Update on . . . Tamir Jackson

For those of you who do not already know, St. Benedict's (NJ) 6'2 junior guard Tamir "Pop" Jackson recently pledged to the UAB Blazers. I spoke with Tamir a few hours ago, and he let me know that he committed "last night." Jackson, a member of Playaz Gold for AAU, told me that he "had liked the school . . . [and] already knew that [he] wanted to go there. . . . [He] just wanted to get [rid of] added pressure, so [he] could go out there and play." I inquired as to whether "Pop" knew of any other juniors considering UAB, and he informed me that "Lance Brown from Paterson Catholic [in New Jersey]," is thinking about the school, adding, "if they offer him [a scholarship], he will consider it." Brown is a 6'3 swingman, about whom Tamir will "talk to [UAB Head] Coach [Mike] Davis." Jackson hadn't specifically planned on committing now, but "the timing felt right," so he pulled the trigger. The commitment has made the star junior feel "like a weight [has been] . . . lifted off [him]." I questioned Tamir about his reasoning for choosing the Blazers over some of the bigger name schools that were after him: "Playing time and the coach/player relationship that I have with Coach Davis, but the main factor was really playing time." Tamir "Pop" Jackson will certainly get to play quite a bit at UAB, as will junior phenom DeMarcus Cousins, and the two could make for an imposing tandem in the C-USA.