The Michigan State men's basketball team held an open practice at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on March 15, 2018, before its NCAA tournament opener vs. Bucknell. Cody Tucker/Lansing State Journal
Jaren Jackson Jr. did not believe he was on the cover of Sports Illustrated, even when he first saw it.
“I was on the bus and one of my teammates showed me,” the freshman forward said before Michigan State’s NCAA tournament practice at Little Caesars Arena. “He was like, ‘J, is this real?’ I’m like, ‘No, they didn’t tell me I was gonna be on it. That’s fake.’”
It took his mother to tell him the next morning that, yes, it was real. Still, there was no question in Jackson’s mind on Thursday who looked better on the venerable magazine between himself and teammate Miles Bridges.
“Me or Miles? Oh. Me. Did you see my cover? Come on, man,” Jackson said. “I mean, his was cool – he had the mascot. But I had like everybody and their mom around me.”
Bridges was on Sports Illustrated’s preseason college basketball magazine. Jackson was on one of four regional covers for the NCAA tournament preview.
Bridges didn’t hesitate to agree with Jackson about whose cover looked best.
“I’m not gonna lie, I liked Jaren’s the best,” Bridges said. “It’s a basketball picture. … It’s definitely cool. I’m happy for Jaren – I didn’t get that experience as a freshman here.”
COUCH: Don't discard Nick Ward just because Michigan State's offense isn't clicking
MORE: Michigan State hoops sophomores eager for NCAA tournament redemption
Both Jackson – who admitted he does not have a subscription any more – and Bridges are predicted to be NBA draft lottery picks if they leave college after this season. They will have until 11:59 p.m. on April 22 to make their decisions.
Not that either are focused on that right now. But Jackson is hoping this won’t be their only times gracing the magazine cover.
“That’d be great,” Jackson said. “I’m not gonna give a stock answer for that one. That would be great.”
Bridges’ compassion
A student reporter for Sports Illustrated for Kids attended Thursday’s news conference. He even got some respect from MSU coach Tom Izzo for his attire (“What a great question from the most well-dressed guy in the room. Don't grow up to be regular writers, you won't be able to dress that good.").
But the young scribe, Vedant Gupta of Grand Blanc, also asked Bridges about his relationship with McKenna Schummer, an 11-year-old from Grand Blanc who died earlier this month from her battle with osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer. Izzo and Bridges had attended Schummer’s birthday party in July, and Bridges had dedicated MSU’s season to her.
MORE: MSU star Cassius Winston has a city behind him in opening round of NCAA tournament
MORE: Michigan State vs. Bucknell NCAA tourney tipoff: Preview, prediction
Gupta, who was with his father, Vipul, said he was a classmate of Schummer’s and asked Bridges, “What's it like knowing that this is for her and she's out there?”
“Man, that's a great question,” Bridges said. “She's inspired me a lot ever since the day I met her. And after her birthday, I dedicated the season to her. I wouldn't thinking of any other way to send her out the right way than to win a national championship for her.”
Izzo told the young reporter that the things he and his players have done for Schummer and the Flint water crisis is part of their jobs “to be role models and to try to help out other people.”
“I'm as proud of our players of that as I am of their accomplishments on the court,” Izzo said.
