The Maryland men’s basketball team is coming off its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2003. The Terps lost four starters from that squad, though, leaving time on the floor for newcomers who coach Mark Turgeon said will contribute right away. In the days leading up to Maryland’s season opener against American on Friday, The Diamondback sports desk will profile four new players capable of making an immediate impact.
READ MORE: L.G. Gill | Kevin Huerter | Anthony Cowan
***
Soon after Maryland men’s basketball forward Justin Jackson arrived in College Park this summer, the freshman realized the physicality of the college game.
In the first pick-up game with his new teammates, senior forwards Damonte Dodd and L.G. Gill bullied Jackson in the paint. From there, Jackson learned how crucial his dedication in the weight room will be.
While he’s adjusting to the NCAA level, Jackson is one of Maryland’s most versatile players as part of a talented freshman class. Jackson stands at 6-foot-7 and weighs 225 pounds. He has a 7-foot-3 wingspan, and coach Mark Turgeon plans to play him at guard and forward.
“He can cover his own tail defensively because he’s so long as a four, but he’s really more of a guard than anybody I’ve had at that position,” Turgeon said. “Justin has probably had the biggest adjustment because right now he’s just learning the four spot, but eventually he’ll be a guard. It’s a lot on his plate. He can guard big guys, and he has great feet so he can guard perimeter guys.”
Rivals.com listed Jackson as a four-star recruit out of Ontario, Canada, where Jackson also played for Team Canada U19. He committed to the Terps one day after guard Melo Trimble announced his return for a junior season last May, though Jackson said the timing of his decision was a coincidence.
When he entered high school, Jackson was naturally bigger than most players his age, so he didn’t take his conditioning seriously. That’s changed with the Terps.
He’s worked on his speed and strength with Kyle Tarp, this university’s director of basketball performance, three times a week. Each day, Tarp gives Jackson new tasks.
“Justin is really good,” guard Jaylen Brantley said. “He’s going to stretch out the floor for us. He can make shots, he can penetrate and he can dribble, whatever we need. There will be a lot of mismatches for him. A lot of fours won’t be able to guard him, and he’s bigger than a lot of threes.”
Maryland lost four starters in the offseason, and Jackson could help fill holes in the front court. Last year’s starting forwards Diamond Stone and Robert Carter Jr. gave up their eligibility in order to enter the NBA Draft. In some ways, Turgeon also wants Jackson to take over for former forward Jake Layman, who played small and power forward.
In practice, Turgeon said Jackson often works with the forwards but also trains with the guards to improve his passing and ball handling. Jackson is comfortable given his prior experience playing both.
Turgeon’s “free-flowing” offense is one of the reasons he chose to join the Terps, and Jackson said he can thrive on popping out to the perimeter or taking the ball to the rim in Maryland’s high screens.
With creative offensive planning, Turgeon plans to use Jackson in different ways, whether it be for attacking an undersized defender or posting up — similar to how the coach used former guard/forward Dez Wells in the 2014-15 season.
“He’s very long,” forward Micah Thomas said. “He can get his hands in the passing lanes. He’s a big body. He’s a great passer also. I ask him how he made that pass right there. He’s like, ‘I saw him do this, and I knew what the defense was going to do.'”
Turgeon said Jackson still has to improve his physicality and prove he can execute the offense in games. Still, the Terps are searching for a running mate to Trimble, and Turgeon listed Jackson as a candidate.
“I don’t really like comparing myself to anyone,” Jackson said. “I want to be someone that someone else compares them to. I want someone to say to themselves, ‘I’m Justin Jackson.’ I’m working on my own legacy.”
