Greg Whittington
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:
- 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.
After finishing fifth with a 13-15 record and missing the playoffs in 2014/15, Melbourne entered the 2015/16 season under former NBA assistant Dean Demopoulos, who replaced interim coach Darryl McDonald. Jordan McRae (to Delaware), Stephen Dennis (to Bnei Herzliya), Mark Worthington (to Cairns), Daryl Corletto (to Plymouth) and Lucas Walker (to Adelaide) departed, while Daniel Kickert and Nate Tomlinson returned from the previous season’s main rotation and David Barlow remained with the club. Demopoulos added Chris Goulding (via Spain), Todd Blanchfield (via Townsville), Stephen Holt (via Canton), Majok Majok (via Slovenia) and Ekene Ibekwe (via New Zealand), but Ibekwe (to Giessen) was released on compassionate grounds before the season so he could return to Europe to be with his pregnant partner and was replaced by Hakim Warrick (via Turkey). Barlow then suffered a season-ending Achilles injury before the campaign began, with Brad Hill (via Wollongong) joining as his injury replacement.
Melbourne opened 5-0 before Warrick (14.2 points and 6 rebounds across 23 games) suffered a groin injury and was placed on the short-term injury waiver list. Garrett Jackson (via North-West Tasmania) had been training with United since September and signed a one-month deal on October 29 as Warrick’s injury replacement. Jackson (5.2 points and 2.2 rebounds across 6 games) was not sidelined by an injury himself, with his six appearances covering the period Warrick remained unavailable.
Jackson made his NBL debut later that night against Perth at Hisense Arena, where Jackson (3 points) played 7:42 from the bench as Melbourne defeated the Wildcats 75-73 and improved to 6-0. Goulding (19 points) led United in scoring and Majok (12 points and 12 rebounds) tipped in the go-ahead basket in the final seconds, while Matthew Knight (17 points and 12 rebounds) led Perth.
Jackson’s best game came against Sydney at Qantas Credit Union Arena on November 5, where Jackson (14 points and 5 rebounds) made five of 10 shots in 17:49 off the bench as Melbourne defeated the Kings 105-94 and improved to 8-0, with Goulding (31 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) making eight three-pointers and Holt (23 points and 3 assists) providing support, while Marcus Thornton (25 points and 2 steals) was Sydney’s leading scorer. The following day, Jackson (to North-West Tasmania) re-signed with the Thunder for the 2016 SEABL season, to return after completing his NBL stint.
Jackson’s final appearance came against Townsville at Hisense Arena on November 20, where Jackson (2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block) played 6:59 as Melbourne lost 82-78, with Goulding (22 points) and Kickert (17 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) leading United, while Mitchell Norton (15 points) was Townsville’s leading scorer in his 100th NBL game. The loss left Melbourne 9-2 and Warrick returned from his groin injury two days later, ending Jackson’s six-game injury-replacement stint.
Goulding (18.4 points and 3.7 rebounds across 29 games) and Holt (15.5 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists across 30 games) became Melbourne’s two leading offensive players, while Kickert (14.8 points and 3.8 rebounds across 28 games), Blanchfield (9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds across 30 games) and Majok (5.5 points and 7.1 rebounds across 30 games) provided the other main contributions. Goulding was named October Player of the Month and joined Kickert on the All-NBL First Team, while Holt earned All-NBL Second Team honours after sharing the NBL Blitz MVP award and Warrick was named the league’s Best Sixth Man. Demopoulos received October Coach of the Month honours, while Kickert came within four made free throws of qualifying for the NBL’s first 50-40-90 season after shooting 52.5 percent from the field, 47.2 percent from three and 90.5 percent from the line. Melbourne finished first with an 18-10 record, claiming the minor premiership through the head-to-head tiebreaker over Perth, with Jackson no longer on the active roster for the postseason.
Melbourne opened the semifinals at Hisense Arena, where Warrick (24 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 blocks), Goulding (23 points and 5 rebounds), Holt (13 points and 4 assists) and Blanchfield (11 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) led United, while Cedric Jackson (20 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals), Mika Vukona (11 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals) and Alex Pledger (8 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks) led New Zealand to a 91-82 win.
Game two moved to Vector Arena, where Goulding (23 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists), Warrick (17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks), Kickert (16 points) and Holt (12 points and 4 rebounds) led Melbourne, while Thomas Abercrombie (23 points and 4 rebounds), Cedric Jackson (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals), Tai Wesley (16 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Corey Webster (13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals) led New Zealand to a 91-78 win and completed the semifinal sweep.
