YOU ARE HERE: Central Kentucky Home→Collections→Kentucky

SEC Tourney Report: Georgia's Jackson on University Heights star Hopson

March 13, 2008|LARRY VAUGHT

ATLANTA -- Several Southeastern Conference teams would like to have Hopkinsville's Scotty Hopson on their roster next year when they play in the SEC Tournament.

The University Heights star verbally committed to Mississippi State last fall, but did not sign with the Bulldogs in November. Now he has re-opened his recruitment and Kentucky and Tennessee have both made a push to sign him next month.

Madisonville native Albert Jackson, who will start for Georgia tonight against Mississippi, knows Hopson and stays in touch with him.

"In the summer, we might have played some pick-up games when we were younger, but we were never actually on the same team. In AAU, we played for the same program one year, but I was on the older team and he was on the younger team," Jackson said.

"He is a good person, good player. He has everything you could want out of a guard or small forward. He is going to be a great college player wherever he decides to go. Hopefully he decides to come down here with me. I would love that, but whatever he decides he will be great."

Hopson is considered one of the nation's top recruits. However, if he has given Jackson any insight on where he might play next year, Jackson isn't saying.

"He is not giving anybody any indications right now. I think he is just looking at his options and keeping everything open," Jackson said. "The recruiting process is tough. He's a top 10 player nationally. I wasn't anywhere near that. I can't imagine what it must be like for him now.

"He has every school in the nation coming after him, so it has to be challenging with everybody throwing their best at you. He is just a young guy trying to figure it out, and I know he's been confused at times. He is just trying to keep it out of his mind as much as he can right now because he has a big, big decision to make."

Jackson didn't know UK recruit Darius Miller of Mason County. The first time he saw him was in December when Georgia and Mason were both in Hawaii for holiday tournaments.

"We were at the same store. I saw Mason County and thought maybe he was playing for Eddie Ford because that's who I played for (in high school AAU). He was cool. I saw his name and looked him up and realized he was pretty good," Jackson said.

"I don't know a lot about him, but some guys have told me he is a really good player. Mason County had Chris Lofton, so if he is like that he has to be pretty good, too. It's just good to see Kentucky have good players like that."

Jackson hopes his team can beat Mississippi tonight and advance to a Friday night game against UK here. He played only 24 minutes combined in Georgia's two losses to UK and was 1-for-3 from the field with six rebounds. However, he had 16 points and eight rebounds against Auburn two games ago in his best outing at Georgia.

"I definitely want to play Kentucky. I am always going to bring my 'A' game since I am from Kentucky," Jackson said. "I always want to beat Kentucky. I would love another chance at Kentucky, especially since I am starting and playing better now. I would love to see what I can do against them."

|

|

|