Loyola University of Chicago has finished first in the Missouri Valley Basketball Conference with a 15-3 conference record, 25-5 overall and headed into the conference tournament on a 7 game win streak. {{more: continue …}}
The following is part of an article recently published about KHS grad Aundre Jackson titled ?Aundre Jackson a truly humble beast.? It highlights the 2 year contribution of the Loyola senior to the Ramblers men?s basketball program.??
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?Go up, go under, flick the wrist, get the bucket. Rinse and repeat.? That?s been the way of life for Aundre Jackson during his time at Loyola. Two years is not a lot of time to make an impression on a program, but the stage for Jackson?s impact has been set since day one when Porter Moser compared him to a former Rambler great Christian Thomas. When Jackson officially signed to become a Rambler, Moser described Jackson as, ?a very powerful and explosive post player who will be a matchup problem for other teams with his inside out game, he knows how to score the basketball? His will and tenacity to succeed will remind Rambler fans of Christian Thomas??
Jackson was quoted in the Chicago Tribune last season stating, ?(Opponents) always have been bigger and labeled as better than me, so I always have been out to prove people wrong.? That?s all he had done throughout his basketball career, leading McLennan Texas Community College to the NJCAA Tournament where he averaged 22.5 points and 8 rebounds a game. Before that, at Kennedale High School, Jackson was a part of the team that went 70-4 over a two-year span. He twice won his districts player of the year award; as well as his region?s MVP award and was even all-state selection in his home state of Texas, all while not fitting what a ?typical? post player looks like.
Keeping this in mind, Jackson just continued to do what he did best at Loyola: prove people wrong. He flicked that wrist all the way to 13 straight double-digit scoring efforts to start the season; winning the hearts of Rambler fans everywhere, the envy of opposing big men, and the silence his doubters. In many ways, the Christian Thomas comparison didn’t go far enough for Jackson; he was bigger, stronger, and somehow even craftier. To this day I don?t know how Jackson finishes around the basket like he does, and I don?t know if I?ll ever see a player like him again.
As his junior year progressed it seemed the bigger the opponent, the better Jackson got. He scored 24 points against San Diego state on an eye popping 11-12 shooting, while also scoring 20 against NC State, 18 against Wichita, and 22 when going up against likely NBA draft pick Alize Johnson. Jackson confounded opponents all season, and his junior season ended with him voted the leagues sixth man. It was a no-brainer for fans of the conference. Jackson even made his presence felt nationally, finishing fourth in the nation with a .669 field goal percentage. It would be easy to stay comfortable with what works, but Jackson had other plans. In the off-season that followed, Jackson slimmed down and added more muscle. His game has expanded as he has refined his three point shot as well as his ball handling and dribble-drive.
These improvements were never more apparent than with his performance against 5th ranked Florida, a game in which he reportedly overcame illness to play in. Jackson did it all against the Gators, he was perfect from range (3-3), finished in the paint, drove to the basket, and even made shots from mid-range in a 23 point outburst en route to the Ramblers biggest victory in over thirty years. SEC announcers marveled at his skill and ability to create mismatches; and the cameras filmed him clapping and laughing with teammates after the game.?Read the full article at AundreJackson ? A Humble Beast
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