SYDNEY KINGS
2016/17
Sydney entered the 2016/17 season looking to recover from a last-place 6-22 finish, with Andrew Gaze signed to a three-year deal for his first season as Kings head coach. Josh Childress and Al Harrington were not re-signed, while Angus Brandt (to Perth), Marcus Thornton, Rhys Carter and Jordan Vandenberg departed. Tom Garlepp, Jason Cadee, Jeromie Hill and Julian Khazzouh returned, with reigning NBL MVP Kevin Lisch (via Illawarra) turning down an extension with the Hawks to accept a more lucrative three-year Sydney contract which made him the highest-paid player in the NBL. Brad Newley (via Gran Canaria) and Aleks Maric (via Obradoiro) were added, while Lisch becoming an Australian citizen allowed the Kings to fill three import positions with Michael Bryson (via UC Santa Barbara), Greg Whittington (via Sioux Falls) and Josh Powell (via Luoyang Zhonghe). Powell arrived immediately before the season as Khazzouh continued recovering from the quadriceps injury which ultimately kept him out for the entire campaign, while Craig Moller (via Ballarat) and Bo Liu (via Shenzhen) joined as development players.
Sydney’s import merry-go-round began after only four games when Bryson (1.8 points across 4 games) was released after struggling to make an impact and 13-year NBA veteran Steve Blake (5.9 points across 9 games) (via Detroit) replaced him. Prewster (0.9 points across 17 games), who had initially accepted a practice-player position before becoming Khazzouh’s temporary injury replacement, was retained on the full roster after the opening seven games. Blake later received indefinite compassionate leave (to United States) to be with a seriously ill family member and did not return, with Moller (3.3 points across 13 games) promoted from development player to the full roster following his departure.
Rather than replacing Blake with another guard, Sydney signed Jackson (via North-West Tasmania) on December 22 for the remainder of the season, filling the vacant third import position. He had spent the year playing in the state league and had also trained with Sydney before the signing, impressing the coaching staff with his athleticism, versatility and ability to fit within the existing group. The move came with Sydney at 10-9 and carrying a three-game losing streak after its strong opening months had begun to unravel.
Jackson’s best game came in his Kings debut the following night against Illawarra at Qudos Bank Arena, where Jackson (6 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist) collected a team-high eight rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench and provided energy on the offensive glass. Powell (21 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks) and Cadee (15 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals) led Sydney, while Oscar Forman (24 points and 4 rebounds) carried Illawarra to an 87-75 victory. The Kings had led 67-60 during the fourth quarter before the Hawks surged home, with Sydney’s fourth consecutive defeat leaving the team at 10-10.
Jackson (3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds across 6 games) came from the bench in all six of his appearances between December 23 and January 27. No injury, suspension or release was reported during his Sydney stint, with his limited number of games instead the result of joining late in the season and remaining a reserve within Gaze’s rotation.
A week after his debut, Jackson (4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists) gave Sydney productive minutes from the bench as the Kings defeated New Zealand 85-80 at Qudos Bank Arena. Cadee (22 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Whittington (17 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals) led Sydney, while Kirk Penney (20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) was New Zealand’s best as the Kings ended their four-game losing streak and improved to 11-10.
Jackson’s final NBL appearance came in Brisbane on January 27, where Jackson (4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block) played almost 18 minutes as Sydney edged the Bullets 80-77. Lisch (23 points and 6 assists) and Whittington (13 points and 3 rebounds) led the Kings, while Torrey Craig (18 points and 6 rebounds) was Brisbane’s leading scorer as Sydney collected only its second victory in nine games and jumped from seventh to third in the tightly packed playoff race.
Jackson’s arrival did not end the roster movement. Tony Tolovae (0 points across 1 game) suffered a season-ending ankle injury, opening another place for William McDowell-White (2.1 points across 7 games), who joined as a development player after committing to Fresno State but being unable to gain NCAA clearance. Jackson remained with Sydney but did not appear in the final three games, with no injury or release reported.
Newley (17.6 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.2 steals across 23 games) and Lisch (16.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.8 steals across 27 games) led the Kings, with Cadee (13 points and 3.2 assists across 28 games), Whittington (11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals across 28 games), Powell (9.4 points and 4.8 rebounds across 27 games), Garlepp (5.6 points across 28 games) and Maric (5.4 points and 4.7 rebounds across 28 games) providing the other major contributions. Newley and Lisch earned All-NBL Second Team honours, Newley won Sydney’s MVP and Members Player of the Year awards, Lisch was named the Kings’ Defensive Player of the Year and Maric received the Mike Wrublewski Most Inspirational Player award. After reaching 8-4, Sydney went 5-11 over its final 16 games and lost nine of its final twelve.
Jackson did not play as Sydney travelled to Perth Arena for its final game on February 10 needing a victory to stay alive in the playoff race, with Newley (19 points) and Cadee (15 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists) leading the Kings, while Prather (29 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 steals) led Perth to a 101-74 victory, leaving Sydney seventh with a 13-15 record.
Garrett Jackson played two seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Sydney Kings and the Melbourne United. 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 | 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 | 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
COACHING HISTORY
Garrett Jackson began his coaching career as a graduate manager with the University of Hawaii men's basketball program for the 2018/19 season.
Jackson later joined the Boston Celtics in player development and player enhancement roles from 2021 to 2023.
In 2023, Jackson joined the Houston Rockets as an assistant coach and remained on the coaching staff through 2026.
Related
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