Trevis Jackson was a picture of dejection as he made his way to the Marinerong Pilipino’s dugout at the Ynares Arena. His TIP Engineers-backed team got decimated by the Go for Gold Scratchers just moments ago.
Marinero, who is now in its’ third straight PBA D-League conference, got swept by the Gab Banal-powered Scratchers in the best-of-three series, and that had dashed their hopes of making it into the Finals of the 2018 Foundation Cup.
“Go for Gold did a great job executing, and tonight, they stayed on their game,” said Jackson, who got limited to 13 points on 3-of-14 shooting, with five assists and three steals. “They do what they do. That’s a compliment to them.
“Good luck to those guys moving forward.”
And as the Engineers’ campaign has come to an end, so has Jackson’s.
Jackson’s D-League stint had definitely been a notable one. He first turned heads with his play back in the 2018 Aspirants’ Cup, where he suited up for the Jinino Manansala-mentored Gamboa-St. Clare Coffee Lovers.
Expectations went up for him this Foundation Cup when he joined Marinero. But instead of succumbing to pressure, he delivered, and he finished the eliminations with 16.7 points, 4.7 boards, 4.0 dimes, and 1.7 steals.
Jackson has made more people notice what he does on the court, that even the San Miguel Beermen’s Alex Cabagnot compared the 5-foot-11 guard to his teammate Chris Ross due to their similarities in explosiveness.
“I felt like I’ve proved that I can play what they call Filipino basketball,” said Jackson, when asked how he felt his D-League run went. “But you know, I think I have more to prove.
“I’m thankful for the coaches for giving me an opportunity.”
The 2018 PBA Rookie Draft is still months away from now, but just like any other aspiring amateur, Jackson has made it known that the pros is his next destination.
“Yes. I’ll be going to the Draft this year,” declared the Filipino-American Jackson, a product of the Sacramento State Hornets program.
“I plan to get stronger and just continue to show that I’m an all-around player, not just a scorer.”
