The 22-year-old Jackson is currently carving his Cavaliers niche at Summer League in Las Vegas, where he took a moment to talk about his journey with cavs.com …

You were one of the most improved players in the country, going from your junior and senior seasons at Kansas. What do you attribute that to?
Darnell Jackson: Basically, just everything I’ve been through. I wanted to quit, but Coach Self and my teammates held on to me and pushed me so hard; they wanted to make sure that I didn’t make the wrong decision, leaving Kansas. And just having that support helped me a lot. It was hard, not having the support coming from home.

I turned everything from a negative to a positive and told myself that I was going to go out and work extremely hard.

Being a four-year player in college today is rare. What are the advantages of it?
Jackson: It shows you how hard you have to work both on and off the court. And you just learn more in four years. Coach Manning played in the NBA, so getting pointers from him helped me out a lot as I was working out for NBA teams and getting ready for the Draft.

Talk about your Draft night experience.
Jackson: Oh, man. I was excited about that. When the call came that said I was going to Cleveland, it all came true for me, because I always wanted to go to Cleveland. It’s always been in my mind and in my heart to go to Cleveland and have a chance to play with LeBron. And now I have a chance to do that, and I’m really excited about it.

At your press conference, you said that Cleveland “felt right” as soon as you got off the plane. Why did you feel that way?
Jackson: I don’t know. Every time I went to Cleveland, I felt good. I felt comfortable being there. The other places I went to (for pre-Draft workouts) I didn’t feel comfortable at all. Cleveland made me feel like I was at home, like I was back in Oklahoma with my family. And I just felt good being around the people that were there.

Everybody tried to get to know you – where you’re from and what your background was all about. And they took the time to get to know me. They didn’t B.S. me. They told me straightforward how it is, and how it’s going to be.

Were you happy with your performance in the first couple games of Summer League?
Jackson: Yeah, I had a lot of fun out there. I just go out, work hard and do what I’m supposed to do – and go from there. I love to win, and even though we’ve dropped a couple games, I need to look forward.

How did it feel playing alongside fellow rookie, J.J. Hickson?
Jackson: It was good. It’s nice being out there with the young fella – watching him dunk everything.

Danny Ferry compared you to a Charles Oakley-type player – a “banger.” Whose NBA game do you think yours resembles?
Jackson: I don’t really think of my game in terms of other players. I’m just me. I just go out there and do what I need to do. I think, at Kansas, I found my personality – both on and off the court.

How would you describe your game, then, for people who haven’t seen you play?
Jackson: Well, on the court, I have a little mean streak to me. (Laughs) And off the court, I’m just a humble guy who likes things to go easy. (Even though sometimes it doesn’t work that way.)

What are your goals for the week?
Jackson: Not anything for myself. I’m all about the team – and I don’t want to lose anymore.

What have you been doing in Vegas when you’re not balling with the team?
Jackson: Locking myself in my hotel room and that’s it.

Do you have any plans in-between Summer League and Training Camp in October?
Jackson: Go back to Kansas and work out with the young guys. Talk to them and see how it’s going. Stop by and visit Coach Self, have a good time hanging out with those guys and, when the time comes, get back to business.