The first season with the St. John’s basketball team has been a rollercoaster for Ian Jackson.
At times there is clearly an improvement from the sophomore guard but then he shows flashes of regression. It makes it very difficult for Rick Pitino to trust the North Carolina transfer on a consistent basis.
Yet on Thursday in the Big East Tournament, it was the good version of Jackson.
With Dylan Darling struggling, missing all eight of his shot attempts, Ian Jackson stepped up as the lead guard for the Storm. He finished with 14 points, three rebounds, and two assists in 19 minutes of action.
It was the most minutes he played since a stellar performance against Villanova on February 28, scoring 19 points, five rebounds, and five steals. Since that game he logged just 12 minutes against Georgetown, shooting 1-for-5, and only played two minutes against Seton Hall.
“It happened already,” Jackson said of trying to stay ready after struggling in the final two games of the regular season on Thursday after the Johnnies beat Providence 85-72 in the quarterfinals.
“There’s no reason to even think back on what happened, I’m just a hooper. I just go out there and hoop, find my rhythm, trust the work that I put in, and go out there and get it done.”
It was the first time Ian Jackson had ever been in the building for the Big East Tournament. The Bronx, New York native never attended one of the sessions growing up in the city.
“Environment was smooth, I’m looking forward to a later game,” he added about the atmosphere at Madison Square Garden.
Later games are preferred for Jackson as he fasts for Ramadan, where he cannot eat or drink from sunrise to sunset. It’s the third year that Jackson has been observing the fast since converting to Islam.
“It was rough, me fasting,” he said of the noon start on Thursday. “I wouldn’t say it took a toll, but it’s definitely something different.”
Jackson is one of three players fasting on the Red Storm, joining Sadiku Ibine Ayo and Imran Suljanovic.
“We’re all going through it together,” he added. “Ramadan is not an individual thing. It’s a collective thing as all Muslims come together and try to do things well for this month.”
Jackson sees the benefits of early games and late games regarding his fast but after the sunrises on Friday he likely won’t be able to break his fast until the Red Storm’s semifinal matchup against Seton Hall ends, which tips off at 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX).
Sunset is at 7:01 p.m. ET on Friday night in New York City.
However, if St. John’s can get the version of Ian Jackson it got against the Friars it will have a good chance at repeating as Big East Tournament champions.