Muddy River Showcase Spotlight: Quincy Notre Dame’s Jackson Stratton

The Muddy River Showcase featuring 40 of the area’s top senior basketball players from Illinois and Missouri takes place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center. The girls game begins at 4 p.m. with the boys game to follow at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 at the door.

QUINCY — The fact Jackson Stratton became a defensive dynamo for the Quincy Notre Dame boys basketball team and arguably one of its best one-on-one lockdown guys should come as no surprise.

The Butler University football coaching staff isn’t surprised by that at all.

Headed to the NCAA Division I program to be a heat-seeking missile at linebacker/safety, Stratton put his athletic gifts and relentless desire to compete to work in helping the Raiders to a 20-win season last winter. He averaged 8.5 points, led the Raiders with 81 assists, and finished with 29 steals, 42 deflections and five charges drawn.

And he plans to pull off a rare all-star double-double. Stratton will play in the Illinois High School Shrine Football Game in Bloomington on June 17 before returning to Quincy to participate in the Muddy River Showcase that evening.

Stratton will represent Quincy Notre Dame on the Illinois squad for the second Muddy River Showcase, taking place June 17 at John Wood Community College’s Student Activity Center.

Here are six things you should know about Jackson Stratton:

Where you plan to go to college: Butler University

What you plan to study: Finance

Reason you wear your number: I like the way it looks on me.

Favorite high school basketball memory: Beating Pleasant Plains in the regional championship my junior year.

Best piece of advice you have ever received: The person who learns to be a self motivator and disciplined will succeed more than the person who needs someone to motivate them.

Best advice you’d give younger teammates: Fall in love with the process.