship.
“That is when I fell in love (with Kentucky basketball),” Jackson said during the Zoom call Tuesday with media members. “Ever since then I was just in love with Kentucky.
The 6-9 Jackson has already established himself as a prolific shot blocker, something coach John Calipari loves having on his team. He had a bandage near his left eye Tuesday related to a shot blocking play.
“It was an accident. I tried to block a shot. Someone went under me and I hit my head on the floor. I caught myself but I still ended up hitting my head. I’m OK though,” he laughed and said.
Jackson admits he was a lot of Anthony Davis because they have a similar build and size.
“We’re tall, long, can block shots and do everything. I mean, me growing up, to be honest, I was always a Kentucky fan so when Anthony Davis got here, I was always watching Kentucky. Seeing the stuff he did was crazy, and I feel like I can sort of mirror my game after him in away. So, I try to look at him sometimes,” Jackson said.
The freshman forward admits it is a bit surreal for him now just being at Kentucky.
“Like I feel like I’m here and it’s a good feeling but it’s just weird. It’s still surreal. Like I don’t feel like I’m here, but I’m here. I mean it was always a dream of mine is crazy and it came to be and came so fast.
