Elmarko Jackson 'In Awe' of Syracuse Basketball Offer
One of the top playmaking guards in the 2023 class is Elmarko Jackson out of the Academy of New Church in Pennsylvania. Jackson picked up an offer from Syracuse last month and the Orange has prioritized him ever since.
"They watched me play a little bit at the first Under Armour session," Jackson said. "They contacted my coaches, asked about how I was as a player, a person, as a young man. They contacted me around eight at night, and we just talked about Syracuse. What they were trying to build as a program. Their strong 22 class and if I were to go there, I'd be a big part of a big team that they're building. The big squad they're putting together. They just told me about their plans for the future."
The Orange offer elicited quite the reaction from the 6-3 guard.
"I was ecstatic because Syracuse is one of my dream schools," Jackson said. "Every little boy that plays basketball they dream about playing for the 'Cuse, for the Orange. I was ecstatic. I felt like it was kind of similar to getting my first offer. Just in awe, kind of. I felt like all my hard work was paying off. For a school of that caliber to offer me felt great. I can't even put it into words, really."
Jackson can make plays for himself or others and can play on the ball or off. He is an electric guard with versatility in his game. That type of players has typically done well at Syracuse.
"It's a dream school in terms of history that they have, the players," Jackson said. "I grew up watching them. I used to be a lacrosse player, so I used to watch Syracuse lacrosse and basketball. Their prowess in both sports and in history is pretty much unmatched. As a kid, I used to wear the Syracuse jerseys and the shorts and all that. Having the opportunity to wear that jersey on my chest, I don't that lightly. I'm very grateful for that."
Jackson's lead recruiter at Syracuse is assistant Gerry McNamara. The two have developed a strong relationship already.
"I like coach McNamara a lot," Jackson said. "He's really nice. I feel like we can chop it up whenever. I'm not the best texter but I get back to him pretty quick. We've FaceTimed and talked about how Syracuse will recruit me after they offered. We talked for about 30-45 minutes, talking about basketball, Buddy Boeheim, how he works his guards, the living situations of the players. Outside of that, we talk about other stuff like we were just talking about the playoffs. How he's a Sixers fan and how he's sad, like I am, that Joel Embiid got injured. We talk about a lot of things, so I think our relationship is good. It will definitely grow over time, of course."
A visit has not been scheduled yet, but Jackson says he is looking to take a trip this spring or summer to get a closer look at the program and campus. While he is not ready to trim his list or rank his suitors at this time, Jackson says he has high interest in the Orange.
"One thing coach McNamara said, which is absolutely true, is Syracuse doesn't offer a lot of players," Jackson said. "If they give you that offer, they fully trust you to go out there and play with them. It's not like they're giving that opportunity to just anybody. I don't take that lightly."
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