Jason Nelson's Vanderbilt visit was "better than great"

A name in the 2021 Class that Vanderbilt fans should remember is Jason Nelson. The 5-foot-10 point guard out of Richmond, Virginia received an offer from the Commodores in June, and followed that up with an official visit this past weekend.

Nelson has already put together an impressive resume. Besides Vanderbilt, he has other offers from VCU, Richmond, Virginia State, Norfolk State, Virginia Union, Canisius, Drake and Drexel. He is also hearing heavily from Columbia.

What is more head turning is the fact that Nelson knows how to win. Despite only being a sophomore last season, he played a major role in Varina High School's 5A State Championship. He also starred on Team Loaded's 16U Gold Team on the Adidas Gauntlet Circuit.

Nelson returned back to Richmond on Sunday night, and VandySports.com spoke with him within 24 hours of getting home.

Q: How did the visit to Vanderbilt go?

Nelson: "It went great. It went fantastic. I loved it there. The coaches, players, all of them. I love it there."

Q: What did you get compared to what you expected?

Nelson: "It was what I expected. I thought it would be great, and I got better than great. It was fun out there."

Q: Walk us through the schedule of what happened once you got there.

Nelson: "When I got there I met up with all of the coaches. We all had breakfast together. They took me on a campus tour. I got to look at all of the academic stuff. I talked to the academic person. I wanted to go watch the team practice. I met up with the players and talked to them for a few. Then we ate again and I went to dit with the players. The next day they took me to the football game and I enjoyed that. After that I took a visit around the campus. It's big campus. Coach (Jerry) Stackhouse talked to me about the Vanderbilt way and the way they are going to be playing, and what my role would be if I went there, and then I did a little photo shoot. Then I hung out with the players again and the coaches."

Q: What did Coach Stackhouse describe to you that the Vanderbilt way is?

Nelson: "Basically they are going to be a defensive team. They are going to come out there and they are going to pick up full court and they are going to be a fast paced offense team. Mostly pick and roll and pick and pop, they are going to do all of those things. He wants to make sure they have a bunch of shooters on the floor."

Q: Tell us how you like Coach Stackhouse and your relationship with him.

Nelson: "Oh yeah, we talk almost every week. Our relationship is good. Coach Stackhouse's personality is good. I like how he pushes players to be better, not just to be average but to be better. I like how he is a defensive minded coach. He wants to get in you and knock you out early."

Q: Vanderbilt was the first Power Five program to offer you. Does that make a difference with you that they got in early?

Nelson: "Oh yeah that makes a big difference. He believed in me when nobody else did. That's a hug difference and that is what I like."

Q: They offered you in June. Tell us how that offer came about and how their interest started.

Nelson: "I was working out and Coach Jerry Stackhouse was there. I was doing well in the workout and he told me he liked the way I played. He liked the way I looked and he was going to keep looking at me. At the high school live period he came and he offered me."

Q: Describe yourself as a player.

Nelson: "I'm a floor general. I'm going to make sure my players get open and get their touches. But at the same time I can score when I need to. I'm going to create for others and create for myself. I'm going to make sure I can do whatever I can to win the game. I'm going to lock you up on defense for 94-feet, and make sure my man doesn't score. I'm a winner. I'm going to make sure my team wins."

Q: Thats a perfect lead into my next question. You have that reputation. Your team won the Virginia State 5A Championship last season, and Team Loaded is very successful. Yu are used to winning.

Nelson: "My high school team my freshman season was very good at Varina. Coach (Anrew) Lacey pushes us very hard, especially on he defensive end. He knows we are going to score often so we have to stop people on the other end. That's what helped us win the State Championship. On Team Loaded, our coaches pushed is hard. They made sure that we never settled for average. They made sure we grinded and got better every day.. As a team we all had a great bond. We knew we had great chemistry and that is what helped us as a team.'

Q: Vanderbilt is a great school and Columbia is in the Ivy League. describe the importance of academics.

Nelson: "I have a 3.3 GPA. I'm going to make sure that increases this year. Academics matters. Without academics you really can't go high or as far as you want to. My parents really press on that and make sure I take care of my academics before I do anything else."