Reggie Jackson drafted by Oklahoma City Thunder

It was just a little north of the Reggie Range™ which I set on Monday, but at pick #24, Reggie Jackson of Boston College was taken by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2011 NBA Draft.

No real surprises in this draft; we expected Reggie to get drafted, possibly late in the first round, and that’s precisely what happened. I’m glad to report that there was no tense waiting for Boston College fans this time around.

I don’t have the knowledge about the NBA to tell you how he will fit into this team, but I do know a few things. One, he will clearly get to play with Kevin Durant, who is a developing star and a damn fine player in his own right. Hopefully, some of his exceptional play at the professional level will rub off on Reggie. Two, Reggie brings athleticism and basketball IQ to the table (the latter of which you would certainly expect of someone who attended Boston College). He’s one of the more talented players BC has put out in the last decade, on par with the Jared Dudleys and Craig Smiths of recent years. Thunder fans are getting a skilled guy who has truly made his mark on Boston College in just three years, and from our perspective, he will be tremendously missed.

Speaking only for myself, I’m quite glad that he was not drafted by the Miami Heat (as had been rumored in recent weeks). I’ve said a thousand times that I don’t watch the NBA very often, but I’d have found it very hard to root for him on a team with LeBron. Thankfully, we’ve all been spared this conflict, and seeing as how most of you out there are Celtics fans, there probably won’t be much issue with cheering on a western conference team like the Thunder (except when they show up at the TD Garden someday, for example, but I hope Reggie will get his due respect from the Boston faithful anyway).

In any event, congratulations are in order for Reggie Jackson. I am certain he will do Oklahoma City fans proud as he represents their city (and our school) on the court.