MILWAUKEE, WI – At some point in the very near future, North Carolina freshman guard Ian Jackson will sit down with those whom he trusts and discuss his future.
A conversation with UNC Coach Hubert Davis will take place as well, and then input from various sources including general manager Jim Tanner and what some people in the NBA think about the 6-foot-4 New York native.
And then, he will make a decision on whether to return to UNC, head to the NBA, or possibly enter the transfer portal. The reality of the current NIL/portal era is just about anything is possible. And with Jackson having more options than some players, his range of thought will be greater.
So naturally, he was asked multiple times about his future following the Tar Heels’ 71-64 loss to Mississippi on Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Fiserv Forum.
“I’m not sure. I didn’t think about it yet,” he replied. “We lost here, that’s what’s on my mind right now and when the time comes for the next step, I’ll talk to my circle and figure it out.”
Jackson said gathering information and getting perspective is important, but also unwinding from the season. A decision will come, and he appears in no hurry to make one.
“I think as I think about it some more, and like thoroughly think about it, I would start to understand what I want to do,” Jackson said. “I just didn’t get a chance to think about what to do.”
At one point, Jackson was considered a lock to leave for the NBA. It was somewhat the plan coming in, which he loosely acknowledged last October. And when he went off in a seven-game span starting in late December, it was a foregone conclusion.
In that period, starting with a December 21 win over UCLA at Madison Square Garden, Jackson averaged 22.7 points, shot 56-for-93 (60.2%) from the field, including 19-for-46 (41.3%) from the perimeter, and averaged attempting 5.7 free throws per game.
What complicates matters is he didn’t continue producing at that level. Everything changed for the worse for Jackson.
In the seven-game stretch that followed, beginning with a January 18 home loss to Stanford, Jackson averaged 7.4 points, shot 18-for-59 (30.5%) from the floor, including 5-for-26 (19.2%) from 3-point range, and averaged attempting only 2 free throws per game.
He was way up then he was way down. And yet another interesting seven-game span followed to conclude the regular season. He averaged 13.4 points per game but did so coming off the bench. During the hot seven-game streak, Jackson never played fewer than 32 minutes in a game, but over Carolina’s final seven contests of the regular season, he never played more than 29 minutes and only twice logged more than 21 minutes.
“I’m not sure,” he replied when asked about his roller coaster season and if it will impact his decision-making process.
Jackson did say, however, there was value in his season, shying away from speaking any negatives. Instead, he’s embraced the challenges of the last couple of months.
“I learned a lot. I learned that it’s not always going to be your way, things aren’t always going to be great,” he said. “I feel like this year I played a different role than I’m used to playing, which is great for me. I had a chance to evolve a different way and kind of experience something different on a basketball court.”
Jackson scored 1 point against Ole Miss, and a week earlier in the narrow loss to Duke in the ACC Tournament semifinals, he did not score. In five postseason games, Jackson averaged 3.4 points and only 14.2 minutes.
The transfer portal for college basketball opens Monday.
