To put a bow on this college basketball season, we’re once again diving into a classic series of ours where we ask each returning Cyclone to “step into my office” to review the season that was, and take a shot at what next season could look like for them.

First up is freshman guard, Tre Jackson, who could potentially have a lengthy career and be a leader in the near future.

Season at a Glance

Out of Blythewood, South Carolina, Tre Jackson was a 3-star point guard who was not very well known. Only racking up two Power 5 offers (Iowa State and South Carolina), Tre Jackson came to Ames a little under the radar. Appearing in 31 of the 32 games, Jackson found himself playing many roles for the ISU squad.

Tre Jackson started the season off the bench and found himself playing anywhere from 4 to 28 minutes through the first 19 games. Following Tyrese Haliburton’s injury, Tre was inserted into the starting lineup where he would stay for the remainder of the season. Jackson was one of the most improved players as the season went on, making for one of the better stories within this basketball program.

The Numbers

In his first year at Iowa State, Tre averaged just 4.3 points to go with 1.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and .8 steals. He also shot 33.7% from 3, which was second on the team, only behind Tyrese Haliburton. Jackson’s best game in his rookie campaign was when he played all 40 minutes in a win over TCU in February. Tre knocked down 4 3’s to rack up 18 points to go with 5 assists and 0 turnovers.

Another highlight for Tre Jackson is something that happened off the court. Through the first 13 games, Jackson shot just 25% from beyond the arc. The night before Iowa State took on Kansas, he was shooting around with his dad and a friend. They slowly discovered that he would dip every time he shot the ball, so they fixed it that night and it truly made a difference as the season went along. After that night, Jackson shot nearly 39% from 3 point land for the remainder of the season. This makes for a bright future for the freshman.

2020-2021 Season Outlook

Tre Jackson is one of the hardest workers on Iowa State’s roster. There is no doubt that he earned every minute he played this past season, even though the stats do not necessarily correspond. Iowa State does have one guard in the 2020 recruiting class, Jaden Walker, but his future depends a lot on the decision of Tyrese Haliburton.

If Tyrese Haliburton is around for next season, it is likely Jackson will start as an off ball guard, but step into the point guard slot when Tyrese is not on the floor. If Hali decides to take his shot and declare for the NBA Draft, we should expect to see Jackson be Iowa State’s number one option to start at point guard. He is an improved shooter from the beginning of the season, and we should expect him to improve yet this off season. He has a very good work ethic and is very capable of being a leader on this lost Cyclone squad.

He was also a good perimeter and on ball defender, making him all the better for the future.

Jackson also has arguably the highest ceiling of the players currently on the roster for next year. He was one of the more improved players on the team as the season went along, and has a very bright future.