Dion Prewster
July 23, 2020
Garrett Jackson
- Nationality: USA
- Date of Birth: 27/10/91
- Place of Birth: Portland, Oregon (USA)
- Position: FRD
- Height (CM): 201
- Weight (KG): 98
- Junior Assoc: None
- College: University of Southern California (2010-2012) / St Mary's of California (2013-2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 29/10/15
- AGE AT DEBUT: 24
- LAST NBL GAME: 27/01/17
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Melbourne 2016 | Sydney 2017
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Garrett Jackson was born in Portland, Oregon (USA) and attended Westview High School in the Portland, Oregon area where he was a two-time Metro League Player of the Year and a two-time first-team selection on The Oregonian Class 6A All-State Team.
As a junior in 2008/09, he averaged 19.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. In November 2009, Jackson signed a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball for the University of Southern California.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Garrett Jackson made his NBL debut with the Melbourne United at 24 years of age. He scored three points in his first game.
As a mid-season replacement player, Jackson helped Melbourne finish on top of the ladder with a league-best 18–10 record, averaging 5.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists. His best game came against the Sydney Kings, when he tallied 14 points and five rebounds in Melbourne’s 104-95 victory.
Despite the strong finish under new coach Dean Demopoulos, the team lost to New Zealand in the semifinals, losing to the Breakers in two straight games.
2016/17
The Kings began the season searching for relevancy both on the court and amongst the Sydney public. The first move made to accomplish this was inking Australian basketball icon Andrew Gaze to a three-year deal as the team’s head coach.
Shortly after, the team convinced star import Kevin Lisch to turn down a contract extension from the Illawarra Hawks to sign a lucrative three-year that made him the highest-paid player in the NBL.
Gaze and Kings GM Jeff Van Groningen then looked to bolster the Kings roster with new talent after a listless season the year before which resulted in a 6–22 record and a last place finish.
More major signings were incoming when the team convinced two Australian Boomers to join the club on multi-year deals, first swingman Brad Newley (Spain) and shortly after Aleks Maric, whose nickname ‘Truck’ explains clearly the type of game he would bring to the Kings.
Lisch, Newley, and Maric would be added to the returning Aussie core of Tom Garlepp, Jason Cadee, Jeromie Hill and Julian Khazzouh.
An additional bonus for Sydney was Lisch becoming an Australian citizen in March, creating three open import roster spots for the team to use. The Kings had been carried by imports Josh Childress and Al Harrington the year prior but chose not to re-sign either player, replacing them with Michael Bryson, Greg Whittington and Josh Powell.
Powell’s signing proved critical as shortly after it became apparent that a quadriceps injury would keep Khazzouh off the court for the entire season.
In the weeks leading up to the start of the 2016/17 season, Lisch was appointed team captain and the team began the season.
Import Michael Bryson (1.8 points, 1 rebound, and 0.8 assists) struggled to make a impact in his short stint with the Kings and was replaced with 13-year NBA veteran, Steve Blake. Despite Bryson’s lack of production, Lisch (16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.9 steals), Newley (17.6 points, 5 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.2 steals), and Cadee (13 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 3.2 assists) were firing on all cylinders and the team were sitting in top spot on the ladder with a 3-1 record.
On November 12, 2016, when Kevin Lisch scored a season-high 30 points to deliver a 87–71 win over Melbourne, the team became title favourites. The play of Lisch led coach Gaze and new teammate Steve Blake to say Lisch was good enough to play in the NBA.
However, things began to deteriorate after that. The Kings’ ‘front-heavy’ home schedule began to catch up to them. Blake (5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists) struggled to provide any of the ability he had shown during this NBA career, and after being granted indefinite leave on compassionate grounds to return home to be with a sick family member, it was clear he would not be returning.
Lisch saw his production decrease and seemingly started to burn out, and Powell (9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds), who would go on to deliver a couple of big games, finished the season coming off the bench.
At this stage, Sydney had lost five of their past eight games and, by Christmas, had fallen to third on the ladder (11-8). Instead of maintaining a search for a suitable replacement for Blake, signed forward Garrett Jackson, who had been playing in the state league and was also a training player for the Kings for several seasons.
Jackson had impressed coaching staff with his athleticism, versatility and, crucially, the ease with which he fit in to the existing playing group and appeared in 6 games, averaging 3.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.
