Tag: Ian Jackson

Ian Jackson puts Hunter Sallis on poster

Ian Jackson’s dunk over Hunter Sallis is a dunk of the year candidate.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are trying to rebound from a bad loss at home against Stanford on Saturday and they find themselves in a battle on the road at Wake Forest.

As UNC is trying to get back into the win column, freshman Ian Jackson is trying to aid that. And during the first half of Wednesday’s game, the freshman had what is arguably the dunk of the year in college basketball.

After a Wake Forest miss, North Carolina got out running and it was Jackson who soared for a big slam dunk, towering over Hunter Sallis for the slam to extend UNC’s lead to 18-13.

Check out the dunk and the reaction from the crowd below:

The dunk also sent social media into a frenzy with lots of users talking about the dunk and how awesome it was.

 

 

 

Jackson had an impressive streak scoring 20 or more points in five-straight games for UNC. But against Stanford, he struggled and it hurt UNC offensively.

It feels like he’s playing better in this game, helping UNC to get out to a lead in this first half. The freshman is at his best when he does attack the basket, something UNC is hoping he can do more of as the season goes on.

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USA TODAY Sports NBA mock draft has UNC basketball players in first round

Could two UNC basketball standouts go first round in the 2025 NBA Draft?

The North Carolina Tar Heels appear to finally be finding their groove on the basketball court, winning their past three games and leading Cal by 10 at halftime of Wednesday’s ACC battle.

Hubert Davis found a rotation that finally works for UNC, led by high-scoring production from Ian Jackson. Jalen Washington is proving why he’s North Carolina’s best option at center, while team defense is significantly improved from non-conference play in December.

The Tar Heels still have a long way to go in proving itself as an NCAA Tournament threat, but regardless of how they end the season, two of their young stars are projected to play in the NBA.

In USA TODAY Sports’s latest NBA Mock Draft, Drake Powell will go 15th overall and Jackson will go 26th overall.

Powell, known primarily for his defense, is averaging 7.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. Powell is shooting an efficient 48.9 percent from the field – and already has a pair of double-digit scoring outings in ACC play.

Jackson is turning into a superstar before our eyes, averaging 15.4 points per game on a 50.9 field goal percentage. Jackson initially entered the starting lineup when Seth Trimble missed time with an injury, but his hot play forced Hubert to keep him in the lineup.

I hope Jackson and Powell continue playing well enough to get serious NBA Draft consideration, but selfishly, I also hope they stay in Chapel Hill. UNC is set if its current star freshman duo does leave, though, thanks to 2025 combo guards Isaiah Denis and Derek Dixon.

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Two UNC basketball players land in first round of NBA mock draft

Which UNC basketball players are being projected to go in the first round of the 2025 NBA draft?

The North Carolina Tar Heels are fresh off a win on the road against NC State, thanks to Jalen Washington’s late-game heroics. After a 1-1 start in ACC play, UNC is now 4-1 and hoping to work their way off the bubble.

But as we await what the future holds this season for the team, two players are drawing some interest in terms of an NBA mock draft.

In ESPN’s latest mock draft from Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, two North Carolina players are featured in the first round. And they are both freshmen.

Drake Powell leads the way as he is mocked to go No. 15 overall to the San Antonio Spurs via a pick from Atlanta. Here is what they said about the talented forward:

The Spurs could use a big perimeter defender and might address that with this selection, making Powell an interesting potential fit. Powell is one of the more versatile defenders in this draft class, with the frame, strength and instincts to cover several positions adequately from the wing. Though that hasn’t manifested in steals and blocks, his motor and value are obvious, earning him a big role at North Carolina despite his offense needing work.

Powell isn’t a major threat playing on the ball and will have to knock down 3-pointers (he’s shooting 35% from 3) to carve out a meaningful place in the NBA. His confidence has been up and down this season, but there are positive ingredients for a likely 3-and-D role, presuming his shot comes around. — Woo

Not far behind Powell is teammate Ian Jackson who is on a historic run for North Carolina. He’s been mocked at No. 24 to the Orlando Magic in a pick from the Denver Nuggets.

Orlando’s second first-round pick, by way of Denver, could be an opportunity to add backcourt depth. Jackson has hit his stride over the past couple of weeks, scoring 20-plus points in four of his previous five games and showcasing his competitiveness and instincts by creating for himself. He has been fairly efficient in the process, establishing himself as a prospect for NBA teams to track over the next couple of months.

His game also has considerable holes — he can get too isolation-heavy at times, he’s a limited playmaker (5.6% assist rate) and he’s made minimal impact defensively. Coupled with his below-average size at 6-4 and narrow frame for a 2-guard, Jackson will need time to evolve into more than just a scorer to carve out a meaningful niche in the NBA. But he has helped himself with his recent performances, and continuing to showcase his strengths will bolster his case in this range of the draft. — Woo

These mock drafts will obviously change between now and June but it’s good to see two players being mentioned in these mock drafts.

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Jalen Washington seals UNC victory over NC State with game-ending block

UNC barely escaped NC State with a victory after late Jalen Washington heroics.

