Welcome to Jackson’s third NOB Recuiting Journal Entry.
In this edition Jackson talks about the things he wished he did during the summer, how hard he is working towards his goals, and what has been going on in his recruitment.
Enjoy!!
[HR][/HR]Son, if you do the things you NEED to do when you need to do them, then someday, you can do the things you WANT to do when you want to do them.”
My dad texts this to me about once month. I just about have it memorized. Lol. It took me a while to understand what he was trying to say. This past summer, I turned down all of my invitations to the major shoe company camps (Nike, Adidas, etc…), and I did not play in the state AAU tournament because, well, I guess I just didn’t want to. I wasn’t ready to push myself, and it was a big mistake. We had just come off a tough season and I was still kind of burnt out. I paid for it though. My national ranking went down because almost no scouts saw me play. And when I did play, I wasn’t always totally focused. Out of sight, out of mind. I know what that means now, too. Being a professional starts way before you actually get paid.
When I wasn’t playing video games with my buddy Michael, I spent a lot of time in South Carolina at the beach; swimming, riding bikes, meeting girls, and playing ping pong. Did not even touch a basketball. My dad wanted to kill me, but my momma wouldn’t let him. That time away from basketball is paying off right now because no one has to push me anymore. I’ve gone into beast mode to get myself ready for the season. 6 days a week, rain or shine. I train with John Lucas in Houston during the spring and summer breaks, and he always says that I’m right where I should be, but not where I COULD be. I get it now. Thanks Brian, Reese, Nimbo, and Jason for the extra workout sessions. And thanks Mom for not letting Dad kill me. I know I still gotta make up for my trip to the beach. And I will definitely be at all the major camps next year. Coach Mendenhall, I will be 1st team All-State for you this year. Watch.
Recruiting has not slowed down at all. Last Tuesday, Coach Painter from Purdue spent some time watching me play and talked to my parents. I’m thinking about taking engineering or chemistry in college. I hear that they have a lot to offer. Coach Payne from Kentucky showed up with Josh, who did everything he could to get me back for my last post. Haha! We still cool, though. Butler came on Thursday and watched us workout. West Virginia sent an assistant coach today to check me out. It’s pretty cool to have teams like that to think you might be what they are looking for. And they all said they were coming back to watch me again during the season. I can hardly wait. A coach from EKU also came by. I think they like Nick Trisko and a freshman, Sean Wright. You will be hearing his name again. He puts in extra work with me on Saturday mornings. That kid is going to be a beast.
This week my dad talked to an Adidas sponsored AAU group that wants to build a team around me. Nike will be in next Tuesday to also make a pitch. I am definitely paying attention this time around. Next week I will let you know what happened at Lafayette High basketball tryouts. Sure hope I make it. Hakuna Matata!
You can follow me on Twitter @Simba_Davis
