UConn basketball player Andre Jackson, an Amsterdam native and Albany Academy graduate, played a key role in helping his team advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Jackson tried to keep his return to Albany as normal as possible, despite the sellout crowd making it feel like a UConn home game. He had six points, six rebounds, seven assists, and 35 minutes played in the victory against Saint Mary’s (Calif.) on Sunday night. UConn will face Arkansas in Las Vegas on Thursday night.
In other news, six schools, including Indiana and Saint Mary’s, have had their NCAA Tournament journeys chronicled by TV production crews. The packages are distributed on the official @MarchMadnessMBB Twitter and Facebook pages. Finally, freshman guard Aidan Mahaney scored his first career NCAA points, matching Logan Johnson for the team-high, in Saint Mary’s defeat on Sunday.
UConn’s Andre Jackson Helps Lead Team to Sweet 16
Andre Jackson, an Amsterdam native and graduate of Albany Academy, played an integral role in UConn’s advancement to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday night. UConn, seeded fifth, defeated Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 70-55 at MVP Arena in the Albany regional. Jackson, who had six points, six rebounds, and a team-high of seven assists and 35 minutes played, tried to keep his return to Albany as normal as possible for himself and his teammates. While he did exchange a quick hug with comedian Bill Murray, whose son Luke is an assistant coach for Connecticut, Jackson stated that he stayed with his team and didn’t do anything differently than he might on any road trip.
Moving on to the Sweet 16
With the win against Saint Mary’s, UConn (27-8) moves on to the Sweet 16 and will face Arkansas on Thursday night in Las Vegas. Jackson is excited to head to Vegas with the team and experience everything it has to offer, but he remains grateful for the sellout crowd in Albany, which made it feel like a UConn home game. Jackson appreciated everyone who came out and rooted for the team and said he heard a lot of boos when the other teams were coming out, which gave UConn an edge.
Access Albany and Beyond
Two of the six remaining schools in the NCAA Tournament have had their journey chronicled by TV production crews as part of “NCAA March Madness Confidential.” Indiana and Saint Mary’s have had cameras following them since Selection Sunday, providing exclusive behind-the-scenes coverage of those teams. Packages are distributed on the official @MarchMadnessMBB Twitter and Facebook pages. The other schools chosen are Texas, Arizona, Creighton, and Memphis, but Arizona and Memphis were eliminated from the tournament on Friday.
Notes from the Gaels
Aidan Mahaney, a freshman guard, helped Saint Mary’s on Sunday, scoring his first career NCAA points by hitting a short jumper just 3:04 into the game. Mahaney, who was held scoreless in 18 foul-plagued minutes on Friday, was the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year. He finished with nine points, matching Logan Johnson for the team-high.
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