There is a lot of talk about the need for a point guard in running a respective squad to heavy success at the higher levels of play. Regardless of whether you’re about a facilitator or more of a score-first guy at the lead guard spot, it is hard to argue with the need for the primary ballhandler being talented and productive in more than just one way on the stat sheet. Frank Jackson fits the mold of a scorer at the one and on Tuesday, the Lone Peak guard ended his recruitment by giving a verbal commitment to Coach K and his Duke Blue Devils program.

A one-time BYU commit who opened things back up earlier this year, Jackson is quite the alpha-dog type at the point guard spot. He can score the ball at all three levels on the floor, has a quiet confidence about him, and sports deceptive explosion at the basket. Originally born in Washington D.C. before moving to Utah a few years back, the heady senior can score it, dish it, rebound, and play defense without much of an issue and because of it, is another major coup for the ACC program.

The reasoning for the commitment to Duke is nothing to argue with. “The feeling I had there while on campus, the environment, and getting to know the players really stood out. They made me feel real comfortable, real fast.”

Landing Derryck Thornton earlier this summer and having the Findlay Prep star reclass into the 2015 class was a major power move by the Duke staff. The Blue Devils lacked any sort of guard that could play primarily on the ball with the losses of Quinn Cook and Tyus Jones and while Thornton is no shoe-in for a one-and-done guy for the 2016 NBA Draft, Coach K may have the opportunity again to go small in the backcourt and play Thornton and Jackson side-by-side.

Putting together the underclassmen on the floor at the same time next winter, this would allow for Jackson to play more to his strengths in looking to score more often, instead of attempting to lose focus on his converting abilities by facilitating in the half-court offense, of which the staff in Durham conveyed to him. “They know I can score the ball and play on and off the ball. They told me that they would use my strengths in bringing the ball up the floor, or coming off screens on and off the ball as a combo guard-type.”

Whichever way the staff in Durham decides to use Jackson for the majority of his time on campus and on the hardwood at Cameron Indoor, one should expect an instant competitor and producer at either guard spot who should step in immediately and provide quality minutes in the backcourt.