Five-star recruit Ashlon Jackson is ready for next challenge with Duke WBB
SOUR LAKE, Texas (BVM) – There aren’t many people who have the basketball resume that Kara Lawson does. Named one of the 100 most influential people in women’s college basketball by Silver Waves Media in the summer of 2020, Lawson’s impact on the sport includes becoming the Boston Celtics’ first female coach in the franchise’s 73-year history and a gold medal in the United States’ 3×3 Women’s National Team Olympic debut earlier this year.
After spending the 2019-20 season with the Celtics, where she helped Boston to a 43-21 record, the former WNBA and Olympic champion was named Duke University’s fifth head women’s basketball coach in July of 2020. Although the Blue Devils opted out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns, Lawson’s basketball pedigree has helped land the Blue Devils’ next stars.
“With her (Lawson), I feel as though I can accomplish anything,” Ashlon Jackson, a five-star Duke commit, said. “She’s won at every level, whether that be USA, collegiate level or WNBA. I want to do that and she was most definitely a big part of me committing.”
Jackson knows what she wants and has the talent – and, now, the coaching – to accomplish it all.
Ranked as the No. 16 overall recruit in the Class of 2022 by ESPN, Jackson chose the Blue Devils over UConn, Oregon, Stanford and Louisville. The Hardin-Jefferson High School senior averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 4.9 steals and 1.3 blocks as a junior en route to 22-4A District MVP honors.
https://twitter.com/Ashlon3Jackson/status/1346804852345679872
Jackson began her high school career as the Regional MVP and 22-4A District Newcomer of the Year as a freshman before becoming a three-time All-Region and All-State honoree. The 6-foot combo guard believes versatility to be her most valuable attribute.
“I’m very versatile so whatever position is needed to play in order to win, I’m that,” Jackson said.
That versatility is something Lawson looks forward to utilizing, but it’s also Jackson’s love for the game and competitive nature that made for a perfect match.
“The first thing that stands out to me about Ashlon Jackson is that she plays the game with such joy,” Lawson said in a press release. “She loves to compete and she loves being a part of a team. That competitiveness and team-oriented style is what drew me to her. Ashlon loves people, she loves her teammates. She is somebody that makes people around her better. That’s why we wanted her here.
“She can do everything on the court — she’s a versatile guard. She can defend, she can pass, she can score. She’s somebody that brings toughness to the game. We really feel like she is one of the most complete guards in this class. We can’t wait to get Ashlon to Durham.”
The feeling of excitement is mutual as Jackson is not only looking forward to joining Lawson and the Blue Devils, but another top-35 recruit in the Class of 2022.
Shay Bollin (Mass.) is a four-star prospect and the No. 33-ranked recruit in her class by ESPN. Jackson and Bollin were actually teammates at a camp last summer, a preview of what Blue Devil fans can expect in the near future.
“Around that time, I had Duke and Stanford as my top two and it was kind of the same for her (Bollin) also,” Jackson said. “But the whole time, she was already committed to Duke and later that month, I committed also. It’s just a small world that we ended up on the same team and everything.”
Jackson is well aware of the reality of Duke. The university is known for its men’s basketball program, one of the most recognizable brands in American sports. But that doesn’t mean that the women’s program can’t match, or even exceed, the popularity of its male counterpart.
“Duke is known for men’s basketball or just basketball in general, but the more that we win, the more we get recognized also,” Jackson said. “Especially with Kara being there, she’s coached on the men’s side, so we’re on the verge of getting there.”
Jackson said getting her commitment out of the way has allowed the sole focus of her senior season to be on winning a UIL state championship for the Hawks.
Her goals for when she arrives in Durham are of the same ilk.
“I just want to win,” Jackson said. “Whether that’s in the classroom, it doesn’t matter. Of course there are small accolades that I want, but most importantly, I just want a natty (national championship). I feel as though before I leave, we will get one.”
