Tag: Justin Jackson

RJ Davis nearing program record for made 3-pointers

RJ Davis is a scoring machine and a National Player of the Year candidate. Just how far can he take UNC in the NCAA Tournament?

Senior Night was everything the UNC men’s basketball team could’ve asked for.

North Carolina obliterated Notre Dame, 84-51, to clinch at least a share of the regular-season ACC title. Every senior – RJ Davis, Armando Bacot, Cormac Ryan, Paxson Wojcik, Creighton Lebo, Rob Landry and Duwe Farris – got to play. Defense reverted to its January form, holding an opponent to 51 points or less for the second time in four games.

Bacot, Ryan and Wojcik definitely played their final games, while there’s speculation if Davis played his.

If it was Davis’ final home game in a UNC uniform, he gave Tar Heel Nation something to remember him by.

Not only did Davis lead all scorers with 22 points, but his four made 3-pointers gave him 96 all-time. This number tied him with Cameron Johnson, who played at North Carolina from 2017-2019.

Unless Davis endures the worst shooting slump of his collegiate career, there’s a strong chance he ends up with UNC’s single-season record. To be in the same company with Johnson, Manek and Justin Jackson – all of whom are fan favorites – is pretty special.

Davis and his Tar Heel teammates now turn their minds to Saturday, when they’ll have a chance to clinch the ACC Tournament’s top seed against archrival Duke. If North Carolina emerges victorious, it’d be the first sweep of Duke since the 2019-2020 campaign.

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Justin Jackson signs 10-day contract with Timberwolves

Former UNC basketball standout Justin Jackson has signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves out of the All-Star break.

Former North Carolina Tar Heels standout Justin Jackson is getting another crack at the NBA.

On Wednesday, Jackson signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves, the top team in the Western Conference at the NBA All-Star break. The 28-year-old Jackson has spent the entire season with the Texas Legends in the G-League, averaging 19.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 19 games.

He was last in the NBA with the Boston Celtics during the 2022-23 season and was traded at the 2023 NBA deadline to Oklahoma City before being cut by the Thunder. The 10-day contract will give him another shot in the league with a different team.

The former first-round pick back in 2017 has played six seasons, averaging 6.0 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in the NBA. He won a title with the Milwaukee Bucks back in 2021. But since then, he’s appeared in just 37 total games.

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Theo Pinson claims UNC punked Duke last game

Theo Pinson claims UNC punked Duke last game while talking with Justin Jackson on the latest episode of Run Your Race.

It’s already been ten days since UNC ran Duke out of Chapel Hill, beating the Blue Devils 93-84.

Despite taking place earlier this month, that hasn’t stopped former UNC stars [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag] and [autotag]Justin Jackson[/autotag] from speaking about the rivalry win. On a recent episode of Run Your Race, Pinson had Tar Heel favorite on to talk about the game and UNC’s dominance.

In a snippet sent by Tidal League, Pinson expresses how he felt the UNC punked Duke, alluding to the fact that both teams felt the Tar Heels were better. The play showed that UNC was better, but you can be the judge if you feel Pinson’s description of them punking Duke was accurate.

The conversation pinpoints the confidence that UNC played with that night, clicking on all cylinders. Since that win, the Tar Heels haven’t come out with that sort of desire, but knowing that type of fight exists, especially showcasing that against a rival like Duke.

It’s always nice seeing Pinson hype up UNC. Pinson had been on a tear lately, feeding his teammates into a franchise-record night. It will be intriguing to see if UNC can punk Duke again next month.

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UNC hoops standout Justin Jackson talks about how hard it is to win road ACC games

Winning a game on the road is tough, no matter the sport. If you’re talking about college hoops, the ACC is as tough as it gets.

It’s the first Friday of 2024, with the UNC men’s basketball team just one night away from playing its third ACC matchup.

Carolina started slow in its first two conference clashes, but rebounded to down Florida State and Pitt. The Tar Heels are now winners of their past three, sit eighth in the latest AP Poll and look significantly more like an ACC contender.

UNC gets its toughest, early-season conference test on Saturday, Jan. 6 at 12 p.m. ET, as it’ll be battling Clemson inside Littlejohn Coliseum. The Tigers have started 2024 hot and hope to stay hot, after collapsing during ACC play last year.

If you know anything about Clemson sports, particularly football, they have one of the best home-field advantages. Case in point – I went to the Tigers-Georgia Tech football game in early November. It was cool, cloudy and slightly rainy, but Memorial Stadium was PACKED in purple and orange.

In a broader sphere, winning on the road in any ACC sport is tough. Just ask Justin Jackson, a 2017 NCAA Champion with our very own Tar Heels.

