01-13-2006, 10:25 AM
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Everything we do is dictated by motive
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Join Date: Apr 2004
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1/13/06
Quote:
Future coming into focus for Jackson
By Lance Cranmer
Columnist
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top><!-- ARTICLE BODYTEXT --><!--ARTICLE TEXT-->COLUMBUS - The days of Danté Jackson's anonymity of being a small town kid who puts up big-time numbers on the basketball court are long gone. Today, the McClain junior is the center of attention wherever he goes.
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Swarmed by reporters the moment he stepped into the media room after Saturday's 58-49 victory over Zane Trace at the Schottenstein Center on the campus of Ohio State, Jackson fielded his usual barrage of questions about what colleges he has been talking to. "Recruiting-wise, I've got offers from Xavier, Dayton and Michigan and Miami of Ohio right now," Jackson said. "It's going real well. They've all kind of backed off right now during the season so I can focus on school."
Of course - especially in Columbus - the million-dollar question that was bound to be asked was, "What about the Buckeyes?"
Now depending on what Web site you find when you Google the name "Danté Jackson," cub reporters around the globe seem to have the inside scoop about what Jackson has to say about each and every school.
Saturday, Danté was exactly like the humble man those of us who've covered him for the last three seasons have come to know. He doesn't speculate about anything that isn't certain. Instead, he simply smiles and moves on to the next question.
"Are there any schools you haven't heard from yet that you're hoping to?" a reporter asked, obviously hinting towards Ohio State.
"Not really," Jackson answered simply.
"Are there any teams that haven't offered, but, you know, have been throwing their names out there like Kentucky or Ohio State?" the same reporter asked.
"I don't really get caught up in that," Jackson replied. "If they offer, they offer. If they don't, you know, they don't. I just go a different direction."
Jackson admits the Buckeyes have been in touch with him, but there has been no official offer put on the table. With what appears to be the most highly-touted recruiting class ever set to enter Ohio State next fall, including the likes of Dayton Dunbar's Daequan Cook, a guard with similar attributes to Jackson, it's easy to wonder if the Buckeyes would even be at the top of Jackson's list.
If another high profile school, possibly Jackson's favorite college team and alma mater of childhood hero Michael Jordan, the University of North Carolina, tossed its name into the hat, things could change very quickly.
Saturday there were a large amount of college scouts in the stands, ranging from the unknown assistant coaches watching from the stands, to the more visible figures such as former Cincinnati Bearcats coach Bob Huggins who sat in the front row behind the scorer's table and made a point to shake the hand of McClain coach Rick VanMatre after the game.
In the game itself, Jackson scored 34 points, but had what would be considered an off-game for him.
Despite playing in the cavernous venue of the Value City Arena, Jackson attributed his subpar (as subpar as 34 points can be) performance to fatigue from playing the night before and definitely not nerves.
"The only pressure would be coming here and playing," he said, noting that the crowd seemed much smaller than it actually was. "Coach said during halftime that there's really nobody here. If you play bad, who's going to know? Maybe the 10 or 12 people in here?"
"Nice quote," VanMatre said laughing just a few feet away.
Honestly, empty is probably about how it felt on the court. If you put 2,000 people in a place that holds five times that amount, it's a little bit different than putting 2,000 people in McClain High School like it will have this weekend when the Tigers go up against rival Hillsboro.
"The atmosphere will be a lot different," Jackson said. "Putting 2,000 in our gym, it's real different."
Though Jackson may not have been thrilled with the overall performance he had in the showcase game on the Buckeyes' home floor, he was clearly more satisfied getting the win and upping McClain's record to 10-0 than he ever could have been promoting himself to a crowd.
Jackson summed up Saturday's game very simply in an almost comedic way that made just about everyone within earshot chuckle.
"I try to shoot the ball. Sometimes it went in."
(Cranmer can be reached at 772-9304 or via e-mail at
lcranmer@nncogannett.com)
Originally published January 9, 2006
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Something I will never forget, he got a breakaway and could have dunked it... but instead finger rolled it in. It was kinda hard to concentrate after seeing him do that. We were only in 8th grade, and that breakaway looked like a clip off Sportscenter 
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