Q&A with 2015 men’s basketball recruit Jackson Donahue

Want to meet another future member of Penn basketball? Well, rising high school senior Jackson Donahue is just that, with the strong three-point shooter committing to Penn earlier in the spring. Donahue spoke with the DP about his college decision and his own playing style.

Daily Pennsylvanian: What kind of school were you looking for during your recruitment and where did Penn fit in during your early recruitment?

Jackson Donahue: I was looking for a great program that would allow me to achieve the highest possible academics that I could and be able to play basketball as well. Also I was looking for a program that I could see myself playing in, that I really saw myself being able to have an impact on, whether it be immediately or down the road. But that collectiveness of great aspects was really what I was looking for as well as playing competitive basketball.

And Penn specifically, they’ve actually been recruiting me for the shortest amount of time. [The coaches] were up here in the middle of May. They were the most head strong about [recruiting] and I was very impressed by them and the team in general.

DP: So why did you choose Penn over the other schools on your list?

JD: I chose Penn because when I went on my visit, as soon as everything happened, everything I was hoping to achieve on my visit I did and more. I love the coaches, I love the campus, I love the facilities. The students that I met were great. The faculty that I spoke to were incredible. Some of the players that I met were really great people and it is definitely something I see myself being a part of, which is why I was so excited. The facilities, the Palestra, all the history and the legacies in that building is incredible and it really heightens the experience of the basketball process.

DP: When did you visit Penn? What specifically did you do during your visit?

JD: I visited [May 9] and I came in and I met with one of the assistant coaches right away, coach [Nat] Graham. Coach Graham and coach [Ira] Bowman did a little scenic tour. We went to Penn Park and all the fields. We went into the team facility and the weight room and the academic building with the gym area. And then we met with the rest of the coaches, coach Allen and we toured the Palestra and the rest of the campus. It was a really good overall experience.

And that was something that [I liked] about it too was that all four coaches went on the tour, that was something that had never happened before and I really enjoyed that. [Editor’s note: the fourth coach he was referring to was Mike Lintulahti, who was assistant director of basketball operations last season]

DP: Which of the coaches have you been in contact with the most?

JD: Definitely coach Graham.He was formerly at Boston College. They helped bring my older brother Sam there and I’ve just been hearing from him a lot. He kind of got the ball rolling for me and got the coaches to look at me, so that was a huge aspect to it.

DP: What was it about coach Graham personally that really spoke to you during your recruitment?

JD: Just his sincerity about everything. He’s really straight forward, not a lot of stuff that he’s not being truthful about. He was being real about everything I can achieve there when I get there and everything that I can have when I go to that college. That really spoke to me and I really felt it, his sincerity, and it meant a lot to me.

DP: On visits at other schools, have you felt that other coaches were lying to you or at least embellishing their pitch?

JD: Not lying but stuff that I didn’t feel too strong about. I won’t go into specifics but like I said before, the fact that all four coaches went on the tour was something I never had before. When I visited other schools, I was always with just one assistant or maybe assistants or an assistant and a manager. To have all four of them there and all of them saying the same thing and having the same vibe, that support was just incredible and made it realistic for me.

DP: What did the coaching staff tell you about where you fit into Penn basketball in 2015?

JD: Coach Allen has been telling me that we’re gonna work hard [at Penn] and I am really looking forward to showing the team and the coaches that it is something that I take seriously and just kind of work hard offensively and defensively, whatever they need me to do. I’m really hoping to come in and knock down shots. That’s what I do best. I know it has been a struggle the last few years for them from beyond the arc, so I’m definitely hoping to come in and definitely increase that aspect.

DP: That being said, Penn basketball has struggled mightily in the last two years and a lot of people surrounding the program have been calling for coach Allen’s job. Did the coaching staff’s job security factor into your decision at all, considering you could step on campus in 2015 with a whole new staff?

JD: A couple people asked me about that as well and I try to just live for what is happening now, look at it for the coaches that are there now and try and make the best of the situation. I think that if you spend a couple seasons … coming in with the right mindset, then things can definitely change. Coach Allen is a great coach and it will definitely turn around here in the next couple seasons.

DP: How would you describe yourself as a player and would you compare yourself to anyone?

JD: I love working hard. I love doing all the dirty work, locking down defensively and I like to be the ‘do it’ kind of guy and really just be a great team player. I want to be vocal in every sport I play and try and take a leadership role, help everyone out [to] play like a cohesive unit. Obviously, like I said, my specialty is knocking down shots, knocking down three-pointers. I definitely love working hard on defense because I believe that defense translates into great offense.