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According to Insiders we have offered SG Stefon Jackson (6’4”/180) of Lutheran Christian in Philadelphia. He has over ten offers (Illinois, Arizona, USC, UTEP, Providence, RIU, UMass, Seton Hall) and has medium interest in all. He has official visits scheduled for USC (10/8), UTEP (10/15), and Providence (10/22).

UTEP?!?!? Who's their coach now? I thought the recruiting magnet there was Gillispie, who now toils in College Station. How's a Philly kid looking at UTEP?

Any word on this guy's points, shooting percentage, etc.?

Doc Sadler is now the coach at UTEP. He was an assistant under Gillispie.

I have no idea how SMU and UTEP got on Jackson’s radar. I looked around and it doesn’t appear he has any Texas connections. As for his game, he is very athletic and has a great shooting touch. He’s a high-major recruit, which is pretty obvious from the offers he’s received: Arizona, Illinois, UMass, Seton Hall, USC.

Man, Tubbs is surprising me with these long distance recruits. Not a bad thing, but surprising.

The connection isnt Sadler, its assistant coach David Anwar, who used to be the head coach at Lutheran. I mentioned the other day that UTEP signed Stanley Branch, a bruising 6'8" power forward from Lutheran, this past spring. Branch was recruited by most of the teams in the Big East, but he didnt qualify academically until very late, and the big schools didnt save a scholarship for him. UTEP lost its 2 top recruits when the head coach left, so they had a scholarship available for Branch.

On a side note, the real gem this year at Lutheran is 6'10 Vernon Goodridge, who some of the recruiting services say is the best true center in the country. Goodridge recently re-opened his recruitment, and is going to visit USC and some other schools, at the same time as Jackson.

Oak Hill has dominated Lutheran the last 2 years (112-65, last year), but I dont see Lutheran on Oak Hills schedule this year. So, Bamba wont go up against Goodridge, unless the 2 teams meet in a tournament.

XtC,
How did we get in on Jackson? And do we have a legit shot at him?

LA, I think we have a legit shot, but a bit of a long shot. The kid doesnt seem opposed to going to a school far from home, but I think the 3 he already has visits scheduled for are probably his favorites.

As for the connection, I cant say for certain, but I have a theory. Do you remember a guard at Ft. Worth Dunbar 2 years ago, named Lance Jackson? He was one of the states top players, and was recruited by dozens of schools, including SMU. Coach Tubbs knew Lance very well, since he was a kid. Lance couldnt get a qualifying test score, though, and had to go to a junior college. He started out at Hutchinson JC last year, then over the summer he transferred to Fort Smith (Arkansas.)
Before taking the assistants job at UTEP, Doc Sadler was the head coach at Fort Smith, and David Anwar was his assistant there for a year. This could all be a coincidence, but if Stefon Jackson and Lance Jackson turned out to be related, that would explain everything.
I dont know if there is anything to my theory, I just came up with it this morning. Right now thats the best I can do, though. I'll get around to asking Coach Tubbs sometime this week.[/i]

Nice detective work, XtC. I do remember Lance. He was long, very athletic and tough defensively....exactly the type of player Coach Tubbs loves. At Dunbar, Coach Hughes had a helluva team with Jackson and Jeremis Smith. They probably would have beaten the 5A champion that year.

I guess its a moot point now.