The athletic forward was one of the better overall players at the Under Armour’s Next Elite 24 showcase.
As the Under Armour Next Elite 24 rosters were revealed, much of the focus was on the five-stars in attendance, as well as some of the top-50 recruits who were looking to prove themselves against some of the top competition in the nation.
But, following the three-day showcase in Brooklyn, it was one of the sleepers who came away as one of the winners of the weekend: 2025 forward Marcus Jackson.
Ranked a three-star by On3, ESPN, and Rivals, but a four-star by 247Sports, Jackson wasn’t seen as a Top-100 player going into the tournament, unlike a number of his peers, but showed out as a strong two-way player on the court.
“Of course, it’s just like, sometimes people overlook me, so I gotta prove them wrong in certain areas,” Jackson said during the weekend.
At 6’8”, 220 pounds, the Maryland native, who attends Compass Prep in Arizona, has an extremely long wingspan and great athleticism that makes him have one of the highest verticals in the gym and allows the forward to be able to guard all five positions on the court.
That was the case this weekend, as Jackson was seen picking up guards on-ball in the scrimmage on Friday, holding his ground and forcing some deflections, while also being a paint protector against some of the top bigs in attendance.
Offensively, the four-star played his role to perfection, doing the little things such as setting effective screens, while rolling and working his way inside the paint to get points.
“[My goal is] just going, doing the basic plays,” Jackson said. “Just going to get the 50/50 balls, having a lot of energy. That’s something that you gotta have. You gotta have a lot of energy to maintain a spot on the basketball court.”
That was the case on Saturday, as Jackson put up 15 points and eight rebounds, while hitting 7-for-9 of his shots from the field. Once again, he worked well within the pick-and-roll, catching three different alley-oops for some highlight-reel plays.
But, he showed the other parts of his game as well, knocking down a midrange jumper, as well as a catch-and-shoot corner three.
Now, Jackson isn’t the most polished shooter, which may be why his recruiting rankings are lower than you’d expect, but he’s a very good role player that understands his assignment and executes it as planned.
Still, with a solid midrange, he’s looking to continue improving his craft and has the potential to be a complete all-around player if everything comes together.
“[Next year, I’m looking to] just keep evolving my game and keep improving. The sky’s the limit,” Jackson said.
In today’s college world, the four-star forward is what many teams covet as a versatile wing that can be interchangeable at a lot of positions and defend at a high level.
With the Under Armour Next Elite 24 wrapped up, Jackson has a busy fall ahead of his as he goes into official visit season.
What is he looking for in his next school?
“Teamwork. Great teamwork, high energy and teamwork. That’s something that I really want to participate in.”
As of now, the forward shared that he has official visits set to Maryland, Arizona State and Auburn, while other schools such as Iowa could be in play as well as he enters the fall.
