Lakeem Jackson: Making a Smooth Transistion
In August of 2007, Harding, NC all-conference basketball star Lakeem Jackson, a 6′5 guard, transferred to Arden’s Christ School, where he repeated his junior season, Harding coach Walter Aikens had lost his star player.
The Christ School in Arden, NC has quickly become a staple of the basketball scene, David Gaines hit the ground running in 1998 as the man at the helm and has not looked back. Gaines has led the school to 3 NCSIAA state titles: 2005, 2007 and 2008. Gaines has also coached some of the top players in the country including 08′ Duke commit Miles Plumlee, 09′ Duke commit Mason Plumlee and 09′ rising prospect Lakeem Jackson.
Lakeem Jackson is one of the most compelling prospects in the 2009 class. His smooth, rangy frame blends nicely with his ability to attack the rim. To some extent, Jackson has had to play second fiddle to the heralded Plumlee boys. If needed, Jackson is more than capable of being his teams primary option. In mid December in a tight game against game foe, Greensboro Day. It was Jackson who led his #1 ranked team to a 59-55 win. Greensboro day played superb defense on the pair of Plumlee’s. Jackson then seen a weakness in the defense and exploited it:
“It was a bad matchup for us,” Greensboro Day coach Freddy Johnson said of Jackson. “We had nobody to guard him on the team. We knew that going into the game. We just hoped they didn’t discover it.
“They did, though.”
“Lakeem is doing all the right things (academically and athletically),” Gaines said. “And then you add that to the kind of spring he is having (in offseason tournaments), and his stock has really risen. He’s cleared some hurdles, and now (the offers) are inevitably coming.”
Jackson’s most recent offer came from Georgia Tech in June of 08′ The Yellow Jackets threw their name into a ring that currently includes: Clemson, Marquette and South Carolina. As you may, or may not know the Wildcat staff has showed interest in Jackson for sometime now, however no offer has been extended.