An unfortunate season-ending ankle injury suffered by Tony Tolovae, who had appeared in only one game for the Kings, resulted in opening up a additional spot on the roster. Sydney would use it to William McDowell-White (2.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in seven games) as a development player for the rest of the season. McDowell-White, had been heavily recruited by several NCAA programs, including powerhouses like Michigan State, Louisville and USC but McDowell-White but after committing to play with the University of Fresno State, he was unable to gain clearance to play in the NCAA.
Under first-year coach Gaze, the Kings tried and tested a number of different line-ups, but nothing saw them reclaim their early form. After a 8-3 start, they went 5-12, including losing nine of their final twelve games.
Sydney finished in seventh place (13-15) and missed the playoffs in disappointing fashion, while new additions Lisch and Newley earned All-NBL second team selection.
Garrett Jackson played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Melbourne United and the Sydney Kings. He averaged 4.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.4 assists in 12 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 25 | Sydney | 13-15 (7) | 6 | 72.0 | 23 | 21 | 4 | 10 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 19 | 42% | 0 | 1 | 0% | 7 | 11 | 64% | 47% | 42% | 6 |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Melbourne | 18-10 (1) | 6 | 62.1 | 31 | 13 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 12 | 13 | 26 | 50% | 1 | 4 | 25% | 4 | 5 | 80% | 55% | 52% | 14 | Totals | 12 | 134 | 54 | 34 | 5 | 15 | 19 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 22 | 21 | 45 | 46.7% | 1 | 5 | 20.0% | 11 | 16 | 68.8% | 52% | 48% | 14 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 25 | Sydney | 13-15 (7) | 6 | 12.0 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 42% | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0% | 1.2 | 1.8 | 64% | 47% | 42% | 6 |
| 2015-16 | 24 | Melbourne | 18-10 (1) | 6 | 10.4 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 2.0 | 2.2 | 4.3 | 50% | 0.2 | 0.7 | 25% | 0.7 | 0.8 | 80% | 55% | 52% | 14 | Total | 12 | 11.2 | 4.5 | 2.8 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.8 | 46.7% | 0.0 | 20.0% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 68.8% | 52% | 48% | 14 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 14 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- North West Tasmania (2015–2016), Dandenong (2017)
Jackson joined North West Tasmania for the 2015 SEABL season, arriving mid-season and making his Thunder debut on 12 June against Brisbane with 10 points and seven rebounds. Two days later, he added 24 points and 12 rebounds against Sandringham, then earned back-to-back SEABL Player of the Week honours after producing 30 points and 13 rebounds against Albury Wodonga in Round 10 and a season-high 37 points and 12 rebounds against Canberra in Round 11. Across 16 games, he averaged 20.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.
Jackson returned to North West Tasmania for the 2016 SEABL season and opened the year with game highs of 33 points and 14 rebounds in an 83–73 win over Sandringham, earning SEABL Player of the Week honours for Round 1. He followed with a career-high 40 points and 11 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes in a 101–100 win over Albury Wodonga on 16 April, then added 39 points and 16 rebounds in a 94–88 win over Brisbane on 28 May. In his second professional season with North West Tasmania, he averaged 22.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game, shot 54% from the field and earned selection to the 2016 All-SEABL team.
Garrett Jackson joined Dandenong midway through the 2017 SEABL season and made his Rangers debut on 1 July against Bendigo, recording 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, four steals and one block. He averaged 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals across 12 games, then helped Dandenong progress through the finals with a 92–91 semi-final win over North West Tasmania and a 105–98 preliminary final win over Hobart.
Dandenong continued its 2017 SEABL finals run by defeating Ballarat in overtime to win the South Conference title, with Jackson contributing 14 points and 12 rebounds in the conference final. The Rangers then reached the SEABL Grand Final, where they lost to Mount Gambier.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Germany - TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (2017–2018)
Jackson joined TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg for the 2017–18 German ProB season, playing his first season in Germany after being signed on 28 October 2017 as a mid-season addition for the ProB Süd campaign.
Jackson was brought in after wing Julian Albus suffered a broken left foot, with Würzburg noting the move was aimed at adding experience and stability to support a young roster while also addressing rebounding and interior scoring needs under head coach Liam Flynn’s program.
In Würzburg’s ProB Süd lineup, Jackson was positioned as a versatile 2.01m wing who could play both forward spots and also slide to center, and he joined a squad that already included fellow import Miles Jackson-Cartwright while sharing minutes with developing local players such as Michael Javernik.
