Jackson always keeps in contact

SAN ANTONIO — Darnell Jackson could have done without basketball growing up.

Nope, football was his true love. A defensive end and tight end, the Kansas forward was uninterested in a future on the court until he arrived in high school.

“I think it was just there wasn’t enough contact for me,” Jackson said.

He’ll find plenty of it tonight at the Alamodome when his Jayhawks (35-3) meet North Carolina (36-2) — and star center Tyler Hansbrough — in the second national semifinal.

Previously a role player for Kansas, Jackson averages 11.2 points and a team-high 6.7 rebounds for the Jayhawks, who are in their first Final Four since 2003. And Jackson will be part of a tag team of big men including Darrell Arthur and Sasha Kaun whose task it will be to slow Hansbrough.

Hansbrough, the Associated Press player of the year, represents a different challenge for the 6-foot-8, 250-pound senior — an opponent who relishes the bumping and bruising as much as Jackson does.

“I haven’t seen anybody like him,” Jackson said. “He’s like a totally different machine out there. When he’s out there, he’s totally different. I think his mind-set is that nobody is going to stop him, and that’s how he plays.”

The same could be said of Jackson, whose physical nature and significant improvement is one factor that could help the Jayhawks spring a mild surprise tonight against the North Carolina juggernaut.

It is unlikely anyone suddenly will uncover a way to slow Hansbrough, who has abused defenses for three seasons. But to attempt to counter him with another active player is as good as any other strategy.

“That’ll be great. He’s the banger on this team and he’s just a tough, tough, tough kid who goes after balls,” Kaun said. “That’s what we need. He’s got the mind-set of being that banger guy, kind of a bulldozer.”

Jackson’s progress also represents what is arguably the Jayhawks’ greatest strength: their balance. Kansas is the only team left in the tournament with five players averaging at least nine points — a trait shared by six of the last eight national champions.

Guards Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins and Brandon Rush were known components coming into the season, as was Arthur. But Jackson’s emergence provided enough frontcourt versatility to make the Jayhawks a particularly difficult team to defend.

“I think it’s a big advantage,” Jackson said. “Some teams we play against, they don’t know who to worry about. Some guys are making plays. We have to worry about a [Michael] Beasley and he still got his point, but we can shut out other guys.”

It might be the correct way for the Jayhawks to go about stifling the Tar Heels, even if Jackson can’t slow Hansbrough. But he already knows what it’s like to contain one of the nation’s top players after facing Beasley twice earlier this season.

There are differences between Hansbrough and Beasley, notably that the Kansas State star is willing to unleash a perimeter game with greater frequency. But Hansbrough requires more principled defensive consideration in the low post.

Then again, that plays well for the former football player who decided to concentrate on basketball while a junior in high school. It turns out Jackson discovered he could mix it up just as much on the court, after all.

“I was always a contact guy, and I was always out there hitting people,” Jackson said. “When I got used to playing and catching the elbows and blocking shots, I started loving the sport of basketball.”

He’ll love it even more if he can slow down Hansbrough just enough for his balanced team to emerge with a victory tonight.