Kentucky basketball: Isaiah Jackson’s hard work pays off with All-SEC honors

You would be hard-pressed to find a harder working, more dedicated player than Isaiah Jackson, and Kentucky basketball players, coaches, and fans will second that all day long despite the team’s overall struggles this season.

Well, it’s this kind of constantly bring it, positive attitude and work ethic that drew the attention of coaches across the Southeastern Conference.

On Tuesday Jackson was named to the SEC All-Freshman and All-Defensive teams. Jackson was one of five players that garnered the defensive team honor and one of eight who earned all-freshman squad accolades, as picked by the league’s head coaches.

The 6-foot-10 210-pound pure athlete from Pontiac, Michigan wasted little time making an impact for the Wildcats with his all-out effort and enthusiasm as the season tipped off in November.

Isaiah Jackson earning All-Freshman honors was clear from the start

In his third game, he emerged on the scene against Kansas when he rejected 8 shots against then-No. 7 ranked Kansas. That performance was the most blocks in a game for any UK player since Willie Cauley-Stein had nine against Boise State on Dec. 10, 2013, and it was the most ever by a UK player against an Associated Press top-10 opponent in program history.

In Saturday’s win over South Carolina, he recorded his second double-double of the season and sixth game in a row scoring in double figures where he is averaging 14.3 points per game during that span. The previous double-double kicked off that stretch when he had 18 points and 11 boards in an 82-80 win over Auburn.

Coach John Calipari discussed on his weekly radio show last week what an impact he has made.

"“I am so proud of Isaiah’s progress. I’m just telling you, of all the players on our team, he’s the one that spiked. He’s the one that kept going,"

The only knock on Jackson this season and what frustrates Jackson most is the foul trouble he is prone to. That has meant some long minutes sitting on the Kentucky bench watching in agony and longing to be on the floor.

Calipari recalled having to comfort Jackson, who was seen with a towel draped over his head during an emotional and telling moment in UK’s 74-72 home win over Vanderbilt in the second game of the SEC tilt where Jackson saw just 15 minutes of action.

"“Do you remember, he was emotional early on. Going through COVID, being by himself, failing some, struggling and he was emotional because he wants to help the team. That’s who he is.”"

But if there anything that Calipari does better its motivating players especially since UK had dropped six of their past seven prior games. Jackson didn’t hold his head down for long tallying 9 points, six rebounds, four blocks and two asist in a blowout of Florida the next game.

Jackson averages 8.5 points a game and pulls down 6.8 rebounds and is a menace for teams with his relentless play on defense. He has swatted away 63 shots on the season which has led Kentucky to be the No. 1 blocking team. During SEC play he leads the league with 2.6 rejections a game and is 14th nationally. Add to that his 18 steals on the season.

As the Wildcat’s biggest force down low Jackson has led the Wildcats in blocks in 19 of 24 games and has three or more swats in nine games this season.

With a block percentage of 12.8 percent, he ranks seventh in the country to fuel the UK defense that has held nine of its last 15 opponents to 40 percent or less shooting.

His first statement of the season was to Morehead State guard James Baker in the Wildcat opener.

https://twitter.com/br_CBB/status/1331745316970827776

Growing up he had aspirations of being a guard and Kentucky certainly could have used him there as well he is much better suited and a delight for Big Blue Nation to cheer for when the opponent’s shots are rejected far out of bounds.

Could you imagine the delight and roar of 20,000 plus fans in Rupp Arena this season had they been there to witness them? The roof would have been blown off.

That should have been little surprise based on what he displayed in high school where he averaged 19.7 points, 13 rebounds, 7.7 blocks, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game for Waterford Mott his senior season. Those efforts earned him Michigan All-State Division I (Associated Press) recipient and a finalist for the Mr. Michgan Basketball award. Also a three-time All-State selection and four-time defensive player of the year in his conference.

While there he played alongside Michigan State signee Mark Watts and LeMelo Ball. On his birthday last year, he celebrated by dropping 32 points.

His high school coach David McGlaown said after that game to Oakland Press reporter Paula Pasche something you hear Calipari echoing this year.

"“(Jackson’s) the most unselfish guy with that much ability I’ve ever met. He just plays, he plays as a team, he loves the other guys on the team. He makes sure he gets them the ball so they’ll be involved on the defensive end and offensive end…. “It’s just contagious — his attitude is contagious, everybody buys in and gets more confidence when he’s on the court,’’"

While he received the awards for his defensive skills, he has become a force at the offensive end too. His slam putbacks and high flying acrobatics bring smiles and the bench players to their feet waving towels and cheering.

While Jackson was deserving of the honor clearly absent were any other Wildcats. The SEC coaches started selecting their own All-SEC teams in the 1955-1956 season, and this year is just the second time ever that Kentucky did not have a single-player named to the Coaches’ All-SEC team. The other being in 1988-1989 when the Eddie Sutton coached squad finished 13-19.

No doubt Jackson is headed to the NBA next year so here’s hoping we get to watch him a few more games this season and he becomes an inspiration for future Wildcats.

A complete list of the 2021 SEC Men’s Basketball postseason awards follows:

First Team All-SEC

Herbert Jones, Alabama

John Petty Jr., Alabama

Moses Moody, Arkansas

Tre Mann, Florida

Cameron Thomas, LSU

Devontae Shuler, Ole Miss

Dru Smith, Missouri

Scotty Pippen Jr., Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC

Jaden Shackelford, Alabama

Colin Castleton, Florida

Sahvir Wheeler, Georgia

Javonte Smart, LSU

Trendon Watford, LSU

D.J. Stewart Jr., Mississippi State

Jeremiah Tilmon, Missouri

AJ Lawson, South Carolina

All-Freshman Team

Joshua Primo, Alabama

Moses Moody, Arkansas

Sharife Cooper, Auburn

KD Johnson, Georgia

Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky

Cameron Thomas, LSU

Keon Johnson, Tennessee

Jaden Springer, Tennessee

All-Defensive Team

Herbert Jones, Alabama

Isaiah Jackson, Kentucky

Abdul Ado, Mississippi State

Dru Smith, Missouri

Yves Pons, Tennessee

Coach of the Year: Nate Oats, Alabama

Player of the Year: Herbert Jones, Alabama

Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Dylan Disu, Vanderbilt

Freshman of the Year: Moses Moody, Arkansas

Sixth-Man of the Year: JD Notae, Arkansas

Defensive Player of the Year: Herbert Jones, Alabama