Michigan basketball’s Tray Jackson: ‘The world has yet to see my full capabilities’
Former basketball coach John Beilein once said of recruiting that he was “looking for guys trying to break the door down to get to Michigan.” There’s something to be said for a guy who loves the school and wants to win for the name on the front of the jersey, and the Wolverines won big with many of them.
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Juwan Howard is looking for something similar, players who fit the culture. He seems to have found one in former Detroiter and Seton Hall forward transfer Tray Jackson.
“It means everything,” Jackson said on the recent Defend the Block podcast of his return home. “I’ve always been a fan of Michigan Wolverines. I always wanted to come here. Having a chance to play in front of family and friends … it’s just a dream come true, honestly.
“When I’m working out, I always think about it — ‘it came back full circle.’ You’re honestly blessed to be in this position to come show what you can really do at one of the best schools in the country.’ So it definitely hit me, but I don’t think it’s going to hit me until I really put on that uniform and step on that court again.”
Which will come in early November with the first Michigan exhibition. At that point, Jackson and Howard will both try to take another step in their progressions — Jackson as a player, Howard as a coach.
“That was one of the conversations me and Coach Howard had when he was recruiting me — ‘we’ve both got things to prove here.’ Of course, they made it to high levels before, but doing it again and again with consistency is something that I know Coach Howard is looking for as a coach.
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“For me as a player, I’m looking to come in and play with a chip on my shoulder. That’s definitely one of the big things that drew me toward Michigan. I’m used to be an underdog, and from the looks of it, we have a lot of doubters, too. Being able to come out there with this opportunity, I know that we have the pieces to be successful.”
And that Howard wants him to be a big part of it. Jackson can shoot and score, and he sees the floor extremely well for his size. He’s going to be put in position to succeed, something he gleaned from his first conversations with Howard, and will likely play a lot. He knew who he “wanted to go to war for” from the jump, he said, and he can’t wait to show what he can do.
While he knows some have questioned his defense … well, they shouldn’t, he said.
“I’m a very versatile player. I can play all three levels — I can shoot the three, play in the mid-range game, and I can finish at the rim,” he said. “I honestly can say the world has yet to see my full capabilities, and that’s what I know I’m going to show this year. I’m going to be put in a position to show that at a high level, so I’m really ready to show that.”
He’ll get his chance in just a few more months.
