Isaiah Jackson quietly posts big game against Gators

Lots of players for Kentucky posted big performances in the 18-point win over Florida, such as Keion Brooks Jr., Brandon Boston Jr. and Davion Mintz.

Isaiah Jackson also had a big night in somewhat of a quiet fashion. The athletic freshman forward tied his season high with nine points, grabbed a team-high six rebounds while posting four blocked shots, two assists and a steal.

“He can do things that no one else on this team can do,” John Calipari said after the game about Jackson. “He can go get a block, go get a rebound, just do stuff other guys can’t do. There are points in the game he needs to be in there. He’s a skilled player.”

Jackson scored five points grabbed five rebounds in the second half, where he played 11 minutes. He was very effective for the Wildcats in their most successful stretches, as he posted a +/- stat of plus-11.

The big performance came just one game after Jackson lost his starting spot against Vanderbilt. Jackson came off the bench again on Saturday but played 20 minutes.

“What surprised me about Isaiah, which I already knew but it’s different when you’re out there on the floor with him, is how high of a basketball IQ he has,” Keion Brooks Jr. said of Jackson. “He’s a great passer. Obviously, just watching, you can tell he protects the rim and he’s a shot blocker. But he just gives us a different element as far as being able to pass the ball out of the post and when he catches the ball around the rim, he’s finishing.”

Jackson had a lot of preseason hype surrounding him but has yet to live up to it on a consistent basis. Jackson has shown exemplary flashes of the brilliance people expected of him at times mixed with cases of foul trouble and silly freshman mistakes.

In the last three games, Jackson has picked up no more than two fouls. He only committed one foul against the Gators, tying a season low.

Staying on the court has been key to Jackson’s success. If he continues to do so, the Jackson fans saw against Florida could start becoming the usual.

“I kept saying we’ve got good kids, they just need time,” Calipari said. “I’m not changing that thought, they just need time.”