Point guard Chandler Jackson of Christian Brothers has offers from Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Alabama

Chandler Jackson emerged from the visitors' locker room at Evangelical Christian School with a black mask covering his face.

Whenever he needed rest during Christian Brothers' 57-44 win over ECS on Tuesday night, Jackson would find a spot on the socially distanced Purple Wave bench that had five chairs spaced six-feet apart and the rest of the players spread out behind them on the bleachers. When he took a drink, it was from an individual water bottle, not a cooler. 

The precautions took some time to get used to, Jackson admitted. But if that's what it takes to play his junior season of boys basketball, then it's all right with him. 

"I'm just praying that we get to play and have some games this year," he said. 

The 6-foot-4, 205-pound point guard spent the summer with Reform Sports Training and the Team Thad AAU program. He estimates that he shot around 500 shots per day leading up to the season. 

He has offers from Alabama, Ole Miss, TCU, Vanderbilt, Creighton and Wake Forest. He hasn't been able to take official visits because the recruiting dead period has been extended through April. So he's been spending time building relationships with coaches over the phone insstead. 

"It's fun talking to coaches every day. Wake Forest (assistant) coach (BJ) McKie is after me and he be calling me 'bro' and 'bruh' and he be saying 'bet,' '' Jackson said. "He's a chill dude and that's the kind of relationship I like. Vanderbilt (assistant) coach (Faragi) Phillips is like that, too. He calls me just to talk about life. Missouri (assistant) coach (Marco) Harris he talks to me every day and checks up on me. It's just the little things like that." 

Jackson said last season's playoff run that ended with a DII-AA semifinal loss to eventual champion Knoxville Catholic gave him more poise and confidence in his ball-handling.

Christian Brothers coach Bubba Luckett said what sets him apart is his ability to score from all over the court. 

"Your typical high-school players are either great shooters or drivers. He's got all three levels," coach Bubba Luckett said. "He's a three-point threat, which some people don't know or think that but he is. He's a midrange guy that can pull up and beat you. He's a finisher at the hole that can absorb contact and get a lot of and-1's. That's what makes him so hard to guard."

Jackson led the Purple Wave (2-0) with 18 points in Tuesday's win, including a pair of dunks and a pair of 3-pointers. And even that, Luckett said, was just a small sample of what Jackson can do.

"I think he's on pace to become the best player we've had," said Luckett who is the school's all-time leading scorer. "I've been there for 38 years, 42 years counting the times I played there and I think I've seen the best players that Christian Brothers has had. He's got another year, I wouldn't say right now 'yes' but I think with another year of maturity and improvement he'll go down as our best player up to this point."