The words didn’t sound like they were coming from a guy who had just played the best game of his career.

Yet there Albert Jackson was, putting his first career start into context while trying to explain the Georgia men’s basketball team’s crushing 77-64 loss to Florida Wednesday night.

“There’s going to be a whole lot of soul searching by me and, hopefully, everybody on the team,” Jackson said, after having just scored a career-high 12 points against the Gators.

“I don’t want to end our season like this. I don’t want it for our seniors. I don’t want them to go out like that. I don’t plan on letting that happen.”

It seems fitting, though, as Jackson’s young career has consisted largely of flashes of potential overshadowed by difficult circumstances.

Plagued by a shoulder injury last year and a six game academic suspension to start this season, the sophomore forward has begun to tap into the abilities his NBA body (six feet, ten inches and 250 pounds) holds within.

Jackson played arguably his best game as a Bulldog in a loss to No. 18 Vanderbilt Saturday, scoring nine points and pulling down eight rebounds. He parlayed that into a start against Florida, and responded with an even better performance – 12 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

Perhaps what’s most striking is he has zero turnovers the last two games, when an inability to hang onto the ball had been dogging him all year.

“I feel like it’s a turning point,” Jackson said. “The fans have been looking for it. My coaches have been looking for it. I’ve felt it in practice for a while, but now I feel like it’s starting to show more in the games.”

The Bulldogs (12-14, 3-10 SEC) will try to pick up its first SEC road win of the season Sunday at LSU (11-16, 4-9) and make one last push for a winning overall record and an outside shot at the NIT.

“I have no clue what’s wrong with our team right now,” junior guard Terrance Woodbury said after the Florida loss.

Georgia is running out of time to figure that out.