Reggie Jackson Talks to The Observer

Jackson displayed feathery touch against Miami

Reggie Jackson has been filling the stat sheet early on in his sophomore season. Following up an impressive freshman season in which he played in all 34 games, Jackson is playing more minutes than any of his Eagle teammates thus far. He’s shooting 44 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free throw line.

He averages eight rebounds a game, and is racking up assists, steals, and blocks. Eager to learn from the coaching staff, Jackson wants to do anything he can to help the BC basketball team win, which he did very successfully in the Eagles’ win over the undefeated Miami Hurricanes on Sunday afternoon, scoring the last four points to break a 57-57 tie. With twenty-two games left in the regular season, Jackson talks about the road ahead and what it will take to win it all and finally break into the Final Four. He sits down in his first interview with The Observer to talk about the SuperFans support, tough games against Duke and UNC, his plans for Christmas, choosing zero as his number, taking his game to the next level, the team’s trip to the Virgin Islands, crazy Boston weather, and preseason media polls.

The Observer: In the Miami game you scored the last four points to snap a 57-57 tie. You scored off of an offensive rebound and then made both free throws with 2.3 seconds left for a total of 18 points. Were you happy with the way you played? Is this the first of many exciting ACC wins? How important was it to win your first ACC game, especially against an undefeated team?

Reggie Jackson: There are still things I can do better but I am content with my performance because it helped us get a win. I’m sure there will be more exciting wins this season, but if winning by double digit figures is dull, I’d rather have more dull wins than exciting wins this year. But this is a much-needed win so that we can be atop the ACC right now and we know Miami might be ranked when polls come out so we knew this win would really help out right now. Plus, all wins in this conference are big so we are going to keep trying to rack them up.

O: This season, you have been filling the stat sheet and have been compared to former BC player Jared Dudley who now plays for the Phoenix Suns. What does it mean to you to be compared to an NBA player when you are only in your sophomore season?

RJ: The first I heard it was after the Michigan game. It’s not really a big deal though. I mean, they compare high school players to NBA players, but I am happy to be compared to him. At the same time though, I am my own player.

O: You are from Colorado so you must be used to cold weather, but what do you make of the crazy weather Boston has had? Snow in October and then a 70-degree day in December.

RJ: It is definitely weird, but I am used to it. In Colorado Springs, we will have about two feet of snow, but we’ll be in shorts because it is sunny out. Boston is the same, just a bigger city.

O: You have a number of games over Christmas break, so you will not get to go home, but will you get to see any family or do anything special for Christmas?

RJ: I definitely don’t get to go home, but I am actually grateful because this year I get to be with my teammate Corey Raji and his family. They were kind enough and willing to have me over for Christmas. Our other teammate Cortney Dunn is coming to. So the three of us are going to New Jersey to enjoy our few days off, well two and a half days. I am just happy that I’ll get to have a home-cooked meal for Christmas.

O: Anything on your Christmas list?

RJ: Well, I would like to win out the month of December. Rack up them W’s. And just spending time with my teammates. Oh, and school can hurry up and end this semester, too.

O: You have one conference game this Sunday and then all non-conference games until you play Clemson on January 9, 2010. Do non-conference games mean as much to you as conference games? Do you have a different mindset when you play a team like Maine as opposed to Miami?

RJ: You tend to look past these things, but we lost to two non-conference teams in the Virgin Islands so that kind of brings you back down to Earth. It hurts us, but it humbles us. We’re not looking past anybody right now, but in a way, there kind of is a different mindset.

O: You guys are off to a good start this season (6-2), with your only two losses coming to Saint Joseph’s and Northern Iowa, both games played in Saint Thomas. Is the team not a fan of the Virgin Islands?

RJ: People keep asking me how our trip was, and it was an okay trip. We were able to have some fun and enjoy the sunny weather while getting away from the harsh cold. We did get to go snorkeling, which was great team bonding for us, but we left there one for three. We lost two, but we just have to accept what happened and move on

O: You have a string of home games coming up, most occurring over winter break. Does the team notice when the SuperFans aren’t there cheering them on? Does it make any difference?

