Jackson McAndrew, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward from Wayzata (Minn.) High, was the sixth man on the Class AAAA runner-up this season. However, despite coming off the bench, he has received his first scholarship offer and his strong spring with the Howard Pulley will likely open some eyes of college recruiters.
McAndrew averaged 5.4 points per game this season, scoring in double figures four times.
He scored a career-high 19 points versus Buffalo.The Gopher Report recently caught up with McAndrew after practice with Howard Pulley to learn the more about his sophomore season, early recruitment and expectations for his junior campaign.
Gopher Hole: You picked up your first scholarship offer from St. Thomas recently. What was the feeling when you got that word?
Jackson McAndrew: "Very excited about that. Very happy. Great school. I was very excited about it."
The Gopher Report: You had a very good sophomore season on a senior-dominated team. You made it back to the state tournament. How pleased were you with how well things went this past season for the team and individually as well?
Jackson McAndrew: "I felt like I had a good season. Our team had a good season, too. Obviously, we didn’t meet the main goal, but overall, we had a really good season and coming in, we had a good team. I feel like I made a role for myself, playing sixth man for pretty much the whole year. I did get hurt at the end, which made my role go down in state, but overall, we had a good year and I had a good season, too."
The Gopher Report: You lose a lot of key players (leading scorer Carter Bjerke, third leading scorer Drew Berkland and fifth leading scorer Ryan Harvey). How are you expecting to see your role change for next year?
Jackson McAndrew: "I feel like I’m going to have to step up and a lot of other guys are going to have step up, too, because like you said, we are going to be missing a lot of key guys, but I feel like we’ll make another good run next year because we still have good players coming in and I feel like we are going to step up."
The Gopher Report: Is that something that you are looking forward to being a little more of a leader and have a little bigger role as a junior?
Jackson McAndrew: "Yes. I am very excited about that. Excited that the leader role is going to be big and I feel like I can do that and it’s just going to be a very exciting season."
The Gopher Report: How about AAU-wise? What are you hoping to show college coaches, especially during the open period throughout this spring and summer?
Jackson McAndrew: "Not only that I’m a good player, but also a good team player and help our team win."
The Gopher Report: You got your first offer. What would it mean to play Division I basketball?
Jackson McAndrew: "That’s been a goal of mine since I was really little and it would just mean a lot to play Division I basketball. That has been my dream since I was a little kid."
The Gopher Report: Do you come from a basketball family?
Jackson McAndrew: "I did. My dad (Steve) played basketball for North Dakota (and helped lead Fargo South to the North Dakota Class A title in 1989 as they finished 25-0, the first Class A team to go undefeated in 48 years) and he has been a big help for me as has my whole family, too. He has been leading me since I was young to be a basketball player and play Division I."
The Gopher Report: Is that where you got the love of the game, playing against him?
Jackson McAndrew: "Yes, against him and watching NBA and college basketball."
The Gopher Report: Do you guys still play?
Jackson McAndrew: "Not as much. He usually just helps me with skill work and rebounding. Not as much one-on-one as there used to be."
The Gopher Report: You mentioned college basketball. Did you watch a lot of the NCAA Tournament?
Jackson McAndrew: "I did. Very exciting tournament. It was really fun to watch."
The Gopher Report: Does that make you think that could maybe be you down the road?
Jackson McAndrew: "It certainly does. Makes you just want to be in that position even more and work towards being in that spot."
The Gopher Report: What other schools are you hearing from besides St. Thomas? I know that it is so early being a sophomore.
Jackson McAndrew: "It’s early. Besides, St. Thomas, I’ve heard Creighton has some interest and Davison actually came to watch me workout earlier before the high school season. Wisconsin was maybe going to go to an open gym."
The Gopher Report: Did you get a chance to go to many college games this year as a fan or visitor?
Jackson McAndrew: "Yes. I did go to a lot of St. Thomas games this year to watch. It was fun."
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