For most of the second half on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh, it looked like the UNC basketball team would run away with a big victory over NC State.

North Carolina entered the second half with a 9-point advantage – and later pushed its lead back to nine points – thanks to another Ian Jackson 3-pointer. The host Wolfpack wouldn’t budge, though, re-taking the lead late (63-62) on a Marcus Hill jumper.

When the final buzzer sounded, the Tar Heels escaped Raleigh with a 63-61 victory – sealed by Jalen Washington‘s third block on a career day.

You could hear boos raining down from the NC State (9-7, 2-3 ACC) faithful after Washington’s block. The Wolfpack should be more upset about the play they drew up out of their final timeout, though, holding the ball until the very last second.

Washington recorded the first double-double of his UNC (11-6, 4-1) career with an 11-point, 12-rebound performance. The greatest play on Washington’s big day, though, was him block Jayden Taylor’s game-tying layup attempt.

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North Carolina won a crazy, extremely up-tempo battle in which scoring focused mostly on who could finish drives to the basket. This was evident by 62 points in the paint – exactly half of the game’s total – between both teams, with the Tar Heels holding a 34-28 advantage.

Jackson shined once again in the scoring department, totaling 21 points on 8-of 15 shooting (5-of-8 on 3-pointers), for his fifth 20-point outing in his last six games. Jackson out-dueled Taylor in a battle of high-scoring guards, as Taylor led NC State with 20 points on an efficient, 10-of-19 mark from the field.

North Carolina shot an efficient 43.3 percent (26-of-60) overall. After starting the game rough from 3-point land, UNC finished the night 7-of-19. The Tar Heels’ defense limited the Wolfpack to 36.9% (24-of-65) overall, who made just three of 19 perimeter attempts.

Saturday wasn’t pretty, but instead the type of gritty win North Carolina needed to build momentum. UNC is now third place in the ACC with a 4-1 and, heading into Wednesday’s matchup with California, looks like a much better team than we witnessed in December.

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Just how historic is UNC basketball freshman star Ian Jackson’s recent hot stretch?

Ian Jackson is the main reason UNC is winning basketball games right now.

If the North Carolina Tar Heels didn’t have Ian Jackson on their basketball roster, I feel confident saying they wouldn’t have a winning record this season.

UNC entered its CBS Sports Classic battle against UCLA with a 6-5 record, a shocking statistic considering all the preseason hype. North Carolina returned reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, welcomed two 5-star freshmen and secured a couple of needed transfer portal reinforcements.

Entering Saturday’s ACC basketball rivalry matchup at NC State, the Tar Heels now sit at 10-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

UNC is collectively playing solid team basketball, but there’s one specific catalyst behind the improved play: Jackson.

A 5-star, McDonalds All-American Freshman from New York City, Jackson likely wouldn’t be in the starting lineup if Seth Trimble was fully healthy. Jackson scored 24, 26, 23, 27 points and 18 points respectively in North Carolina’s last five games, which brought four wins back to Chapel Hill.

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That’s pretty elite company for Jackson to be in, right? Tyler Hansbrough is North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 points. Cole Anthony’s lone season in Chapel Hill (2019-2020) was interrupted by a knee injury, but he compiled an electric season with a Tar Heels-best 18.5 points per game.

Trimble missed several recent games with an upper-body injury, leaving the Tar Heels with the need for a starting guard, but returned to the court against SMU. Though Trimble is easily UNC’s best defender, he doesn’t bring the scoring punch Jackson does.

Can Jackson continue his hot play, which has North Carolina back on the fringe of NCAA Tournament contention, to deliver his team a big win at NC State?

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Ian Jackson jokes about “who?” ahead of UNC’s next game

Ian Jackson had some choice words for the team’s next opponent ahead in-state rivalry game.

North Carolina has been rolling over their last two ACC games. Ever since the loss to Louisville on the road, they went on the road to Indiana, beating Notre Dame by one point providing a huge spark to their win against SMU.

Over those games, freshman Ian Jackson has emerged as one of the top-scoring threats for the Tar Heels. He is averaging over 20 points per game in that span and has paired well with RJ Davis in a one-two-punch scenario.

After the win over SMU, spirits were high with the team and Ian Jackson had jokes when asked about the team’s next opponent. When asked about NC State, Jackson replied, “who?”

Ian Jackson went on to retract his joke in a comment made via SI.

Nah, NC State is a great team. Every team in the ACC is a great team. It’s a hard conference. But we just wanna go out there and play our game. We’re not looking into it as a rivalry. We just want to go out there and win another game in conference play.

He finished with “whatever you guys want to call it” describing the in-state rivalry with the Wolfpack, on SI.

NC State is 8-6 this season and 1-2 against teams in the ACC. They will face off with a UNC basketball team looking for it’s longest winning streak of the season and its fourth win in ACC play. The game will air on ACC Network at 4:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, January 11th.

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Ian Jackson continues to shine, sets new career high vs. Notre Dame

Ian Jackson is playing his best basketball of the season for UNC.

North Carolina was able to steal a win on the road Saturday afternoon against Notre Dame, pulling out a thrilling 74-73 lead late thanks to Elliot Cadeau’s heroics. 

