Athens — No, that was not trick photography being used in the Vanderbilt game. That really was Georgia's Albert Jackson timing his pick-and-roll move just right, streaking down the lane to haul in a pass from Sundiata Gaines and jamming the basketball.

It's actually the same Albert Jackson coach Dennis Felton and the Bulldogs get to see quite often in their sparkly practice gym next to Stegeman Coliseum. But getting that guy from that court to the one on which Georgia actually plays its games has proven to be a challenge.

A glimpse of Jackson's wondrous potential, however, was offered on an otherwise fruitless day in Nashville this past Saturday. While Georgia fell to Vanderbilt 86-74, Jackson had season highs of nine points and eight rebounds while playing a career-high 25 minutes.

"I was really happy with his performance," said Felton, who said he would like to see some more of it when the Bulldogs play host to Florida tonight. "He did some of the things we've been wanting him to do. He was moving and rebounding, and he wasn't hesitating when he got the ball close to the basket in the scoring area. Those are some things we've been after him about."

Combined with senior David Bliss, the Bulldogs got 15 points, 18 rebounds and three assists out of the center position. It was the most efficient performance from the pivot for Georgia in SEC play this season.

"Albert has a lot of potential," Bliss said. "The other day was one of the best games of his career. He missed a lot of time last year, so he's basically like a true freshman this year. But he has a chance to be a real good player."

Potential is a word used a lot when discussing Jackson. To see the muscular 6-foot-10, 255-pounder off the court is to recognize the tremendous athletic attributes that drew Felton's attention back when he was at Western Kentucky and Jackson was still a high school underclassman in Earlington, Ky.

On the court, however, Jackson has been mostly a work in progress. A shoulder injury interrupted his freshman season, limiting him to eight or fewer minutes in the last 16 games and forcing him to miss the last six games altogether. And a six-game suspension (for failing to attend tutoring appointments) delayed his start this season.

Then it took a while for Jackson to get going. Personal fouls and turnovers were a problem. Before Saturday, Jackson averaged nearly two apiece in SEC play despite playing only 12.5 minutes per game. Offensively he lacked rhythm. One could almost see the motions being processed through his mind before his body could put them into action.

"Offense is what I need to improve on most because my defense is pretty good and I'm a pretty good rebounder," said Jackson, who is averaging 2.0 points and 3.4 rebounds for the season. "I just have to get the mentality to score. The coaches say I can score as well as anybody on our team as long as I stay aggressive. They're working with me on that every day."

Judging from the Vanderbilt game, it appears they're getting through. Twice Jackson converted pick-and-roll plays from the high post. Another time he made a short baseline jumper. Yet another time he muscled in a layup after posting up a defender on the low block. Once he was fouled on a putback attempt, and he made one of the two free throws.

"He caught, jumped and scored, and he's tough to stop when he does that," said Felton, who has raved about Jackson's hook shot. "I'm very hopeful he can build on that and continue to play with that type of aggression."

Jackson said that's the plan.

"Most definitely," he said. "Every game that I score a few buckets, whether it's one or three or four, it helps me build my confidence and feel more comfortable on the court. I think now is about the time my team needs me to turn that corner so I'm trying to get to that point."