As a talented four-star prospect heading into his freshman season at the University of Michigan and Zavier Simpson moving on from the college game, Zeb Jackson seemed poised to get good playing time last season for Juwan Howard and the Wolverines.
But sometimes, things just don’t work out that way. Jackson had a lot to learn, and was behind the veteran transfers in Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown on the depth chart. But it was Simpson who Jackson credits with helping him understand the process and being patient as things play themselves out.
“He kind of let me know what I was getting into and let me know that, in this situation, as long as I pay attention and learn as much as I can while I’m here, I’ll be best prepared for when I get to the next level,” Jackson said on the Defend the Block podcast.
Heading into his sophomore season, Jackson should now be in line for more playing time. But he is cognizant he still has things to work on before more playing time comes.
“Consistency, for sure,” Jackson said. “There’s days where I’ll be really good, and then there’s days where it’s like, ‘Zeb, what are you doing,’ so getting more consistent with it is a big thing for me.
“Confidence is a big thing for me, that I feel like I could also work on a little bit. A lot of the skills that I have are what I need. It’s just about me putting it together.”
With Ei Brooks and transfer DeVante’ Jones holding down the starting guard spots, and incoming freshmen Kobe Bufkin and Frankie Collins likely to face a learning curve, expect Jackson to be among the first guys off the bench this season for Howard and the Wolverines.
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