The Return - Chapter 2

He's back.

After missing the entire 2024-25 season because of a knee injury he suffered during a summer scrimmage with his team, Elmarko Jackson is back in action and ready to roll for the 2025-26 season.

As he does, we’ll follow him every step of the way in the latest edition of our weekly diary series that will chronicle Jackson's red-shirt sophomore season, which we're dubbing, "The Return."

Some of what you’ll read here, in Jackson's own words, will focus on his return to form and the process — both mental and physical — of getting back into the flow with an almost-entirely-new Kansas team.

But we'll also dive into Jackson the person, the off-the-court stuff that makes him who he is, his goals, dreams, funniest moments and favorite things.

It'll all be centered around the 2025-26 Kansas basketball season, which featured the Jayhawks entering the season ranked No. 19 in the AP preseason poll and picked to finish 6th in the Big 12 Conference.

The Elmarko File

Age: 21 | Number: 13 | Height: 6-3 | Weight: 195 | Position: Guard

Hometown: Marlton, New Jersey | High School: South Kent School

Notable: A 5-star prospect and McDonald's All-American in high school, Jackson came to Kansas before the 2023-24 season as a potential impact player. He played in 34 games that year, starting half of them, and averaged 4.3 points and 1.7 assists in 18.6 minutes per game. He was solid but never quite turned the corner of making a major impact. Then the injury came that put his journey on a different path. That's nothing new for the Jersey native, who played at 3 different schools in high school and averaged between 15 and 20 points per game at all three of them. That includes tallying 19 points and 6 assists per game as a senior at South Kent in Connecticut. All of it led to Jackson being the No. 19-ranked prospect in the country per 247 Sports in the Class of 2023. He also finished ranked No. 25 by Rivals and No. 26 by ESPN.com. Jackson's background includes time on the football field and as a lacrosse player and he's still young in his basketball journey.

KU record to date: 3-2

Next up: 2:30 p.m. (central) Monday, Nov. 24 vs. Notre Dame at the Players Era tournament in Las Vegas (TNT)

While he’s only played 50 minutes in KU’s 5 games this season — and 75 in 7 if you’re counting the two exhibition contests — it’s likely that we’ll soon reach the point when KU freshman Darryn Peterson is out there for 30+ minutes a night, at the center of everything Kansas wants to do on the floor.

So, before we get too far into it, let’s take a look back at Elmarko’s first impressions of the man he calls DP.

“He’s the goods. He’s legit.”

“He reminds me of like a more skilled and slightly less athletic Anthony Edwards. It’s crazy to say that, but his scoring prowess… He’s probably the most skilled guard in terms of college basketball that I’ve seen. Especially at a young age like that. I ain’t got nothing else to say about him.”

Except that he did.

“And he’s 2-way, as well. It’s not like he’s just an offensive player. He’s like 6-5 with a 6-10 wingspan and he uses it to his advantage.”

Elmarko doesn’t remember too much about Peterson’s first day on campus this summer.

It was basically just another day, the third time the redshirt sophomore has reported to KU’s campus in early June to get started with summer workouts.

They met in the locker room, shared a few words and then suited up to play a little pick-up.

While seeing him up close and playing with DP was new for most of the guys, it wasn’t for Elmarko.

“I knew DP before he came here. We had met at the Top 100 camp going into my senior year. He was a sophomore I think.”

Indeed he was. Peterson was barely 16. And this was before Elmarko was heading into his senior year of high school.

“I watched him and I was like, ‘This dude’s a sophomore?’ So, I already knew he was good. His game was very polished for a kid his age. I just remember watching him and thinking over and over, ‘He’s nice.’”

The two didn’t keep in super-close touch after the camp. But they did interact from time to time, particularly as Peterson closed in on announcing his college decision.

“He hit me up last year, my sophomore year (at KU), just asking about Kansas. He was like, ‘What do you think?’ And I was like, ‘Bro, it’s the spot to be. Pull up.’ So, we talked a little bit then. And when he got to campus we talked a lot. Open runs were nice, just out there competing. And, obviously, he showed his skills right away.”

In addition to Elmarko’s comparison to Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, Peterson has drawn a lot of comps to NBA legend Kobe Bryant, with several analysts and fans calling him the closest thing they’ve seen to Kobe at that age since Kobe came along.

Elmarko smiled and laughed an uncomfortable laugh when the idea of comparing his current KU teammate to The Black Mamba came up. He then offered his own answer to that player comp.

“I don’t know if I’m gonna go that far. But he definitely is a hard worker. He knows how to work, that’s for sure. He’s got the talent and then his work ethic backs it up. Plus, the people in his circle, they don’t gas his head up too much to the point where he becomes lax or too comfortable.”

Elmarko said his favorite DP moment to this point had to be the first half he put up against Louisville in KU’s exhibition win last month.

Peterson scored 24 points in 15 minutes in that one, on 8-of-11 shooting, including a 6-of-9 clip from 3-point range.

None of it surprised Elmarko or his teammates.

“The crazy thing is, for us, it’s not something that we’re not used to. It’s just like, OK, he’s done that before. In practice, when we play and he’s gotta lock in and stuff, he can turn it on like that.”

Speaking of practice, that’s one of Elmarko’s favorite times with Peterson, simply because it gives him the opportunity to test his own game against him.

“It’s fun. I challenged myself to be one of the best defenders on the team, so having somebody like that to guard in practice is super-fun, just because he’s strong, fast and he knows where his are at and he likes to rise up and hit them.”

“It’s kind of like a sparring match. That’s really what it is. And it’s fun. Some days I get him, some days he gets me.”

While Elmarko recognizes that there’s not a ton about playing basketball that he can tell the KU freshman, this is all still new to Peterson. So, Jackson believes he can help him understand and quickly learn how to play basketball at Kansas.

And for a coach as demanding as Bill Self.

“Most of what I try to give him advice on is just in terms of dealing with coach Self because his coaching style is a little different compared to other coaches. So, just telling him to let some of the stuff that coach Self says be water off his back.”

Elmarko remembers his own first encounters with Self as his actual coach, and he wants to help make those easier for the newcomers and freshmen he plays with during his time at KU.

“My coach in high school, he was hard on us but, it was just different. I mean, I came in here and it was like, ‘Ohhh, Bill Self.’ It was crazy. The first time he got onto me, it was like, ‘Ahhh… All right. I’ll be better.’”

“It’s just important to understand it’s not the way he says it, it’s what he’s trying to say to you. So, I’m just trying to be like a translator for not only DP but all the new guys.”

“Other than that, I’m just trying to show contact every single day. Out of basketball, how to move around campus, stuff like that. Because, obviously, he’s gonna have a lot of eyes on him. But I really haven’t had to say too much. He’s smart.”