RJ: It would be a lie to say it doesn’t make a difference. Coming out of the tunnel and then only seeing ten fans hurts, but we do understand people want to go home over break. We’re just grateful people still show up. We do appreciate them attending our games when January rolls around though.

O: Is there any reason you chose zero to be your jersey number?

RJ: I wore 21 in high school, and I couldn’t have that. Then I couldn’t have one through four, so zero seemed like the next best thing. It kind of reminds me why I strive so hard to one day be a great player.

O: You had a really good freshman season, playing in all 34 games for the Eagles. You had the honor of being ACC Rookie of the Week, as well as scoring double figures in 12 games. What are you looking to improve on this season? Do you see any improvements thus far?

RJ: To have a better understanding of what Coach Skinner wants out of offense. I think it showed in the first two games, but maybe hasn’t over the course of the last five. I am just trying to find my way, have shots go down. There’s a lot left to play.

O: In an interview with The Observer, Bob Ryan said that you had the second most exciting freshman season in Boston College’s history. Had you heard that and does that mean anything to you?

RJ: No, I’ve never heard that before. That’s flattering to hear, but I can’t imagine my freshman campaign was more exciting than players such as Troy Bell, Craig Smith, Jared Dudley, Tyrese Rice, and those before them. It is a great honor to be mentioned amongst those players before me, but I’m really looking to have a strong sophomore campaign and take this team as far as I can into March and possibly April.

O: You have a season high of 20 points in the game against Providence, you’re averaging 14.6 a game, you have a 44% field goal percentage, and you’re making 68% of your free throws. With a large portion of the season remaining, and, almost all of your ACC play, what do you want to improve on?

RJ: Just controlling the game better. And my free throw percentage should definitely be in the 80’s. I have a lot of work to do.

O: Last season, you guys upset number 1 North Carolina and beat number 6 Duke in really exciting games. Do the SuperFans have those same kind of exciting games to look forward to this season? Maybe some more upsets?

RJ: I guess if you want to consider us the underdog then yes. We have UNC at home, so SuperFans can see that game in person. They’re playing well, but I don’t see any reason why we can’t compete with them. And Duke will be tough. We have them at home and on the road, but it should be exciting and hopefully the SuperFans will be behind us, just as excited.

O: BC was picked to finish 9th in the ACC in a preseason media poll. Do you put any stock in that or do you just figure that at the end of the season your record will speak for itself?

RJ: You know, it kind of hurts to be picked ninth. But I’ve been joking around with my teammates that at least we weren’t picked last because we were picked 11th last year. We are slowly making progress through our careers. We have one or two years of good experience under our belts and we feel like we can make some noise. But at the end of the season, our record will speak for itself.

O: With that said, how do you think BC will finish in the ACC? Will you be a contender?

RJ: We feel that we have the talent to win it all, to get the ACC championship. We have all of the tools, too, we just have to work every day to improve. If we buy into coach Skinner’s system, then we can be right up there with the best in our conference and in the nation.

O: What will it take for this team to be a contender in the ACC?

RJ: All of us accepting our individual roles and knowing exactly what we’re supposed to do so we’ll be better as a unit. At the end of the day, it comes down to defense. We’ve seen how good we can be, but we’ve also seen how bad we can be. If we come out with a great defensive effort every night, we really have a chance to make some noise.

O: What are the team’s goals for this season?

RJ: Well, I would say Coach’s goals are to be competitive and for us all to have a better understanding and just really buy into his system of defense. But pretty much every player I know wants to win it all. We want to win in the regular season and give ourselves a better chance to make a run in the tourney. We are all tired of being the team with the most wins in history without ever making it to the Final Four. We’d all love to go to Indy this year.

O: Do you have your own personal goals for this season?

RJ: Just to win as many games as possible. To seize the moment and to learn as much as I can from this coaching staff. Coach Skinner was in the NBA, and the coaches can really help me take my game to the next level. I want to learn as much as I can while I can. And then just doing whatever I can in any way I can to help this team win.

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