Junior Andre Jackson listens to gospel music before games.

His favorite artist is Tasha Cobbs Leonard.

His off-the-court routine prepares him for his on-the-court performance.

“The things I do off the court are going to affect the things I do on the court,” Jackson said. “I’m just trying to keep my energy and stuff right. Talking to the right people, keeping the right people around me and constantly trying to talk to God, and listening to the right music.”

“I listen to a lot of gospel music before the game. …. I’m just trying to feed myself and my body the right things so I can be in the right mind space.”

Everything that Jackson does is geared toward helping UConn try to capture the program’s fifth national championship. The next step is a national semifinal meeting with Miami at 8:49 p.m. Saturday at NRG Stadium in Houston.

Jackson has played a significant part in the Huskies reaching this elite level.

“Without Andre, I don’t think we’d be where we are right now,” freshman Donovan Clingan said.

Jackson is the heartbeat of the Huskies and a respected team leader.

When his new teammates arrived on campus for the first summer session last year, Jackson reached out to them and made them feel at home.

He’s also not afraid to challenge them.

“He’s a great teammate, a great person,” Clingan said. “He’s hard on us, which is good. He always wants us to do better. He always wants us to be the best that we possibly can. Andre is one of my closest brothers on this team and I can’t thank him enough.”

On the court, it’s impossible to miss Jackson, a versatile, active and athletic 6-foot-6 guard, during games. He seems like he’s everywhere.

In an 82-54 demolition of Gonzaga in the West Region Elite Eight on Saturday, Jackson made winning plays that don’t show up in the box score.

He extended possessions by hustling for rebounds, set up teammates for momentum-building baskets and played shutdown defense He also fueled the fast break. He finished with eight points, nine rebounds and a career-high 10 assists.

His teammates feed off of Jackson’s energy.

“When he’s giving everything he’s got, we start to give everything that we’ve got,” redshirt freshman Alex Karaban said. “Everyone wants to play for him. He just means so much to the locker room. He just means so much as a leader. He means everything to us. He’s my favorite teammate I’ve ever played with. So what he does out there is special.”

In four NCAA tourney games, Jackson is averaging 7.7 points, 7.0 rebounds and 7.7 assists while converting 14 of 29 from the field.

Yet, Jackson didn’t make the West Region all-tournament team, or before that any All-Big East team.

His teammates certainly appreciate Jackson.

“Andre is always going to be my MVP,” said sophomore Jordan Hawkins after being named the West Region’s most outstanding player. “He’s just a complete difference maker.”

Coach Dan Hurley regularly raves about Jackson, the player and person.

“He’s the most selfless, best leader, best captain that you’ll ever come across,” Hurley said. “Andre is probably slighted in terms of those types of awards. We’ve put him up for a lot of defensive awards. But, in the end, he’s got a tremendous legacy here that he’s created from nothing. He got here and the team wasn’t very good and he’s helped rebuild this thing.

“The right NBA people really really love his traits.”

Jackson isn’t thinking about his future right now. His focus is on leading UConn past Miami on Saturday and then playing for a national championship against either San Diego State or Florida Atlantic.

The Huskies are rolling right now, winning their first four NCAA tourney games by an average of 22.5 points.

Jackson is far from satisfied with reaching his first Final Four. He wants to hang a fifth national championship banner inside the Werth Center.

“We’ve got a lot of momentum going into the Final Four,” Jackson said. “I think we’re the best team in the tournament. And it’s all about staying true to who we are, knowing our identity and playing to our strengths, minimizing our weaknesses and overall playing the game to win the game, not playing the game for any individual success, or anything selfish. It’s all about the team.

“Everybody on this team and in this locker room has sacrificed to get to this point. We’re going to continue to do the same thing.”

g.keefe@theday.com