In the 2023-24 season, freshman Elmarko Jackson was quickly growing as a fan favorite. The class of 2023 player has enjoyed a freshman season that saw Jackson average four points, 1.7 assists, and 1.4 rebounds. A difficult part of Jackson’s game was his ability to give the ball away. Jackson gave the ball away 1.5 times a game, and while his steal numbers of .8 were promising, ball security improvements were a must.
That season saw the former No. 20 recruit play in all 34 games with 17 starts, a big break for any freshman in the country.
While last season saw Jackson miss the entirety thanks to an injury that Summer. After Kansas’ first exhibition against the No. 11 Louisville Cardinals. Bill Self had some promising words about Jackson earlier this week.
“Elmarko played with so much poise and patience compared to what he did a couple of years ago. He didn't feel as rushed to me, so he didn't take a lot of shots, but he got fouled and he made him kind of chase him, and he drove straight lines, which forced fouls and hand contacts.”
Against the Cardinals, Jackson notched 11 points with a healthy helping of nine of those from the stripe, two rebounds, two assists, two turnovers, and a steal.
On Tuesday night’s exhibition against Fort Hays State, Jackson totaled 22 minutes, two rebounds, two assists, and two turnovers. Jackson also scored six points on 3-5 shooting.
With the regular season officially under a week away, the No. 19 Jayhawks are set to take on Green Bay. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. CT at Allen Fieldhouse, where Jackson, among many others, will be looking to make a big mark.
Make sure to bookmark Through the Phog and follow us on X and Facebook with the username @Throughthephog