Andre Jackson, an Amsterdam native and Albany Academy graduate, had a strong showing in the Albany regional of the NCAA Tournament as he helped UConn defeat Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 70-55 on Sunday night. UConn moves on to the Sweet 16 and will face off against Arkansas on Thursday night in Las Vegas. Jackson was pleased to hear a sellout crowd making it feel like a UConn home game, and he expressed his appreciation to everyone who came out and rooted for his team. Two of the remaining teams in the Albany regional, Indiana and Saint Mary’s, are among six schools having their NCAA Tournament journey chronicled by TV production crews. Freshman guard Aidan Mahaney, the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year, had his first career NCAA points on Sunday. The cameras follow the teams and provide exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage that is compiled into packages and distributed on the official @MarchMadnessMBB Twitter and Facebook pages.
Albany Academy Graduate Andre Jackson Helps UConn Advance to Sweet 16
Andre Jackson, an Amsterdam native and Albany Academy graduate, had an impressive showing in the Albany regional of the NCAA Tournament. He helped the University of Connecticut (UConn) defeat Saint Mary’s (Calif.) 70-55 on Sunday night, contributing six points, six rebounds, seven assists, and 35 minutes of playing time to his team. With the victory, UConn (27-8) moves on to the Sweet 16 and will face off against the eighth-seeded Arkansas on Thursday night in Las Vegas.
Jackson’s return to Albany was memorable, but he tried to keep things as normal as possible for himself and his team. He stated that he chose to stay with his team, focus on the game, and avoid distractions that could have affected their performance. “I could always come back to Albany. That’s where I live, but I can’t always come back to March Madness and being in the biggest opportunity in my life. This opportunity comes once, so you’ve got to take full advantage of it,” Jackson said.
He was pleased to hear a sellout crowd making it feel like a UConn home game, and he expressed his appreciation to everyone who came out and rooted for his team. Jackson had a brief encounter with comedian Bill Murray, whose son Luke is an assistant coach for Connecticut, on his way to the interview room after the game.
Two of the remaining teams in the Albany regional, Indiana and Saint Mary’s, are among six schools having their NCAA Tournament journey chronicled by TV production crews. The cameras follow the teams and provide exclusive, behind-the-scenes coverage that is compiled into packages and distributed on the official @MarchMadnessMBB Twitter and Facebook pages. The other schools, chosen before the 68-team field was announced, are Texas, Arizona, Creighton, and Memphis. Arizona and Memphis were eliminated from the tournament on Friday.
In other news from the tournament, freshman guard Aidan Mahaney, the West Coast Conference’s Freshman of the Year, had his first career NCAA points on Sunday. Mahaney hit a short jumper just three minutes and four seconds into the game, finishing with nine points and matching Logan Johnson for tops on the team.
Jackson is looking forward to UConn’s game against Arkansas on Thursday night in Las Vegas. He is excited about the opportunity and cannot wait to experience what it is like with his team. “I definitely think Vegas is going to be a lot of fun,” he said.
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