Breakers fans can thank Cedric Jackson’s loaded high-school team for his outstanding defensive prowess.

“I played on the varsity team as a freshman but I never got any minutes,” Jackson said.

“So I thought ‘I’ve got to do something when I do get out there’. I just had an eye for the ball, so when they crossed in front of me I would go after it.”

Jackson’s stalking defensive style has drawn comparisons to the great Darryl McDonald, his instinctive style developed over countless childhood hours on court.

“My dad was a military guy so we were all over the place,” he said.

“(Basketball) kept me out of trouble and created discipline in my life, it kept me away from the bad crowd.

"On Friday and Saturday nights I was in the gym doing what I love. Then I’d go home, eat, go to church, and go back to the hall to play. That was my ideal weekend.”

Many of those weekends were spent in Maryland, hooping with future NBA stars Dante Cunningham, Kevin Durant, Michael Beasley and close friend Ty Lawson.

And while that quartet provided some great passing targets, Breakers fans should thank North Burlington High School coach Herman Johnson for Jackson’s unselfish disposition.

“He introduced that to me,” Jackson said.

“There was a point when I was younger when I was being selfish, but my coach sat me down and said 'it’s not about you it’s about the team'.

“I developed an eye for finding open teammates. Teams would try and stop me doing what I do and the floor would just open up.”

Coach Johnson also planted the seed of becoming a professional basketball player, and Jackson would get his first taste of international basketball while at Cleveland State University.

“Our coach did a really good thing, he took us over to Spain for 10 days and we played against club teams,” he said.

“We played armbars and we got into foul trouble real early, so he said we’re going to have to teach you to play defence all over again, playing with your feet.

“That really helped us out a lot, when we came back to the States we added that to our game and we won the conference championship.”

Jackson also helped Cleveland State a lot, his transfer from St John’s triggering CSU’s greatest single-season improvement – from last to first in the Horizon League.

After taking out defensive player of the year and leading CSU to the conference title in his final year, Jackson bounced between the NBA and its development league before getting a brief opportunity to play with Brindisi in Italy.

Jackson was initially brought in to lift the standard of practice in the lead-up to the playoffs, but injuries to their imports meant he was thrown to the wolves in Brindisi’s last two games.

Despite compiling 10 points, six rebounds and six assists in his first outing, the experience almost ruined the Breakers’ chances of recruiting the star guard.

“It was tough because we lost at home in my first game to just miss the playoffs and everyone was throwing trash on the floor,” he said.

“I hated it and I was like ‘I don’t ever want to go overseas again’. But people told me you can’t judge everything on that because I was just in an unfortunate situation.”

The situation Jackson most wants to be in is back in the NBA. After backing up Mo Williams in Cleveland and Tony Parker in San Antonio, the 191cm speedster is confident he left a good impression and there are coaches “keeping an eye on him”.

“I just made sure I showed the coaches I work hard and I’m a good guy.

“It’s all about timing for me and hopefully I’ll get with the right situation soon.”

Right now he is relishing the chance to challenge for a title with the deep, talented and close-knit New Zealand team.

“I’m having fun, enjoying the guys on and off the court,” he said.

“A lot of teams I have played on I’ve had to do everything. But now I don’t really need to because we have great scorers on this team, all I’ve got to do is beat my guy and get guys wide open shots.”

So far that hasn’t been a problem.