FAYETTEVILLE — The first thing Arkansas basketball fans likely learned about Vance Jackson this spring is that he can be a sharpshooter at 6-9.
Over three seasons at Connecticut and New Mexico, the California native knocked down 157 3-pointers and connected from deep at a 35.4 percent clip, including 39.7 percent at UConn as a freshman. His versatility was appealing to Razorbacks coach Eric Musselman and his staff as they scanned the transfer market this offseason.
And it didn’t take long for Jackson to make an impression on his teammates. In the first couple of weeks of unofficial team workouts, he put on a show from the perimeter.
Musselman estimated he sunk 70 of 79 attempts from 3 in a practice in late July.
“Vance is a real shooter, a shooter-shooter,” Indiana graduate transfer forward Justin Smith said last week. “He can really knock down a lot of different types of shots and he’s definitely going to help us spread the floor and space the floor and open up driving lanes for a lot of different guys.”
True freshman shooting guard Moses Moody, the top pure shooter in the programs’ most recent recruiting class, has taken notice, too, of Jackson’s ability to knock down jumpers from all areas of the floor.
What he likes most is how the big-bodied Jackson uses his frame and strength to create space to get off his shots.
“That’s what he does. He hits shots,” Moody added. “He can score off a little jab step, one-dribble stepback, all of those. You can definitely see that he’s a vet in the moves that he does, and his size.”
In his last go-around, Jackson is pushing to be more than just a perimeter threat. He wants to impart wisdom gained from his previous two stops to more than a handful of Arkansas newcomers.
Jackson has played in 92 career games and earned a starting nod in 65.
“I feel like just being a leader and also being that voice,” he said Friday. “I’ve been through a lot. I’ve been through probably every aspect, every situation in basketball, so just having that vet experience and staying calm during situations of let’s say we’re down or something or just feeling some pressure.
“I just want to help my team do whatever it takes to win, whether it’s getting a stop on defense, rebounding and things like that.”
Aside from providing a punch from deep, Musselman wants and needs Jackson to be a ball mover and solid rebounder. And he has shown a propensity for both tasks in his college career.
In Jackson's first three seasons, he grabbed at least six defensive rebounds 28 times, 10-plus defensive rebounds three times and 10-plus total rebounds in eight games. Jackson can be a solid assists player as well.
He had his best season setting up teammates in his first year at New Mexico, averaging nearly three assists per game. His assist rate, according to KenPom analytics, sat at 19.9 percent in 2018-19, and he had 13 multi-assist games last season.
“I can post up little guys and I can take people off the dribble,” Jackson said. “And I can create for others as well. I feel like you guys will be seeing a lot of that through the course of the season.
“Also, rebounding and defending multiple positions (is a strength).”
Musselman says if the Razorbacks opt to floor a small-ball lineup similar to the Golden State Warriors with forward Draymond Green, Jackson could fill in at the 5. His more natural position, however, is the 3 or 4.
“He needs his shot to fall and we need his shot to fall for him to stay on the floor,” Musselman added. “That’s his strength. He’s not going to block a lot of shots.
“He can post-up smaller 3 guys. At the 4 spot, I think he can stretch the floor and drag out bigger defensive players. … I think with Vance it's just about consistency. Before we even got started, he had 2-3 phenomenal weeks, (dropped off) and then he got back to playing at the level we expect him to play at from an offensive standpoint.”
Jackson’s family motivates him to be better each day. He has played basketball since the age of 5, and he has always wanted to reach the highest levels of success.
Ever since the 2019-20 season was cut short because of covid-19 concerns, his primary focus has been fine-tuning and adding to his game.
“It just drives me every day in this (covid-19 climate),” he said. “I’ve got nothing else to do but get better. I feel like it’s right there. You’ve just got to go get it.”