Prospect Spotlight: Daniel Jackson (2022)
Santa Monica high school sophomore Daniel Jackson comes from good and local bloodlines. His father prepped at the coastal Los Angeles program and his brother, Trevis, was the point guard on the 2012-13 SaMo team that won a CIF Southern…
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Continue ReadingSanta Monica high school sophomore Daniel Jackson comes from good and local bloodlines. His father prepped at the coastal Los Angeles program and his brother, Trevis, was the point guard on the 2012-13 SaMo team that won a CIF Southern Section championship and made it to the state title game where it fell to Pleasant Grove.
But the 15 year-old combo guard is letting any of that history weigh heavy on his shoulders. Instead, Jackson is focusing on being the best player he can be for his team this season and beyond.
“There’s no pressure, man, because I’m just out here hooping,” he said. “I don’t feel any pressure to live up to what they did because I’m just gonna be me and be great.”
Jackson has burst onto the scene since he first caught our eye at the Trevor Ariza Tip-Off Classic at Westchester High after playing on the Vikings’ junior varsity team during his freshman season. While most young players would take that as a slight, and search for greener pastures, Jackson used playing on the lower level as an opportunity to grow as a player.
“It helped me develop a killer mentality,” Jackson said. “Before I was kind of passive and that taught me how to be the go-to guy on that team.”
Jackson was impressive in Santa Monica’s upset victory over Harvard-Westlake on Saturday at the Rolling Hills Prep State Preview where he showed the ability to play both on or off the ball, score from all three levels of the floor and a high basketball IQ in both transition and half-court settings.
The wiry 6-foot-3 scorer said that he definitely has an aspect of his game he’s most comfortable with.
“My jumper for sure,” Jackson said quickly. “I feel like every time I shoot it’s going in. That’s the way I was taught to approach the game.”
As far as position goes, Jackson sees himself as a guy that can play the one or two.
“I consider myself as a combo guard,” he said. “I enjoy scoring and passing and setting up others.”
No matter which position he ends up playing for the remainder of his high school career and beyond, there’s no doubt Jackson is an intriguing long-term prospect.