Across 17 ProB games for Würzburg in 2017–18, Jackson totaled 318 points in 516 minutes, producing 18.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game as his German stint ran through the end of the season.
COLLEGE
Jackson played college basketball at the University of Southern California during the 2010-11 season before transferring to St Mary’s College, where he competed from 2013 to 2015 after sitting out 2012-13 under NCAA transfer rules.
A standout in high school in Portland, Oregon, Jackson averaged 18.6 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 steals as a senior at Westview High School, shot 52.2% from the field, helped Westview reach the Oregon Class 6A championship game, and was named the Gatorade Oregon Boys Basketball Player of the Year before arriving at USC.
Jackson suited up for USC during the 2010-11 season, which the program’s year-by-year records list as a 19-15 campaign (10-8 Pac-10) under head coach Kevin O’Neill that ended with an NCAA tournament First Four loss to VCU after the Trojans earned an at-large bid as an 11 seed.
In that 2010-11 season, Jackson appeared in 33 games and did not start, averaging 3.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 10.8 minutes per game while shooting 55.6% from the field (45-for-81), 45.0% on three-pointers (9-for-20), and 44.4% at the free throw line (8-for-18).
Across those 33 games at USC as a freshman, he totaled 107 points, 55 rebounds, 11 assists, 10 steals and 6 blocks, with a noted early stretch that saw him make 26 of his first 36 field goal attempts as a collegian (72.2%), and his single-game scoring high that season was 12 points against Bradley on November 20, 2010.
Jackson returned for his sophomore year at USC in 2011-12 and appeared in all 32 games with 14 starts, lifting his role to 22.2 minutes per game and averaging 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game while shooting 40.6% from the field (89-for-219), 22.2% from three (14-for-63), and 68.2% at the line (30-for-44).
During the 2011-12 season, Jackson’s best scoring output as a Trojan was 16 points against Utah on January 28, 2012 in a 62-45 win that marked USC’s first Pac-12 victory of the season and snapped a nine-game skid, and he received the Bill Sharman Award as the team’s top free throw shooter based on his season free throw percentage.
USC granted Jackson permission to contact other institutions about transferring on March 14, 2012, and he moved to Saint Mary’s College the following month, joining a Gaels program that would include future Milwaukee Bucks starting point guard Matthew Dellavedova, along with childhood friend and high school rival Stephen Holt.
Jackson sat out the 2012-13 season at Saint Mary’s due to NCAA transfer regulations, then played as a junior in 2013-14 on a Gaels team that went 23-12 (11-7 WCC) and was coached by Eran Ganot for the first five games before Randy Bennett led the final 30 contests of the season.
In that 2013-14 season at Saint Mary’s, Jackson appeared in 24 games and made one start, averaging 3.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per game while shooting 37.6% from the field (35-for-93), 27.8% from three (5-for-18), and 70.4% on free throws (19-for-27).
During the 2013-14 campaign, Jackson missed nine games from December 25 through January 30 with a knee injury, and his season-high scoring game was 13 points against San Francisco on February 20, 2014.
As a senior with the Gaels in their 2014-15 campaign, Jackson started 20 of 31 games and was a solid contributor, averaging 8.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 52% from the field.
Across the full 2014-15 season at Saint Mary’s, he averaged 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 21.9 minutes per game, shot 52.1% from the field (98-for-188), 46.7% from three (21-for-45), and 71.9% at the foul line (46-for-64), while producing 12 double-figure scoring games and finishing as one of the team’s most efficient shooters (third on the roster in field goal percentage at .521).
Jackson’s top scoring performance of his college career came on February 26, 2015 against San Francisco, when he poured in 26 points on 10-for-13 shooting and hit 4-of-5 from three-point range.
That 2014-15 Saint Mary’s team finished 21-10 overall and 13-5 in WCC play (tied for second), then lost to Portland in the WCC tournament quarterfinals before falling to Vanderbilt in the first round of the NIT.
Across his four playing seasons between USC and Saint Mary’s, Jackson’s college totals were 120 games with 35 starts, 686 points (5.7 per game), 374 rebounds (3.1 per game), and 80 assists (0.7 per game), with combined shooting splits of 46.0% from the field, 33.6% from three, and 67.3% from the free throw line.
AWARDS
- 2016 All-SEABL team
Related
HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PLAYER?
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com