By Tom Ballato
Ameer Jackson began his collegiate career at a community college at Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kansas. At Dodge City Community College, he became an All-American. Jackson ended up committing early during his sophomore year to Division I Sam Houston State.
At Sam Houston State, Jackson got into some trouble off the court, and his grades weren’t up to par. Division II colleges jumped at the opportunity, but he ended returning home to North Carolina to play at Winston-Salem State University, a small public HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) located in Winston Salem, North Carolina.
After one year at Winston-Salem State, Jackson bypassed his final season of eligibility to sign professionally overseas. Jackson described his overall collegiate experience as “rocky,” but it was a learning experience.
Jackson signed to play in Romania. “There were two leagues when I was there, but they have one super league. It was a real good rookie season for me. I was able to play my game and played pretty well.” Jackson averaged 37. 3 points and 7 assists per game.
In 2018-2019, Jackson was the #1 scorer in Qatar with 24.1 points per game. He also averaged 10.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Jackson was able to hold his own in the Qatari Basketball League that featured players that played in the NBA G League and top leagues overseas. These players include Franklin Session, Dominic James, Jeff Newberry, and Geron Johnson.
In two professional seasons, Jackson has become a well-known scoring threat. He is a crafty point guard that likes to get his teammates involved, but the ability to score from mid-range and the outside has made his game lethal. Jackson is a tough player and has a high basketball IQ. A big part of his game that is still growing is his free throw percentage, which is something he admitted needs to be more consistent.
This past summer, he suffered a slight ACL tear in his right knee. This injury required surgery, but that didn’t stop a professional team in Tunisia, Africa, from signing him. Jackson rehabbed, but never ended up playing for the club because his body wasn’t ready.
Jackson is rehabbing and getting ready for this upcoming season. His surgery went well, and he’s coming into form.
He’s looking to make his return to Qatar and get dual citizenship. “I love Qatar; the locals are friendly, and I had a great experience. It’s beautiful, and I’m looking forward to going back.”
Jackson’s long term goal is to prove that he is healthy and capable of running a team at a high level. After establishing himself overseas, he hopes to catch an invite to an NBA Summer League team.
If given that opportunity, the ball with be in Jackson’s court.
