Persistence.
That’s the phrase Taiyanna Jackson makes use of when requested to explain how she’s gone from enjoying at Trinity Valley Group School to changing into the No. 2 shot blocker within the nation at Kansas. The Jayhawk has all the time recognized that her time is coming, but it surely’s additionally been a journey to get there.
Previous to coming to Kansas, Jackson performed two years of JUCO ball. Her choice to go that route—regardless of being a four-star prospect in highschool at East Chicago Central HS and initially dedicated to Ole Miss—got here right down to her eager to discover her choices and open herself as much as one thing new. At Trinity Valley, Jackson was a NJCAA Area 14 Freshman of the 12 months and averaged 10.3 factors per recreation all through these two seasons.
Stats apart, what Jackson gained from the expertise ready her not simply athletically, however mentally, for the DI stage. “JUCO is completely completely different: the category sizes, the video games, how we journey, how we put together for video games and all the things is simply completely different. Trinity Valley was enjoyable and I’d say, like, it ready me for the psychological facet DI,” she says, later including: “Being affected person and simply figuring out that [my] time is coming [and] all the things [I’ve] labored for, all the things [I’ve] considered [and] dreamt of [is] finally going to come back to life simply by being affected person,” Jackson tells us over Zoom in early March earlier than Choice Sunday.
By the point you’re studying this, Jackson and her squad are gearing up for March Insanity—the Jayhawks will tackle Michigan within the first spherical on March 23. To say Jackson has settled properly into the Jayhawks program could be an understatement: she’s thrived. As a junior she was the first-ever Jayhawk to be chosen to the Massive 12 All-Defensive Staff and this season she’s grow to be a lot of a defensive ace, her 3.1 blocks per recreation has her at present ranked No. 2 within the nation in blocks, simply behind Stanford’s Cameron Brink.
Jackson has all the time had a knack shot blocking, however since arriving in Lawrence, she’s been challenged with enjoying in opposition to opponents which can be larger, and extra skilled on the DI stage, then she was coming in. However it’s how she’s met that problem—and found that her footwork and method to protection is her speciality—that’s allowed her to make a serious affect. “[It was] my first time enjoying in opposition to, like, DI basketball gamers,” she says wanting again at her first season at KU. “I all the time knew I used to be an amazing defender [and] I’m fast on my toes and that’s simply one thing that I’ve [as] a bonus in my place. I simply took delight in that. I let my offensive recreation come to me and let my protection take over.”
Jackson is fearless when she matches up in opposition to opponents. Don’t sleep although: her offensive recreation is there, too—she’s at present second on the staff in scoring with 12.6 ppg—however on the opposite finish of the ground, Jackson actually will get in her bag. “I actually simply love protection. It’s identical to, the thrill and the enjoyment you get whenever you’re blocking someone’s shot. I don’t know, I identical to it,” she says now with a smile and a slight chuckle.
The eagerness in her voice is clear, and at one level, Jackson motions a chef’s kiss along with her hand, as if evaluating the sensation of blocking somebody’s shot to a delicacy. When Kansas performed Houston in February, Jackson posted 9 blocked pictures amidst a double-double efficiency, propelling her to the highest of Jayhawks file ebook with probably the most profession blocked pictures in program historical past (270).
“Simply cease sleeping on her,” teammate Zakiyah Franklin advised The College Every day Kansan. “She’s been doing this. It’s not new to us…however individuals across the nation ought to be placed on discover extra.” All season lengthy, Jackson has been proving time and time once more that that is simply what she does: just a few video games later in opposition to UCF, Jackson ran all the best way from the submit to the highest of the important thing and blocked sophomore Taylor Gibson proper because the buzzer went off within the second quarter. She had yet one more monster double-double efficiency of 29 factors, 10 rebounds and even 4 blocks to assist seal the 65-53 win.
The Jayhawks will want that very same vitality from her forward of the NCAA match, the place they’ll look to make a run previous the second-round for the primary time since 2022. No matter what occurs, that is solely the start for Jackson, who has her sights set on the WNBA sooner or later. We will solely think about how her recreation will develop on the subsequent stage.
“I wish to go play on the subsequent stage. That’s the objective.”
Pictures through Getty Pictures. Portrait through KU Athletics.