Lewis Jackson IV (born September 20, 1989) is an American professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
player who plays for the
Indiana All-Americans. Previously he played for the
Erie BayHawks of the
NBA Development League
The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official List of developmental and minor sports leagues, minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development ...
. He played
college basketball
In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...
at
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
. In his junior season, Jackson led the
Boilermakers
A boilermaker is a tradesperson who fabricates steel, iron, or copper into boilers and other large containers intended to hold hot gas or liquid, as well as maintains and repairs boilers and boiler systems.Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Dep ...
with four assists per game and shooting 50.3 percent from the floor. As Purdue's primary
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
, he was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten as well as a
Bob Cousy Award candidate in 2011 and 2012.
High school career
Jackson attended
Eisenhower High School, located in
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Ce ...
, where he played basketball under head coach, Jeremy Moore. During his senior season, Lewis averaged 21.7 points and 10 assists a game, while being named ''Illinois' 2008 Big School Player of the Year'' by MidStateHoops.com., while finishing third for Illinois' Mr. Basketball and earning area Player of the Year honors. He was also a member of Indiana's Elite AAU squad.
College career
Purdue
2008–09
After graduating high school, Jackson attended
Purdue University
Purdue University is a public land-grant research university in West Lafayette, Indiana, and the flagship campus of the Purdue University system. The university was founded in 1869 after Lafayette businessman John Purdue donated land and money ...
to play under head coach,
Matt Painter, along with All-Conference players in
E'Twaun Moore,
Robbie Hummel
Robert John Hummel (born March 8, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player and current TV commentator. He played college basketball for Purdue University. He currently is a member of Princeton 3X3 on the FIBA 3x3 World Tour. On ...
, and
JaJuan Johnson
JaJuan Johnson (born February 8, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for BCM Gravelines-Dunkerque of the LNB Pro A. He played college basketball at Purdue University. During his sophomore season, he was named a first-team All-Big T ...
. In his
freshman season, Jackson used his speed and ball handling skills to become the team's starting
point guard
The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...
, where he started in 30 of the 36 games in which he appeared, while setting a school freshman record with most games played in a season. His 30 starts were two less than
Russell Cross
Russell Cross (born September 5, 1961) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the National Basketball Association's Golden State Warriors in the first round (6th pick overall) of the 1983 NBA draft.
College car ...
's 32 starts in 1981. Leading Purdue in assists with 3.4 a game, his 118 on the season is second most by a freshman behind Bruce Parkinson's 147 mark in 1973. On January 27, 2009, Lewis ran into a hard pick made by
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
's Joe Crabbenhoft early in the game, where he sustained a
concussion
A concussion, also known as a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), is a head injury that temporarily affects brain functioning. Symptoms may include loss of consciousness (LOC); memory loss; headaches; difficulty with thinking, concentration, ...
, forcing him to sit out a game. He scored in double figures seven times (3-4), while averaging 5.9 points per game and handing off 3.4 assists a game to lead the
Boilers
A boiler is a closed vessel in which fluid (generally water) is heated. The fluid does not necessarily boil. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications, including water heating, central h ...
on the season. After leading the boilers to an 11–7 record in
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference) is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representati ...
play and to a 27–10 overall record and a
Sweet Sixteen appearance, Lewis was named to the ''Big Ten All-Freshman Team'', along with the likes of future
NBA
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...
player
Byron Mullens
Byron James "B. J." Mullens (born February 14, 1989) is a British-American professional basketball player for the New Taipei Kings of P. League+. He also holds British nationality due to his English mother. He was drafted 24th overall by the ...
.
2009–10
In the spring of 2009, Jackson was involved in a traffic stop in his hometown of
Decatur, Illinois
Decatur ( ) is the largest city and the county seat of Macon County in the U.S. state of Illinois, with a population of 70,522 as of the 2020 Census. The city was founded in 1829 and is situated along the Sangamon River and Lake Decatur in Ce ...
, resulting in community service and missing the two exhibition games, as well as the season opener. After sitting out the three designated games for his suspension, Lewis injured his foot during practice, which left him sidelined, wearing a foot cast after he received surgery. On January 28, 2010, Lewis appeared in his first game of the season in a home meeting against
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
. As the team's primary point guard, he helped lead
AP-ranked #6 Purdue to a 14–4 conference record (10–1 in games which he appeared) and onto a Big Ten title, the program's first in fourteen years. On March 3, 2010, Lewis had a huge performance with 9 points, 5 assists, and 3 rebounds in a win against in-state rivals,
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. With nine games recording four or more assists on the season, including a nine assist performance against
Siena
Siena ( , ; lat, Sena Iulia) is a city in Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the province of Siena.
The city is historically linked to commercial and banking activities, having been a major banking center until the 13th and 14th centuri ...
in the First Round of the
NCAA tournament, where he also pulled down six rebounds and scored eight points. He led Purdue with an average of 3.5 assists per game. Jackson helped Purdue to consecutive Sweet Sixteen appearances and onto a 29–6 record.
