Michigan Wolverines Basketball Recruiting: Zeb Jackson To Decide Tuesday
Class of 2020 point guard standout Zeb Jackson wasn't supposed to decide for a while, according to AAU Coach Quincy Simpson.
That plan has changed.
Jackson will announce Tuesday at 7 p.m., he told TheWolverine.com, and he'll do it on twitter. He visited twice in September on back to back weekends and is good friends with Michigan junior point guard Zavier Simpson (aka Quincy's son).
Jackson called the Michigan offer "a huge blessing" when he received it, noting Michigan was high on his list.
"They are definitely up there,' Jackson said.
Though he isn't giving any hints, Jackson's timing is interesting. His decision announcement comes only two days after four-star point guard Ethan Morton visited and picked up his own offer. Michigan head coach John Beilein has always put offers out on a first to commit basis.
“He likes Michigan a lot, obviously,” Coach Q (as he’s called) said last month. “He and my son are like brothers, so he likes Michigan a lot. It’s got to be right fit for him, wherever he goes, but he’s special, man. He’s a special kind of player.”
There’s competition, but Jackson is enamored with U-M. His dad and family are very involved and great influences, Mr. Simpson said, and keep him grounded.
As for his game — we caught him this summer, and the kid is fantastic. He’s still slender (160 pounds or so) and growing, but when he fills out, he’s got all the attributes to be an outstanding Big Ten point guard. He’s 6-3 now, too, which makes him even more valuable.
Rob Conover, his prep coach, told The Columbus Dispatch this summer that Jackson projects as a true point guard at the collegiate level. Quincy Simpson told us all schools are recruiting him at both positions.
“The ball is in his hands a lot,” Conover said. “He can distribute. He averaged five assists per game this year on top of 19.5 points per game. He started to rebound more. He’s a big point guard. He’s starting to fill out. Muscle and all that is coming along, and he’s only a sophomore. "I think he’s going to grow a little bit more yet. He’s got great explosion. His skill level is off the charts. I think that’s what a lot of the college coaches are seeing is just his skill, his knowledge of the game.”
Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, Ohio State. Marquette, Butler and Arizona State are his finalists, and he holds offers from all of them.
We like the Wolverines' chances, as we've reported for several weeks, but OSU and others are right there.
Watch for more on Jackson's decision in the days to come.
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