Michigan Wolverines Basketball: 'Locked In' Zeb Jackson 'Extremely Confident' In Michigan's 2021-22 Squad

Michigan Wolverines basketball could potentially be without five of its top six contributors from its Big Ten championship team last season, though freshman center Hunter Dickinson is expected by many to withdraw his name from the 2021 NBA Draft before the July 7 deadline.

All eyes have been on the Maize and Blue's incoming crop of freshmen, which is the top-ranked signing class in the nation, but young returning players like Zeb Jackson, Terrance Williams and others will get their shot to take on major roles as well.

Jackson, who appeared on the 'Defend The Block' podcast with host Brian Boesch this week, has been working hard since the season ended in late March to make sure opportunity doesn't pass him by.

"I’ve been doing really good," Jackson said. "This spring, I’ve just been grinding, putting my head down, staying out of the way and putting in work. Honestly, it’s been a fun spring."

Jackson has had a unique experience the last two years. He committed to Michigan while John Beilein was the head coach, and stuck with the program through the transition to Juwan Howard, who is now entering his third season at the helm.

An All-State standout as a prep junior, Jackson transferred from Maumee (Ohio) Valley to the elite Montverde (Fla.) Academy for his senior year, where he came off the bench and saw his role lessen. Then as a freshman in Ann Arbor, he saw action in just 16 games, averaging 5.3 minutes per contest, most of which came in garbage time.

Though things haven't gone exactly how Jackson originally planned, he has stayed positive and continued his famous 'early-morning grind,' in which he sometimes leaves the building after a grueling workout before others even wake up and begin their day.

"Coach Howard is one of the most real, authentic people I’ve met," Jackson said. "Everything that he told me was going to happen is what happened. Whatever happened that, let’s say, I didn’t like, was on me, and I understood that. That’s why I work out so much, I try and get to the point where I take care of what I can control. But everything that he told me before I got on campus has all happened, for sure, and I’m happy with the decision.

"To be honest, I’ve grown a lot, I feel like, personally. Mentally, I’ve been challenged a lot throughout these past two years — at Montverde and my first year at Michigan — and I feel like it’s helped a lot. And just the fact that all the coaches stay in touch, they make sure we’re good and I’m able to get in the gym whenever I want. I’ve just been focusing on getting better each and every day still, but this past year, I definitely feel like I got better."

While he's self-motivated, Jackson admitted having such a close bond with his teammates in 2020-21 helped keep his spirits high.

"They shared that positive energy with me, and kept telling me that my time would come," Jackson said. "Personally, I’m the type of person where, regardless, I’m gonna do me. So whether I have people in my ear or not, I definitely have my plans to keep grinding and do what I need to do. But that support from them helped me push even more on days when I didn’t maybe want to work out early in the morning or after practice or whenever. Just them telling me that my time was going to come helped motivate me, for sure."

He received meaningful minutes during several games last season, usually when the team was down a man with an injury or in foul trouble. Most notably, Jackson was thrust into action in Michigan's first NCAA Tournament game against Texas Southern, when he hit two first-half threes to help the Wolverines gain momentum in the triumph.

Those few moments of late-season success — coupled with being able to play in front of crowds during the postseason after only parents were allowed to attend games in the regular season — have assisted Jackson as he prepares for year two in Ann Arbor.

"It definitely helped with my confidence, but the fans helped with my confidence as well," he said. "I enjoyed that energy they gave me, and I just felt a lot more comfortable. At the end of the day, confidence is a big thing for me that I feel like I could also work on, because a lot of the skills that I have are what I need — it’s just about me putting it together."

Heading into his second freshman season (since the NCAA deemed the 2020-21 campaign a 'free year' eligibility-wise), Jackson feels great about the success his team can have. And make no mistake, he wants to be a big part of that.

"I’m extremely confident in our team," Jackson said. "I definitely know that I really want Hunter back. I’m going to stay on Hunter, I’ll say that. But I’m really confident in Coach Howard and the coaching staff, and I know that I’ll prepare us to be ready to win a national championship.

"Really just locked in. I’ve been locked in for spring; I plan to stay locked in for the summer and get ready to win a national championship — that’s the goal. The biggest thing is just staying low, staying out the way, grinding and staying focused on your goals."

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