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“I’ll never forget my freshman year, we went into Pittsburgh and it was really loud,” Jackson told InsideCarolina on his Shooting it Straight podcast. “They had some really good players on the team at the time. Pitt got the jump ball, tipped it ahead and the guy dunked it. The way that the crowd roaded at that moment, at the time it was hard to think.”

UNC had struggled with the Panthers until Tuesday, when it won for just the second time in seven matchups.

Later in his podcast, Jackson continued offering his advice about tough road environments in the ACC.

“ACC road wins are extremely hard to get and when you win them, no matter how it might look or no matter how it turns out, you gotta clap and celebrate for those wins,” Jackson said.

With Clemson and N.C. State up next, Carolina has a golden chance to show it’s the ACC’s team to beat.

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UNC Basketball trio dominate in NBA G-League

A UNC Basketball trio dominated in the NBA G-League Saturday night, each dropping a double-double.

A Tar Heel trio dominated the NBA G-League Saturday, with [autotag]Tony Bradley[/autotag], [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag], and[autotag] Justin Jackson[/autotag] combining for 63 points for the Texas Legends.

Texas took on the South Bay Lakers, and the former UNC stars put on a show. All three finished with a double-double as Bradley ended up with 26 points and 15 rebounds, Justin Jackson had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and Pinson finished with 17 points and 15 assists.

All three players were teammates on the 2017 UNC basketball team that won the national championship, so it’s great to see the trio teamed up and still dominating. All three have had opportunities in the NBA, but are still looking to find their way back permanently. Performances like this go a long way, especially as teams attempt to grab missing pieces during the second half of the season.

The trio will be back in action Saturday to take on the Motor City Cruise.

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Theo Pinson shares this year’s UNC basketball X-factor

Theo Pinson and Justin Jackson share this year’s UNC basketball X-factor.

The UNC men’s basketball program is picking up steam as one of the teams with a strong chance of becoming National Champions.

Believing that hype is two former Tar Heels, [autotag]Theo Pinson[/autotag], and [autotag]Justin Jackson[/autotag], who know what it feels like to be a NCAA champion. In a recent episode of Pinson’s, Run Your Race podcast, the two former UNC players discussed this year’s team, what they need to do to win it all, and who the X-factor is.

In previous years, UNC X-factor has been the transfer brought in that year, for example, Brady Manek for the Natty run in 2022, and last season, Pete Nance Oreos gave UNC spark a few times. So, it wasn’t shocking that their answer for X-factor was another one this season.

[autotag]Harrison Ingram[/autotag] has been ideal this season, playing a big role in the team’s success. If the Tar Heels want to make a deep run this year, Ingram’s versatility will be called on.

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Justin Jackson turns back the clock in dominant Sunday outing

Justin Jackson was an integral part of the 2017, National Championship-winning UNC men’s basketball squad. He just tore the court up Sunday.

When you think of the most NBA-ready, complete, well-rounded players to suit up as Tar Heels, who are some names that come to mind?

Cameron Johnson has the height, shooting and dunking ability, plus he plays solid defense. Coby White can shoot and drain perimeter shots with the best of NBA talent, while Harrison Barnes is still playing like a superstar in his 12th NBA season.

One of the most NBA-ready players to come out of Carolina, particularly in recent years, is 2017 National Champion Justin Jackson. He’s a tall, fast small forward who can knock down jump shots, convert rim-rocking dunks and lock down ball-handlers with his long wingspan.

Despite his collegiate success, which included 895 career points, 50 games with double-figure scoring and – most importantly, 16 points in the 2017 National Championship victory over Gonzaga, Jackson hasn’t matched that same level of success in the NBA.

He was drafted 15th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Portland Trail Blazers, but is now on his sixth NBA roster since. Jackson’s actually playing with the Texas Legends, the Dallas Mavericks’ G-League affiliate, but he could soon find himself up in The Big D.

In the Legends’ 115-111 victory over the Austin Spurs on Sunday night, Jackson dominated with 35 points, nine rebounds and seven made 3-pointers.

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Jackson, listed as a small forward, far exceeded his season average of 21.1 points per game. This type of outing is certainly worthy of a call-up, particularly with how banged up the Mavs are right now.

Dallas’ starting small forward, Josh Green, is currently out for a couple weeks with a right elbow sprain. Starting power forward Grant Williams and second-string Maxi Kleber are both out with injuries, too, giving Jackson a pretty clear path to a call-up.

Jackson already spent parts of the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 NBA seasons as a Maverick, so he already knows the system. Dallas could certainly benefit from Jackson’s skill-set, particularly in its current roster state, so don’t be surprised to see him back in the NBA real soon.