2010–11
At full health entering the
2011 season, Jackson averaged eight points, while leading Purdue with four assists and shooting 50.3 percent from the floor as a junior. He averaged 3.2 rebounds and shot 71.6 at the line, as well. He grabbed season highs of six rebounds twice against
Valparaiso and
North Florida, scored 11 points against Valparaiso, and tying a career-high with nine assists against
Austin Peay
Austin Peay (June 1, 1876 – October 2, 1927) was an American politician who served as the 35th governor of Tennessee from 1923 to 1927. He was the state's first governor since the Civil War to win three consecutive terms and the first to die ...
. In a game against
IPFW, Jackson had eight assists and eight points with no turnovers. He scored a then-career high 17 points in a road game at
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University
The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
. On January 22, Jackson scored a new career high 19 points against
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the United States. It i ...
. Jackson scored in double figures eleven times. On December 20, Jackson was named a
Bob Cousy Award candidate. Becoming more of a needed scoring option for the Boilers, he averaged 10.2 points a game in conference play (14–4) and helped lead the Boilers to a 2nd-place finish. Jackson was named ''Honorable Mention All-Big Ten''. He helped Purdue to the Third Round of the
NCAA tournament, finishing with a 25-8 record.
2011–12
Jackson joined fellow seniors Robbie Hummel and Ryne Smith as tri-captains for the 2012 Purdue basketball team. Beginning the season with a troubling foot, he managed to average 12.5 points and four assists in his first four outings of the season (4–0). On November 18, 2011, against
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
, Lewis recorded a career high 26 points, shooting 8-14 from the floor and making 10 of 11 at the free throw line. Two days later, Jackson tallied a career high 9 rebounds in a loss to #15 ranked
Alabama
(We dare defend our rights)
, anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama"
, image_map = Alabama in United States.svg
, seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery
, LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville
, LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...
. On December 19, Jackson was named a candidate for the Bob Cousy Award for the second year in a row. Leading Purdue to a 20–11 record, Jackson averaged 10.4 points (2nd on team), 4.2 assists (1st), 1.3 steals (1st), and 3.2 rebounds (3rd), while shooting 72.8 percent at the line. In early December, Lewis began battling foot pains and back strains, forcing him to miss a majority of practice time. On the season, he's scored in double figures 16 times, which includes two 20+ point performances (2–0). Jackson held one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the nation, leading the Big Ten, while having the most career assists (451) amongst active Big Ten players, just ahead of
Wisconsin
Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...
's
Jordan Taylor. At the culmination of the regular season, Jackson, along with teammate DJ Byrd, was named ''Honorable Mention All-Big Ten'', a repeat for Jackson. On March 9, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, in a loss to #7 Ohio State, Jackson dished a career high 10 assists, while recording his first double-double, scoring 10 points. In his last season at Purdue, Jackson led the Boilers to the third round of the NCAA Tournament, losing to Kansas. He led them to a 22–13 overall record on the season. During his college career, Purdue went 104–37 overall, making him the winningest starting point guard in the program's history.
Professional career
Jackson went undrafted in the
2012 NBA draft
The 2012 NBA draft was held on June 28, 2012, at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The draft started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time (2300 UTC), and was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Asso ...
. In August 2012, he signed with
BC Šiauliai
BC Šiauliai ( lt, Krepšinio klubas Šiauliai) is the professional basketball club of Šiauliai, Lithuania. The club competes in the Lithuanian Basketball League. It has won the 3rd place award (behind Lithuanian basketball giants Lietuvos Rytas ...
of Lithuania for the 2012–13 season.
On November 1, 2013, Jackson was selected in the fifth round of the 2013 NBA D-League draft by the
Sioux Falls Skyforce. On November 21, he was waived by the Skyforce. On December 10, 2013, he was acquired by the
Erie BayHawks. In 36 games for the BayHawks, he averaged 11.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
On November 21, 2014, Jackson was acquired by the
Westchester Knicks. On December 4, 2014, he was traded to the
Idaho Stampede in exchange for a 2015 second round draft pick. On October 31, 2016, Jackson was re-acquired by the Erie BayHawks. In six games, he averaged 5.5 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 19 minutes. On December 23, he was traded to the
Delaware 87ers
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
in exchange for a fifth-round pick. On February 1, he was waived by the 87ers; he did not play a single game for the team during his tenure.
References
External links
Purdue bioProfileat Eurobasket.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Lewis
1989 births
Living people
American expatriate basketball people in Canada
American expatriate basketball people in Lithuania
Basketball players from Illinois
Erie BayHawks (2008–2017) players
Idaho Stampede players
Point guards
Purdue Boilermakers men's basketball players
Sportspeople from Decatur, Illinois
American men's basketball players