Wisconsin's Jackson '50-50' to return for NCAA tournament opener
MADISON, Wis. -- One of the first things Sam Dekker noticed about Traevon Jackson during Tuesday's practice was the intensity he summoned to perform a simple chair drill. Here was Jackson, trying to work into a lather from a few crossover dribbles, pushing hard past a chair to the basket for layups and landing confidently on either foot.
For most, the drill wouldn't have been all that memorable. But for Jackson, who is attempting to come back from a broken right foot sustained more than two months ago, every moment counts.
"I'm happy that he's able to do those moves, and he looked like Trae again," Dekker said.
The question now is: how much of the old Jackson will emerge on the cusp of Wisconsin's foray into the NCAA tournament as a national title contender?
Tuesday represented a significant step for Jackson, who has been medically cleared to return to all activity. Jackson said he would push as hard as he felt he could to play. Still, the senior noted he wouldn't push himself over the edge.
No. 1 seed Wisconsin will play No. 16 seed Coastal Carolina in a West Regional tournament opener at 8:20 p.m. CT on Friday, in Omaha, Neb. Yet Jackson's status remains in flux and appears largely up to him.
"Honestly, it's like a 50-50 chance," Jackson said after Tuesday's practice of playing Friday. "I'm not like 100 percent sure, honestly. I'm not really rushing back at all. It's just a matter of how I feel."
Jackson suffered the broken foot on Jan. 11 during the second half of an eventual loss at Rutgers. He was averaging 9.4 points and 2.9 assists in 27.4 minutes per game. To that point, he had started 84 consecutive games over three seasons. But if he does return, it seems improbable he'll be Wisconsin's starting point guard again.
In Jackson's place, sophomore Bronson Koenig has excelled, averaging 12.2 points and shooting 46.5 percent on 3-point attempts. Most importantly, Wisconsin is 16-1 in Koenig's 17 starts since replacing Jackson. Koenig was at his best during Wisconsin's Big Ten tournament championship run, when he averaged 16.3 points per game with a career-high 19 points against Purdue in the semifinals and a career-best nine assists against Michigan State in the title game.
And while Jackson said he did not want to rush himself back on the court, he also recognized that meant a possibility he may never play in a Wisconsin uniform again because of the one-and-done nature of the NCAA tournament.
"I've come to grips with that," Jackson said. "Honestly, I'll be OK if I didn't play the rest of the season. Because it's not really that big of a deal to me to where it's like I have to play. I want to be 100 percent to help the team out. I don't want to be like a burden to the team and to be like a negative impact. If I come back -- when I come back -- I'll be 100 percent. But I've accepted the fact that it doesn't matter in terms of I have to be here. So I'm OK with that."
That thought process represents a stark contrast to Jackson's comments three weeks ago, when he insisted he would return in time for Wisconsin's senior day game at the Kohl Center against Michigan State on March 1. His optimism, of course, did not come to fruition, and he has since backed off from trying to provide any definitive timetable.
Jackson noted his foot "feels great" and that his main goal was to make sure his Achilles and the ligaments around the foot felt loose. His style of play, he said, is predicated on substantial movement and cutting to draw contact at the rim, and he wanted to be fully confident in his abilities when he returned to the court.
If Jackson does return, there is also the matter of how much he'll actually play. Koenig hasn't played fewer than 35 minutes in any game since Feb. 7, and Jackson could provide quite a lift off the bench -- even if that begins with only five minutes a game.
"I think we just have to wait and see where he's at and what he feels like physically," Badgers assistant coach Greg Gard said. "It's different between running on a treadmill and in a pool and on a bike than it is changing direction when you're cutting and some of the cardiovascular things that he'll have to see where he's at. Timing. All those types of things. We'll see what happens as we go through the week."
Teammates, meanwhile, welcomed Jackson back with open arms Tuesday and said they hoped he would be able to contribute in games in some capacity.
"I'm thinking he can get out there Friday for the game," Badgers guard Josh Gasser said. "I hope tomorrow we can get some possessions in and see how he feels. It's definitely up to him. He got cleared it sounds like, so that's great. It's pretty much up to him and how he's feeling. Knowing that, I think he'll play."
Dekker said he anticipated Jackson experiencing quite a bit of rust. In October, Dekker suffered a sprained ankle, and though he returned three weeks later, he experienced lingering effects into December.
"I felt rusty sitting out for a few weeks after my ankle injury, and it took me a while to get back," Dekker said. "I can't imagine what it'd be out two months now. That's going to take a little bit for him to get settled. But hopefully he comes up to speed a little quicker than I did. He's such a confident guy, mentally tough, so I'm sure he'll get it back quickly. Just looking for him to get some minutes and hopefully get some confidence on the court."
That's all Jackson is hoping for, too.
"Right now, I'm not there yet," Jackson said. "But each day I feel better. I feel stronger as I keep going. There's no need to rush at this point. I'm not going to rush back. I'll come back when I feel fine."
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