Parker Jackson-Cartwright

 
Although he (Parker Jackson-Cartwright, ’14 basketball recruit) doesn’t possess prototypical size for the next level, he is the region’s best basketball player. His savvy, skill, and quickness are uncanny. It’s early, but he is the best point guard, at this stage, that we have seen since Baron Davis laced them up at Crossroads High School.
ESPNU, High school basketball analyst
 
 
OVERVIEWPROJECTION
STRENGTHSVIDEOS
AREAS OF OPPORTUNITYPHOTOS
ON THE RECRUITING FRONT
 
 

RATINGS/RANKINGS

 

 
 

MEASURABLES

 

 
 

OVERVIEW

At 5’9 140lbs and having just completed his Sophomore year in High school, Parker Jackson-Cartwright may not strike some as a force on the hardwood. Hand him a ball and a team to manage, and the ’14 Point Guard turns doubters into believers. The California ’09-’10 Freshman Player of the Year and 2-time All-CIF Southern Section 1s team, Jackson-Cartwright sits firmly on the ’14 radar of several high level Division I basketball programs. The Loyola High Cubs have registered a record of 51-12 while #3 has run the Point, and on two occasions in ’11-’12 gave Katin Reinhardt and dynamic Mater Dei all they could handle (58-61, 63-75). Lost to graduation (from the ’11-’12 team) will be Julian Harrell, Jacob Hazzard, and Justin Childress. The three combined for 48% of Loyola’s ’11-’12 points and were #1, #3, and #4 on the club in scoring. The ’12-’13 season should prove interesting/challenging as Jackson-Cartwright may be called to fill much of the scoring void. Will he do so while maintaining his mark as one of the West coast’s top facilitators.

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STRENGTHS

Vision. That single word may best describe what separates Parker Jackson-Cartwright from all but the upper tier of High school Point Guards. His lightning quick hands generate pinpoint passes, which few defenders have the reflexes to intercept or deflect. High-level vision and court awareness provide PJC a complete picture as to where players are, as well as where they should be in two-three seconds. Routinely the smallest man (in stature) on the court, Loyola’s #3 overwhelms opponents with next level quicks and razor sharp change of direction. Equally impressive as Jackson-Cartwright’s ability to deliver the ball (’10-’11 4.9 apg, ’11-’12 4.2 apg) is his ability to protect the ball. Loyola’s 32 game ’11-’12 season, the PG registered just 43 turnovers (1.3 per game). The resulting Assist/Turnover ratio of 3.13 would rank PJC 3rd among NCAA qualifiers (Kendall Marshall 3.48, Randy Davis 3.27). Asked to summarize his strengths, Jackson-Cartwright responded, “Creating for myself/others, getting in the lane and making plays, getting out in passing lanes and getting steals,”. On the defensive front, Jackson-Cartwright followed-up a ’10-’11 campaign of 2.7 steals/game with another strong performance and 2.2 steals/game in ’11-’12.

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AREAS OF OPPORTUNITY

As “vision” may best summarize the success of his game, “strength” may best summarize PJC’s area(s) of opportunity. Physical size is the one aspect of his game that fits his age. Jackson-Cartwright is a slasher, but can struggle driving the hoop when facing physically larger and more aggressive defenders. His desire to drive the lane leads directly into a second area of opportunity. The ’14 Point Guard made it to the free throw line 128 times (’11-’12), but was successful on just 58% of those attempts. The previous season’s (’10-’11) success rate of 75% was more in line with that which expect from someone with Jackson-Cartwright’s skillset. Across the board, PJC’s Sophomore shooting marks fell short of his Freshman efforts (47%FG vs 51%FG, 34% 3-pt vs 36% 3-pt). As mentioned, Loyola will most likely turn to their Point Guard to assume more of the scoring load. Does this negatively impact Jackson-Cartwright shot selection, thereby compromising his shooting efficiency? Is the Junior to be capable of dialing up his points per game (10.4 in ’10-’11, 12.5 in ’11-’12) within the offensive system while maintaining effective shot selection? Jackson-Cartwright’s strong work ethic and dedication to improving his game are givens. The challenges of the upcoming season (’12-’13) will test each.

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PROJECTION

Parker Jackson-Cartwright will be a star. His high-level court awareness and vision, ability (at such a young age) to run a team, and next level quicks/handles provide considerable confidence in the likelihood he succeeds against any level of competition. For the upcoming season, I project Jackson-Cartwright in the 14-16 point, 3-4 rebound, 5-6 assist, and 2.5-3 steals range. I trust last season’s struggles from the free throw were an aberration, and I expect to see ’12-’13 results in the range of 70-75%. As his physical maturity continues, it is not a stretch to expect Senior season numbers in the 16-18 point and 6-7 assist range. His consistency in anticipating the movements of defenders and teammates leaves Jackson-Cartwright among the elite Point Guards of recent memory. ESPNU’s choice of Baron Davis for reference is high praise, but there’s a clear difference in the styles of the two HS guards. Davis was hyper-athletic and an explosive leaper. Although athletically gifted, Jackson-Cartwright owes much of his success to vision, calm under pressure, and pinpoint passing accuracy. For comparisons sake, I’d list Mike Conley (Ohio St., Memphis Grizzlies) when looking to parallel Jackson-Cartwright’s potential. His recruitment has already achieved national attention, and the offers/interest will only increase. Assuming his frame develops to carry 165-175lbs, his free throw success rate settles north of 70%, and 3-pt consistency continues to increase (’10-’11 34%, ’11-’12 36%), Parker Jackson-Cartwright should emerge as one of the top 10 recruits in the Class of ’14. His overall game belies his youth and his ceiling appears far from reached.

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VIDEO

 

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PHOTOS

 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ON THE RECRUITING FRONT

 
I asked Jackson-Cartwright to list (in no particular order) the school in which he is interested : University of Arizona, Baylor, North Carolina St., Penn (brother attends), Saint Mary’s, San Diego St., and UNLV. Current offers : Arizona, Arizona St., North Carolina St., San Diego St., St John’s, UCLA, USC, and Washington.