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From Chapel Hill to Dallas: Justin Jackson, Theo Pinson signing with Mavericks

Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson, two integral parts of the 2017 UNC basketball National Title team, both signed with the Dallas Mavericks.

Two of the best NBA players to come out of Chapel Hill, in recent years, were 2017 NCAA champions Justin Jackson and Theo Pinson.

Jackson was selected 15th overall by the Sacramento Kings in the 2017 NBA draft, while the Brooklyn Nets signed Pinson as an undrafted free agent in 2018.

Jackson’s enjoyed a modest amount of success in the league, highlighted by an NBA title in 2021 with the Milwaukee Bucks. He started a career-high 41 games during his rookie year with Sacramento, then averaged a career-high 8.2 points per game the following season in Dallas. He’s become a bit of a journeyman since getting drafted, suiting up for six teams in six years.

Pinson has not enjoyed nearly the same level of success in pro ball as Jackson, but he did record a triple-double in the Mavericks’ 2022-2023 season finale. Pinson spent his first two years in Brooklyn, third year with the New York Knicks, then the past two years in Dallas.

The Jackson-Pinson duo is reuniting again, however, with the Dallas Mavericks signing both on Friday, Oct. 20.

Jackson and Pinson will both likely end up in Dallas at some point this year. Their recent signings likely point to them being depth pieces, with each expected to be starters on the Texas Legends, Dallas’ G-League affiliate.

Jackson averaged 13.8 points per game and drained 168 3-pointers across three seasons (2014-2015, 2015-2016, 2016-2017) at Carolina, including a collegiate career-high 18.3 in his final year.

Pinson played at Carolina from 2014-2018, averaging 6.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. He rarely started in his first three seasons, then exploded onto the scene in senior year, by averaging 10.3 points per game across 37 starts.

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Report: Justin Jackson being targeted by Israeli Premier League’s Hapoel Tel Aviv

The Texan forward appeared in a total of 24 games over two seasons for Boston.

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It seems another former player of the Boston Celtics might find himself a new team to play for overseas. Word is bubbling up that onetime Boston forward Justin Jackson is being targeted as a potential signing by Israeli Premier League team Hapoel Tel Aviv Basketball Club per new reporting from Walla Sports‘ Aharleh Weisberg and Or Shakdi via Sportando’s Dario Skerletic.

Per the Sportando reporter, Jackson is a player of interest for Tel Aviv, which plays in the same league stashed Boston floor general Yam Madar got his start in. The onetime University of North Carolina standout’s level of interest in such an offer is unclear, but Jackson may be weighing his options regarding trying to stay in the NBA.

The Houston native signed his first 10-day deal with the Celtics in December 2021, n another, regular contract ahead of the 2022-23 season in September of 2022.

The Texan forward appeared in 24 games over two seasons for Boston, putting up 0.9 points and 0.7 rebounds per game over that stretch before he was dealt in the trade that brought big man Mike Muscala from the Oklahoma City Thunder in February of 2023.

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Dan Campbell explains why Lions RB/KR Justin Jackson retired

Lions coach Dan Campbell talked about the surprising retirement of RB/KR Justin Jackson

The Detroit Lions had to scramble to find a quick replacement at both running back and kick returner last week after veteran Justin Jackson unexpectedly retired from the NFL. It was a curveball in preparation for both the preseason opener against the New York Giants and the overall depth chart.

Jackson had been the team’s No. 3 running back since returning to training camp earlier this summer. He filled that role capably in 2022 as well. But Jackson’s bigger value was as the team’s primary kick returner.

After the preseason win over the Giants, Campbell was finally given a chance to speak about Jackson’s retirement.

“Yeah, no, listen. It’s hard. I’d say for us it’s hard because he was having a really good camp, he really was,” Campbell said of Jackson. “It was good to get him back and he brought value to us, but at the end of the day, man, he’s in a good place and he just felt like you know what, this is where my life is going right now.

I feel like it’s time to move on and there was no ill will. He just came to the crossroads and, ‘Hey this is what I feel is right.’ And I respect that man and I wish him the best. If I can help him in any way, I will. We’re going to miss him, but he’s been a pro man. He was having a heck of a camp.”

Maurice Alexander and Dylan Drummond handled kick return duties against the Giants. While Alexander was spectacular in the punt return capacity, he did not fare well on kickoffs; No. 15 averaged 11 yard per return and never passed the 23-yard line. Drummond, a rookie WR from Eastern Michigan, had one return for 19 yards. Jackson finished fourth in the NFL in 2022 with an average kick return of 26.7 yards.