It was a back-and-forth game throughout as the two teams battled in the second half. But one player for North Carolina continued to stand out and is becoming a star in front of our eyes.

For the fourth-straight game, freshman Ian Jackson reached the 20-point mark finishing the game with 27 points, a new career-high. He became the first UNC freshman to score 20-plus points in four-straight games since Tyler Hasbrough did it in the 2005-06 season.

Jackson has really impressed this season as a freshman, making the most of his opportunity to start with Seth Trimble dealing with an injury. He’s elevated his game and has forced Hubert Davis to give him more minutes, which is a good thing for the Tar Heels.

More importantly, Jackson is scoring from all levels of the floor, showcasing his versatility.

The Tar Heels have something in the talented freshman and the hope is that other things start to get turned around as well and potentially the season could be saved from this slow start.

Jackson will look to make it five straight games with 20-plus points when UNC hosts SMU in the Dean Dome on Wednesday night.

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Notre Dame loses to North Carolina on four-point play in final seconds

Terrible way to lose.

With [autotag]Markus Burton[/autotag] back in the lineup from injury, Notre Dame had enough to beat North Carolina. This was an opportunity to let a network TV audience know good things were happening in South Bend. But all of it was undone by one ill-timed foul that led to a heartbreaking 74-73 loss.

The Irish (7-7, 1-2) had trailed the Tar Heels (9-6, 2-1) by as much as 12 earlier in the game and dealt with 27 points from Ian Jackson. Yet they held a 73-70 lead with 14 seconds left.

[autotag]Matt Allocco[/autotag] found himself in the corner guarding Elliot Cadeau, who put up a 3 and was fouled by Allocco while still in the active shooting. The game-tying 3 went through, and Cadeau hit the go-ahead free throw, prompting [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] to call a timeout and draw a game-winning play with 4.8 seconds remaining.

Burton drove the length of the court and put up a layup with time set to expire. Contact may have been made against him, but it wasn’t called, and the layup missed the rim. Although [autotag]JR Konieczny[/autotag] successfully put back the rebound, time already had run out, and the Irish were left to wonder what could have been:

Burton scored 23 points off the bench in his return. [autotag]Tae Davis[/autotag] had 17 points, and [autotag]Braeden Shrewsberry[/autotag] added 16.

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Ian Jackson picks up first ACC honor

UNC basketball freshman Ian Jackson earned his first ACC award of his career.

North Carolina freshman Ian Jackson has found his groove here in late 2024, making a big impact for the Tar Heels over the past few games. As we head into conference play for 2025, Jackson has earned his first honor of the season.

On Monday, Jackson was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Week, his first time winning award this season. The freshman scored a season-high 26 points in the Tar Heels’ 97-81 home win over Campbell, his first start of the season. That came a week after he set his previous career-high in a win over UCLA.

With Seth Trimble missing Sunday’s game, Jackson was called upon to get the start and he delivered.

The freshman went 9-for-16 from the floor including making three three-pointers. He also grabbed five rebounds in the game as well.

Jackson is making a strong case not only for more playing time but to be a starter moving forward this season. Hubert Davis is looking for the right rotational but if Jackson continues to play at this high of a level, it might be tough keeping him out of the starting lineup moving forward.

Jackson is also the first UNC player to earn an ACC award this season.

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Ian Jackson leads efficient, balanced scoring attack as UNC basketball dominates Campbell

North Carolina dominated Campbell Sunday in one final non-conference basketball tune-up.

The North Carolina Tar Heels welcomed Campbell University to the Dean Dome on Sunday night for one final, non-conference tilt as both teams closed out their 2024 portions of the college basketball season.

While UNC and Campbell traded punches early, as I predicted before the matchup, it didn’t take North Carolina long to pull ahead and dominate the Camels.

After leading Campbell by just 11 points at halftime, the Tar Heels exploded for 57 second-half points in a 97-81 domination.

UNC (8-5, 1-0 ACC) finally got the balanced scoring attack it long searched for on Sunday night, with all five starters scoring in double-figures and 10 players scoring overall.

Ian Jackson (26) and RJ Davis (23) both reached the 20-point plateau, Elliot Cadeau and Drake Powell each finished with 12 points and Jalen Washington enjoyed his most productive outing of December, scoring 10 points.

During the Tar Heels’ victory, Davis made history by becoming their program leader in 3-pointers, draining his 300th to surpass current assistant coach Marcus Paige. Davis made five shots from deep, ending his night with 303 career makes.

North Carolina shot 57.1 percent as a team, with a 35.7& mark from deep. Jackson led UNC by shooting 56.3% (9-of-16), which included a 3-of-8 mark from deep.

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The Tar Heels’ defense wasn’t great, but it didn’t need to be with its most efficient offensive performance of the year. Starting guard Seth Trimble was announced out just moments before tip-off – and if you know Trimble, he is North Carolina’s best defender.

UNC now turns its focus to Louisville on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 for a 6 p.m. ET tip-off. The Cardinals (8-5, 1-1 ACC) are much-improved from the Kenny Payne era, so expect the Tar Heels to be challenged.

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