Lewis Jackson (basketball, born 1989)
Lewis Jackson IV | |
|---|---|
| Born | September 20, 1989 United States |
| Occupation | Professional basketball player |
| Years active | 2008–present |
| Known for | Playing for Purdue Boilermakers, Erie BayHawks, Indiana All-Americans |
Lewis Jackson IV (born September 20, 1989) is a professional basketball athlete from the United States, currently signed with the Indiana All-Americans. His previous tenure includes playing for the Erie BayHawks in the NBA Development League. During his collegiate career at Purdue University, Jackson served as the leading point guard for the Boilermakers in his junior season, averaging four assists per game and shooting 50.3% from the field. His performance earned him Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors and nominations for the Bob Cousy Award in both 2011 and 2012.
High school career
Jackson attended Eisenhower High School located in Decatur, Illinois, where he played under the guidance of coach Jeremy Moore. In his final year, he posted averages of 21.7 points and 10 assists per game. These achievements led to him being named Illinois' 2008 Big School Player of the Year by MidStateHoops.com, securing third place in the Illinois Mr. Basketball voting, and receiving local Player of the Year recognition. Additionally, he competed with Indiana's Elite AAU team.
2008–09
Jackson began his collegiate journey at Purdue University, joining coach Matt Painter’s squad alongside standout teammates such as E'Twaun Moore, Robbie Hummel, and JaJuan Johnson. As a freshman, he earned the starting point guard role, appearing in 36 games and starting 30, establishing a school record for most games played by a freshman. His total of 118 assists ranked second among all Purdue freshmen historically. Despite missing one game due to a concussion sustained on January 27, 2009, Jackson averaged 5.9 points and led the team with 3.4 assists per contest. He played a key role in Purdue achieving an 11–7 record in Big Ten play and finishing 27–10 overall, culminating in a Sweet Sixteen berth during the 2009 NCAA tournament. His efforts were recognized with selection to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, alongside future NBA player Byron Mullens.
2009–10
In spring 2009, Jackson encountered legal issues following a traffic stop in Decatur, Illinois, which resulted in community service obligations and a suspension that caused him to miss three games. Subsequent to this suspension, he underwent surgery for a foot injury that further delayed his return to play. He made his comeback on January 28, 2010, facing Wisconsin. Serving as Purdue’s chief point guard, he contributed significantly to the team’s success as they achieved a 14–4 conference record (with a 10–1 mark in games he participated) and secured their first Big Ten championship in fourteen years. On March 3, 2010, Jackson tallied nine points, five assists, and three rebounds in a victory over archrival Indiana. Throughout the season, he recorded nine contests with four or more assists, including a nine-assist performance against Siena during the First Round of the NCAA tournament, adding six rebounds and eight points in that game. He led Purdue with an average of 3.5 assists per game while helping guide the team to back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances and an overall record of 29–6.
2010–11
Entering the 2011 season fully healthy, Jackson increased his output to average eight points per game while leading Purdue with four assists per contest and shooting an efficient 50.3% from the field. He also contributed an average of 3.2 rebounds and maintained a free throw percentage of 71.6%. Season highlights included matching a personal best with six rebounds on two occasions, scoring eleven points against Valparaiso, and equaling his career-high nine assists versus Austin Peay. In a matchup against IPFW, he recorded eight assists along with eight points without committing any turnovers. Jackson set a new career scoring high by posting seventeen points at Penn State, then surpassed it with nineteen points against Michigan State on January 22. He reached double-digit scoring eleven times throughout the season and was named a candidate for the Bob Cousy Award on December 20. Increasing his offensive role during conference play (14–4), he averaged 10.2 points per game while helping Purdue secure second place in the Big Ten standings and earning Honorable Mention All-Big Ten recognition. The team concluded with a 25–8 record after advancing to the Third Round of the NCAA tournament.
2011–12
Serving as one of three captains alongside upperclassmen Robbie Hummel and Ryne Smith during the 2012 season, Jackson battled through initial foot complications to post averages of 12.5 points and four assists over his first four contests, all victories. On November 18, he achieved a personal best by scoring 26 points against Temple, demonstrating efficiency by converting 10 out of 11 free throw attempts. Shortly thereafter, on November 20, he secured a career-high nine rebounds in a defeat against #15 Alabama. In December, Jackson was once more recognized as a Bob Cousy Award nominee. Guiding Purdue to a 20–11 finish, he contributed an average of 10.4 points (ranking second on the squad), led the team with 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and added 3.2 rebounds while maintaining a free throw percentage of 72.8%. Despite midseason setbacks from foot discomfort and back strains limiting his practice availability, he posted double-digit scoring in sixteen games, including two outings exceeding 20 points. Jackson maintained one of the nation's top assist-to-turnover ratios and led the Big Ten in career assists among active players with a total of 451. He received Honorable Mention All-Big Ten accolades once again alongside teammate DJ Byrd. On March 9, during the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals loss to #7 Ohio State, Jackson recorded a career-high ten assists and notched his first double-double by adding ten points. In his concluding collegiate campaign, he propelled Purdue to the third round of the NCAA Tournament before being eliminated by Kansas, finishing with an overall record of 22–13. Throughout his college tenure, Purdue amassed a 104–37 record, making Jackson the most victorious starting point guard in the history of the program.
Professional career
After going undrafted in the 2012 NBA draft, Jackson signed with Lithuanian club BC Šiauliai for the 2012–13 season.
On November 1, 2013, he was chosen in the fifth round of the NBA D-League draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce but was released on November 21. Subsequently, on December 10, 2013, Jackson joined the Erie BayHawks, where he averaged 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists, and 1.1 steals across 36 appearances.
Jackson was acquired by the Westchester Knicks on November 21, 2014; shortly after, on December 4, he was traded to the Idaho Stampede in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2015 draft. On October 31, 2016, he returned to play for the Erie BayHawks, posting averages of 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists over six games before being traded to the Delaware 87ers on December 23 for a fifth-round draft selection. He was waived by Delaware on February 1 without having appeared in any games for them.