IVAN PIERRE AGUIRRE
Stefon Jackson and his grandmother, Lena, after she had watched his first college game in 2008. "I'm one of the best scorers in the nation; everyone needs a scorer," Jackson said of the draft.
- For 76ers, NBA draft is a crapshoot
- Philly players took similar paths to draft day
- Thabeet or Rubio at No. 2? Both have doubters
- Villanova's Cunningham anxious over NBA draft
- Agent discusses local top NBA draft prospects
- Sixers' logo change is a sign of desperation
- Curry's the spice of draft day
- Warriors and Hawks swap guards
- Kate Fagan: Deep Sixer
- More on the 76ers
- Buy College jerseys, t-shirts, hats, and more
- Buy 76ers jerseys, t-shirts, hats, and more
- God Bless the Spectrum keepsake book
RELATED STORIES
Page: 2 of 3 View All
Philly players took similar paths to draft day
And it paid off.
The 6-foot-5 Christmas led the Owls to the NCAA tournament the last two seasons. "That was the best feeling in college, to get to the tournament," he said.
Christmas, who is one course shy of graduating, finished his career as the school's fourth all-time leading scorer with 2,043 points and led the Atlantic Ten in scoring for three straight seasons.
Jackson landed at UTEP through a former director of operations there, David Anwar. Anwar, a Philly native, had been the coach at Lutheran Christian before moving on to UTEP. Anwar is now an assistant coach at Nebraska.
"It was a real big cultural shock," Jackson said of his transition to the more laidback El Paso.
Jackson's time at UTEP saw steady progress on the basketball court but many obstacles off it.
One month into his freshman season, while Jackson was still struggling being away from home, he got word that his younger brother, Demetrick, had been shot to death.
"He meant a lot to me, so it was real tough," he said.
Jackson thought about not returning to UTEP after his brother's death, but his grandmother, Lena Jackson, persuaded him to return.
Three weeks after the family tragedy, Jackson was punched in the face by teammate Jason Williams during practice. The punch broke his jaw, forcing him to sit out seven games.
He eventually got back on the floor and finished his season, averaging eight points per game.
Tragedy would strike again the next season.
At the beginning of his sophomore year, Jackson's father died. Vernon Bennett had been shot and paralyzed 10 years earlier. The bullet moved, killing him instantly.
Jackson put all those unfortunate events behind him and continued improving on the court. During his sophomore season, Jackson averaged 18.6 points and 6.4 rebounds - both team highs. His 578 points are a sophomore record at UTEP. He was named second-team all-Conference USA and the Miners' MVP.
His progression didn't stop there.
As a junior, he was named first-team all-Conference USA after leading the conference in scoring with a 23.6 points a game and 5.7 rebounds.
It was during that season that he began to believe he had what it takes to play at the next level.
"I just thought that if I was getting better and better that the NBA was definitely a possibility," he said.
But another setback was in store for the star.
In April 2008, following his standout junior season and declaring for the NBA draft as an early entrant, Jackson was arrested in El Paso on charges that he hindered an investigation into two Pennsylvania shootings. The charges were dropped in May, but Jackson feared the damage had been done.
