Patience.
That’s the word Taiyanna Jackson uses when asked to describe how she went from playing at Trinity Valley Community College to being the No. 2 shot blocker in the nation in Kansas. Jayhawk always knew his time was coming, but it was also a journey to get there.
Before coming to Kansas, Jackson played two years of JUCO ball. His decision to go that route, despite being a four-star high school prospect at Chicago Central HS and originally committed to Ole Miss, led him to want to explore his options and open himself up to something new. At Trinity Valley, Jackson was the NJCAA Region 14 freshman and averaged 10.3 points per game over those two seasons.
Statistics aside, what Jackson gained from the experience prepared him not only on an athletic level, but mentally. “JUCO is completely different, the class sizes, the games, how we travel, how we prepare for games, everything is just different. Trinity Valley was fun and I would say it prepared me for the mental side of DI,” he says, later adding, “Being patient and just knowing that my time is coming (and) everything (I’ve) worked for. because everything (I’ve) thought about (and) dreamed about (it) will eventually come true just by being patient,” Jackson tells us via Zoom in early March, before Election Sunday.
As you read this, Jackson and his team are gearing up for March Madness; The Jayhawks will play Michigan in the first round on March 23. To say that Jackson has fit into the Jayhawks program well would be an understatement. bloomed. He was the first Jayhawk named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team as a junior, and he’s become such a defensive ace this season that his 3.1 blocks per game now rank No. 2 in blocks. , just behind Stanford’s Cameron Brink.
Jackson has always been a skilled shot blocker, but since arriving in Lawrence, he’s been challenged against bigger and more experienced opponents at the DI level than he’s come in. But here’s how he met the challenge and discovered: that his footwork and approach to defense are his specialties, allowing him to make a big impact. “(It was) my first time playing against, like, DI basketball players,” he says, looking back on his first season at KU. “I’ve always known I’m a great defender (and) I’m quick on my feet, and that’s just something I have (as) an advantage at my position. I was just proud of it. I let my offense come to me and let my defense take over.”
Jackson is fearless when playing against opponents. Don’t sleep though. his offensive game is also there. he’s currently second on the team in scoring at 12.6 ppg, but on the other end of the floor, Jackson really comes into his own. “I really just love protection. It’s like the thrill and joy you get when you block someone’s shot. I don’t know, I just like it,” he says with a smile and a slight grin.
The passion in his voice is evident, and at one point, Jackson waves a chef’s kiss, as if comparing the feeling of blocking someone’s shot to a delicacy. When Kansas played Houston in February, Jackson posted nine blocked shots for a double-double, moving him to the top of the Jayhawks record books for most blocked shots in program history (270).
“Just stop sleeping on him,” teammate Zakia Franklin told The University Daily Kansan. “He was doing it. It’s nothing new to us … but people across the country need to pay more attention.” Throughout the season, Jackson has proven time and time again that this is exactly what he does. came out in the second quarter. He had another monster double-double performance with 29 points, 10 rebounds and even four blocks to help seal the 65-53 win.
The Jayhawks will need that same energy ahead of the NCAA tournament, where they’ll try to advance to the second round for the first time since 2022. No matter what happens, this is just the beginning for Jackson, who. has her sights set on the WNBA in the future. We can only imagine how his game will grow at the next level.
“I would love to go play at the next level. That’s the goal.”
Photos via Getty Images. Portrait via KU Athletics.
