LA PORTE, Indiana -- When the camera was turned off and Jaren Jackson Jr. could change back from top-flight recruit conducting a video interview to normal ol' teenager, he pulled off his Michigan State hat, laughed, and noted, "Dang, that wasn't uncomfortable."
The irony was thick. In Michigan State, Jackson has found a comfortable home, one that falls in line with everything he's looking for.
A five-star prospect, Jackson is rated as one of the best power forwards in the 2017 recruiting class. He plays for La Lumiere School in La Porte, Indiana, a small, private institution boasting perhaps the finest high school basketball team in the country.