Best Defensive Player #9: Andre Jackson Jr., UCONN
The 2023 Connecticut Huskies stormed their way to the national title in the midst of one of the crazier NCAA tournaments in recent memory off of great offense and defense. During the run, players like Jackson Jr., Jordan Hawkins, and Adam Sanogo popped enough to get onto the NBA’s radar.
Jackson Jr. is one of the more interesting evaluations in the whole draft class. He’s a flawed offensive player due to his inability to shoot, which dampens his effect as a passer and cutter. Defensively, however, there are fewer questions, as Jackson Jr. is a scary athlete who can stay with any perimeter player and send their shots to the stands:
Great defense by Andre Jackson vs Cam Whitmore on the drive. Blocks him from behind pic.twitter.com/opRrDPj5T4
— Itamar (@Itamar_17_10) December 28, 2022
Any team that drafts Jackson Jr. will be banking on him being good enough on offense without a jumper that they can take advantage of his great defense on the other end. If he can do just enough as a connective wing, Jackson Jr. could be a second-round steal and quality bench contributor as a rookie due to his athletic and defensive abilities.