Watching the McIntosh County Academy girls basketball team, one’s eye is immediately drawn to the Buccaneer’s center. She is a defensive force and grabs rebounds at will on both ends of the court, but it is her ability to handle the ball that is most impressive and often sends a shiver of fear down an opponent’s spines.
Makhala Jackson started attracting attention the moment she took the high school stage as a freshman at MCA. Jackson was a nervous wreck in her first game but managed to calm herself after scoring her first goal. Following her first season, the National Women’s Basketball Insider listed her among its Frosh Elite saying she was, “a strong forward… gifted athletically and has good skills.”
In her sophomore year she was honored as WTOC-TV Savannah’s Player of the Week after scoring 31 points and grabbing 25 rebounds in a 64-55 victory over Calvary Day School. She went on to earn first team All-Region honors and Region Player of the Year. And there were no sign of nerves earlier this season when Jackson launched a buzzer-beater to tie Bradwell Institute and send the game into overtime.
Although she is known as the 6” center who dominates the middle for the Lady Buccaneers, rejecting shots and snatching rebounds, the soft-spoken standout is not quite six feet tall…yet. Opponents will say she plays much bigger and is a force in the paint. Basketball experts see her playing “smaller,” going from the five spot at center to the three spot at small forward in college because of her shooting and ball handling skills. Those skills have caught the eye of college scouts and recruiting services who sift through prospects looking for future stars. It is a world where players are scrutinized and positions numbered.
Playing at the high school level, Jackson’s 5’11” usually has her playing center or power forward for Darien’s Lady Buccaneers. “She can play like a three now,” says MCA girls basketball coach Jessica Ross. “She has the ball control of a guard.”
Like a good small forward, she has dribbling skills and the ability to post up. Defensively she has the height and strength to cover taller players and the agility to guard smaller shooters.
On the floor she looks for ways to get points on the board, whether it’s from shooting, passing from the low post or put backs from rebounds. Last season, Jackson averaged 19.7 points per game to go along with 10.5 rebounds. She led the Lady Buccaneers to a 22-7 record including a run of 15 consecutive wins. A perfect 13-0 region record earned the Bucs the 2-AA championship and a first round victory in the state playoffs. Jackson was a big part of the winning season her second year, taking on a leadership role after the Bucs lost six seniors from last year’s playoff team. Her guidance on and off the court has helped the Bucs in the tough region race.
Working to be a Blue Chip prospect has not been easy for Jackson. Like many top players, she has committed herself to basketball year round, playing AAU basketball during MCA’s off season. The extra time on the court with the Georgia Queens and other squads has paid off with contact letters already coming in from major universities interested in finding out more about the Townsend phenom.
Despite the interest in her basketball skills, Jackson has not made up her mind as to what college she will attend. For now she wants to keep up her A/B average in the classroom because she would like to eventually earn a business degree. “In 10 years if I’m not playing pro ball, I want to be a math tutor,” she says.
Her uncle, Tony Jackson, has been one of her primary influences, keeping her focused on her goal of going to college. A former standout at MCA himself, Tony Jackson encourages his niece to concentrate on getting good grades. And when she is not on the court or in the classroom, Makhala Jackson, the youngest of three children, does what most teenagers do: she plays video games, though she likes to stay with the basketball theme in games like NBA 2K 13-14. She also enjoys playing the piano. She can be found on social media sites, one of which proclaims her love of basketball. A love, she hopes, that will combine with hard work on the court and in the classroom to earn her a college scholarship.
My First Big Play
McIntosh County Academy’s Makhala Jackson has had numerous high scoring games and averaged nearly 20 points per contest last season. But she still recalls her first big play and the game that took her from nervous newcomer to confident player.
Jackson had just stolen the ball and was leading her first fast break for the Lady Buccaneers.
“I was so nervous bringing the ball up,” she recalls. Instead of passing, Jackson took the layup but was fouled in the process. The ball went in and she got to take a shot from the free throw line. “I got the ‘and one.'” After hitting the free throw, Jackson’s nerves started to fade. “After that they were gone. I was just in it.”
And she has been in the game ever since with a bright future ahead.
SE-PS-01.14- Makhala Jackson
Players Spotlight
McIntosh County Academy Buccaneers
Darien, Ga
Girls Basketball
By Rob Asbell
Dominating In Darien
