In the mind of Syracuse associate head coach Bernie Fine, Rick Jackson has something that every NBA team loves. That skill the ability to rebound is something Jackson did better than anyone in the Big East last year.

‘Everybody loves somebody that can rebound the basketball,’ Fine said. ‘If (Jackson) keeps rebounding like he did here, he’s going to be in great shape. There aren’t a lot of great rebounders around. Rebounders make it their job to get the ball.’

Jackson will be hoping Fine’s words ring true Thursday night at the NBA draft in Newark, N.J. The former SU big man used a strong senior season to propel himself into the draft discussion this year. And after a long stretch of cross-country travel and workouts for various teams throughout the league, all that’s left for Jackson to do is wait to hear if his name is called Thursday.

In most mock drafts, Jackson is projected to be taken in the middle portion of the second round.

‘He’s gotten better every year,’ Fine said. ‘I thought he had a great senior year and really did a good job for us. He led the Big East in rebounding, he led in blocked shots, he led in field goal percentage. I mean, you can’t ask for much more than that.’

Jackson held a starting spot for the Orange since his sophomore year but elevated his game to another level as a senior. The 6-foot-9, 240-pound Jackson shed nearly 30 pounds to get in shape in the offseason leading up to the 2010-2011 season, helping him become a force down low in an otherwise inexperienced SU backcourt.

With freshmen Fab Melo and Baye Moussa Keita struggling to produce, Jackson played both the power forward and center positions at times last season.

The forward from Philadelphia averaged a double-double (13.1 points per game, 10.3 rebounds per game) and led the Big East with 2.5 blocks per contest. That didn’t result in a first-team All-Big East selection for Jackson, much to the dismay of Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.

‘He’s been the best big man in the conference all year,’ Boeheim said March 7, prior to the start of the Big East tournament. ‘If you ask the coaches, ‘Who’s the most important player on your team?’ They’ll all say the big guy.’

Jackson could not be reached for comment but has been constantly updating his Twitter profile during his preparations for the draft. He has worked out for nine teams since Syracuse’s graduation on May 14, travelling back and forth across the country.

The most intense was a three-day stretch last week when Jackson worked out for the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Portland Trail Blazers. The forward also tweeted that he ‘murdered’ a workout with the Cleveland Cavaliers on June 10.

And though he probably would be thrilled to hear his name called by any team Thursday, Jackson seems to be holding out hope that his hometown Philadelphia 76ers will select him. The 76ers have two picks in Thursday’s draft, No. 16 and No. 50.

‘Workout with the @76ers went well .. #fingers crossed,’ he tweeted on June 4.

Jackson is rated as the No. 55 prospect on the NBAdraft.net big board, which would put him as a late second round selection. His new-and-improved conditioning, shot blocking, rebounding and passing are listed among his strengths.

But the downside to Jackson’s game is on the offensive end of the floor. There are doubts about his ability to create shots for himself in the post, and Fine said the thing he needs to work on most on is his shooting. Much of Jackson’s offensive production for SU came on feeds from teammates after he had already established position on the block.

Fine added that Jackson has been working on his offense, and it has been part of his routine throughout the year. But in Fine’s mind, Jackson’s rebounding and shot-blocking ability should be enough to draw intrigue from NBA teams come Thursday.

‘All you need is one person to really like you,’ Fine said. ‘And you’re in decent shape.’

zjbrown@syr.edu

Published on June 21, 2011 at 12:00 pm