Eric Hampford:
Future150 GM / Senior National Analyst. Covering high and middle school basketball.
Houston, TX (Future150) -- This past weekend, Coach Keith Dambrot and the Akron Zips received a huge commitment from 2014 PG Antino Jackson out of Houston, Texas. The Zips, who finished 21-13 this year, were in the market for a PG of Jackson’s quality and they received just that, a playmaker.
Jackson, who will graduate from Cypress Springs (TX) in a couple of months, has been one of the most consistent guards in the state of Texas this season. He is a competitor; he likes to put pressure on opposing defenses and doesn’t get intimidated, regardless of his opponent.
As a junior at Cy-Springs, Antino averaged just over 18 points per game. He earned numerous accolades such as 2nd team All-District honors. Last summer, Antino played with Rashard Lewis Elite (RL9) alongside big time players such as De’Aaron Fox and Josh Hall. While playing with RL9, Antino saw his stock start to rise. Numerous people around the Houston area knew what he could do on the court, but now he was getting the chance to showcase his skills on a national level.
“I just needed to the chance to show what I could do and RL9 provided me that opportunity. I have been with Edward and Emmanuel (White) for years and they always believed in me. That means the world to me,” Antino said.
After a solid summer, Jackson picked up interest from numerous schools such as Texas State, Sam Houston State & Jacksonville (FL), just to name a few. Heading into his senior season at Cy-Springs, Antino knew he had to continue to play his game and remain patient; good things were going to come.
“I’ve always played with a little chip on my shoulder. I always knew what I was capable of; I just had to be patient. I knew the right school would come along.”
After finishing up a solid senior season, Jackson decided to make it official to Akron.
“I knew they needed a PG and I trust Coach D’s development skills. Kind of hard to ignore the players he has coached. Guys like LeBron and Dru Joyce. I couldn’t turn down this opportunity. It is time to put my big boy pants on and go chase my dream,” Jackson shared.
This past season, Akron averaged 68.6 points a game and shot 43.8% from the field. With Antino on board, he hopes to help increase both of those statistics for the Zips.
“I like to get out and run, I like to share the ball, and when needed, I can score. I know they averaged 11.4 assists per game, and my goal as a PG is to average that by myself. It is my job to set up my teammates and distribute the ball so they can get high percentage field goal attempts.”
There is no doubt that Antino is a confident player, he has worked extremely hard to reach this point. Numerous people understand Antino’s passion and where it comes from.
“Antino is one of my favorites. He is a fierce competitor and will leave it all on the court. He is the type of player that will go right at someone, if he gets beat, he doesn’t complain, he gets back in the Gym and improves his game. He has had a great career at Cy Springs and playing with RL9 gave him the competitive edge he needs to excel at the next level. I am excited for him, he is a great kid who will give it his best,” shared Future150 Analyst Adam Barnes.
Antino plans to take a visit to Akron this week and plans to sign soon after.
“I am ready to go. It has been a long, hard journey, but God didn’t give up on me, so I won’t give up on him. He has a plan and I had to trust in him. I’m going to continue to work hard and focus on taking my game to the next level. This is the start of a great journey and I am excited to attend a great school with a great basketball program. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. It's go time!”
Stay with Future150.com for updates on Antino and other similar players in the Class of 2014 who will be signing during the late period.
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