Norman, Okla. ? Darnell Jackson will be spending some quality time in the Sooner State in the next couple of weeks.
“I’m ready to go home,” grins Jackson, Kansas University’s junior power forward from Oklahoma City.
The Jayhawks will tangle with Oklahoma at 8 tonight in Noble Center, just 20 miles down the road from Jackson’s childhood home.
From March 8-11, it’s off to the Ford Center in Oklahoma City for Big 12 tournament games.
“I’m ready to go back and see all my friends and family, my mom, brother, sister, uncle, cousins, everybody,” Jackson said. “My mom has been up here a couple of times, but I just tell her to stay off the road because of her accident.”
Shawn Jackson sustained several broken bones in her legs and arms in a car wreck that claimed the life of Jackson’s grandmother in 2005.
Jackson’s mom will be sitting next to one of Darnell’s favorite relatives tonight – his uncle, Edred, who happens to be a big Sooner fan.
“This is a big game for my uncle. Every since I was young, he always told me and both my cousins he wanted one of us to run out of the OU tunnel,” Darnell said. “He wanted me to run under coach Sampson (Kelvin, former OU coach). It was one of his dreams for his nephew. He’s still proud of me running through the tunnel for KU. He helps me a lot. It means a lot that he and my mom get to see me play.”
Jackson also will see familiar faces on the court.
He is friends with several of the Sooner players, including fellow OKC natives Keith Clark, Taylor Griffin and David Godbold, whom Jackson knew on the high school and AAU circuits.
“I want to go down there and just play against them. I get to watch them on TV a lot, but I’m kind of disappointed because Keith is hurt,” Jackson said of former Putnam City High standout Clark, who suffered a knee injury after 11 games and is finished for the season.
“When I went home over Christmas break, we were talking, and he was really excited about playing against us. But now he’s hurt, so he’s kind of down.”
Clark, a 6-foot-8 freshman, averaged 3.8 points and 2.3 boards. Godbold, a 6-5 junior from Douglass High, averages 7.5 points and 4.7 boards, and Griffin, a 6-7 sophomore from Oklahoma Christian School, averages 6.3 points and 5.3 boards.
“I have a lot of friends down there, so I’m not worrying about anything,” said Jackson, a former Oklahoma Sooner football fan who enters with a 5.7 scoring and 5.2 rebound average.
He said he was over his love of OU.
“Growing up, I was just a kid who started playing basketball his freshman year. I never thought I’d make it this far playing at Kansas,” Jackson said “It’s been a dream come true.”
¢Robinson available: Russell Robinson, who missed Saturday’s game due to a right foot injury, practiced Sunday and will be available for tonight’s game, KU coach Bill Self said Sunday.
¢Big Monday finale: Tonight’s game marks KU’s fourth and final Big Monday appearance of the season. The Jayhawks won at home versus Missouri and also have taken care of business at Nebraska and Kansas State.
Noble Center will be energized on the Sooners’ Senior Night.
Nate Carter, Michael Neal, Kellen Sampson and Chris Walker will be introduced in a pregame ceremony. Former OU coach Kelvin Sampson, who is Kellen’s dad, will attend, as will former OU players Jeff Webster (1991-94) and David Johnson (1984-87). Additionally, the school is calling for a “WhiteOUt” in the arena. Each seat will be dressed with a white “Cheer like a champion” T-shirt.
“We will have our hands full again on the road,” Self said. “Oklahoma is great defensively (allowing 58.6 points a game). Neal can really shoot it. Nate Carter has been great in league play. They guard so well, they don’t have to score 75 to win.”
¢Prep game: Self said he wouldn’t be against bringing a major high school game to Allen Fieldhouse like Kansas State did Sunday when Notre Dame Prep and IMG Academy came to Manhattan. KSU signee Michael Beasley plays for Notre Dame.
“We would have nothing to do with it. A promoter would have to set it up, and they just (rent) the building,” Self said.
The Gazelle Group sponsored Sunday’s game at KSU.
