Capitalizing on the momentum of a standout junior season, University of Toledo point guard Marreon Jackson will be putting his name in the 2020 NBA draft and will get an evaluation from the NBA Undergraduate Advisory Committee.
Jackson will receive valuable feedback on his readiness for the NBA and his potential draft stock while learning strengths and weaknesses in his game that he needs to focus on moving forward — all while retaining his college eligibility should he decide to return to Toledo.
“I just wanted to get a higher level of feedback and constructive criticism on my game and what I need because I have intentions of playing at the next level,” Jackson said. “It was up in the air for a while, but with the season I did have, regardless of the fact that we didn't get a chance to play in the tournament, it would have been foolish of me not to take advantage of the opportunity after having the season that I had.”
In a 2019-20 season that was cut short because of the spread of the coronavirus, Jackson was outstanding, earning second team All-Mid-American Conference honors while averaging 19.8 points and 5.4 assists per game.
Jackson made a MAC-best 3.1 3-pointers per game and scored in double figures in the final 21 games of the season. His best games came in road contests as he had four games of 30-plus points away from home — 37 points at Central Michigan, 36 at Akron, 32 at Kent State, and 31 at Bowling Green.
“I fully support him,” Toledo coach Tod Kowalczyk said. “I think without question, he's deserving to see what is out there with the NBA and what the interest level would be. Regardless of the outcome, they are going to tell him what they perceive to be his strengths and weaknesses and what he needs to work on. Any time a player of his caliber can learn from NBA people and get a different opinion other than myself and my staff, that's always healthy.”
Jackson, from Garfield Heights High School in Cleveland, has steadily improved in each of his three seasons at Toledo.
He averaged 8.0 points per game as a freshman and bumped that up to 11.7 points per game as a sophomore, before finishing second in the MAC scoring race at 19.8 points per game this past season as a junior.
“Each year he's gotten better and he hasn't had an offseason yet with us,” Kowalczyk said. “His freshman year he had a heart condition, after his sophomore year he had shoulder surgery, and this year he's had to deal with the coronavirus [threat] like the rest of us. I think he can definitely get better. I think as this season progressed, his reads on ball screens became really good and the game slowed down for him. Defensively I thought he had a really good year. The next step for him is to eliminate turnovers.”
If Jackson were to keep his name in the draft and get drafted, he would be the first Toledo player selected in the NBA Draft since Casey Shaw was a second-round pick in 1998.
The upcoming timeline for Jackson is a bit sketchy right now as a result of the suspension of NBA activities. The NBA scouting combine is scheduled for May 19 to 24 in Chicago, and the NBA draft is scheduled for June 25.
Kowalczyk said he is looking forward to hearing the feedback that Jackson receives in this process.
“I'm excited to hear what he learns,” Kowalczyk said.
Jackson said he is ready to find out how his game stacks up and how it would translate to the next level. With aspirations of playing professionally, Jackson said he can handle potentially harsh criticism or positive reinforcement.
“I won't take anything to heart,” Jackson said. “The NBA is the ultimate goal for every collegiate basketball player and to get a chance to play in front of [the committee] and receive great feedback is a blessing.”
First Published March 20, 2020, 5:20 p.m.
