– by UATVSports’ Tyler Woessner
When it comes to Arkansas Razorback basketball, the best player on campus just might be on the women’s team. What’s more, is she’s only a freshman. Jessica Jackson, a 6’3” forward, can give some of the boys a run for their money. Bobby Portis may be getting all the hype, but Jackson is just as good in her own right.
Jackson has been on fire this season for the Razorback women’s basketball team. She has already won SEC Freshman of the Week a whopping THREE times. Coming off a career best 31-point and 10-rebound effort at home against Ole Miss on Sunday, Arkansas head coach Tom Collen has been impressed so far with his young star.
“Jessica just keeps getting better and better,” Collen said. “She’s starting to get in a little better shape, and she’s starting to get a little bit tougher. She knows that we need her to score, and she’s done a good job with that. Her rebounding is improving. You’re still looking at the tip of the iceberg, which is pretty good when you get 31 and 10 and you’re looking at the tip.”
Jackson is sixth in the SEC with 16 points per game. She is the only freshman in the top ten in scoring. The Jacksonville, Arkansas native also ranks in the top ten in shooting percentage, free throw percentage and blocks-per-game in the SEC. When Jackson is lighting up the scoreboard like she did against Ole Miss, sophomore teammate Melissa Wolff says you’ve got to give her the rock.
“When somebody’s hitting that well and shooting that well, I think she’s capable of doing it every night,” Wolff said. “We just knew we had to keep feeding her the ball while she was hot, and just letting her keep getting baskets for us.”
Jackson is a huge recruit for Coach Collen. If he can continue to bring in quality players like her, this program will be able to not only go the NCAA Tournament, but actually win a few games there too. The women’s team is off this week, but return to the court Sunday at Kentucky in a noon tip-off on FOX Sports.