NEW YORK – Every single day since the summertime, Ian Jackson finishes practice at

the Dean E. Smith Center, cools down and showers, and then grabs his phone.

He sends the same two-word text to the most important person in his college life these

days.

“Coach Davis,” the text reads. That’s it, just those two words.

He usually gets a reply instantly.

“Player Jackson,” Hubert Davis writes back.

And then, because Davis wants to know what his star freshman wants, he grabs the

phone and uses it for its originally-intended purpose, and calls Jackson.

“I just wasn’t fully understanding the college game yet when I first got here, and I want

to learn,” Jackson said Saturday. “I want to grow more, every day, as a basketball

player, as a student, and as a human. So he calls me and I pick his brain a little bit, ask

him what more he wants to see from me, what can I do better.

“Just trying to grow.”

That growth Jackson is looking for? It was there in spades at Madison Square Garden at

the CBS Sports Classic. Playing for the first time at the legendary arena, the Bronx kid

had his best game as a collegian as North Carolina rallied for a hugely-important win

over UCLA.

With 30-40 of his family and friends watching, and the nerves settled down in his

stomach, Jackson poured in 24 points, his career-high, and helped lead the Tar Heels to

a 76-74 win.

Showing fearlessness on his drives, and a sweet outside touch, Jackson made 8 of 13

from the floor and showed he’s ready for a bigger role on the Tar Heels.

“Ian is growing and growing, man,” UNC’s Seth Trimble said. “Him playing at the

Garden, that was huge for him, that comfort was there for him and it showed. He

looked comfortable from the get-go, and that’s what we need from him. “Ian erupted.”

Jackson is a born and bred New Yorker, having played three years of high school at the

legendary Cardinal Hayes program, just a short subway ride on the 2 or the 4 train from

Madison Square Garden. Cardinal Hayes produced NBA alumni like Kevin Loughery and

Jamal Mashburn, as well as 1980s UNC star Jimmy Black, a captain on the 1982

national championship team.

“My old coach there (Joe Lods) told me that Jimmy played here and was great,” Jackson

said. "I definitely have to get up with him and talk to him, hope to do that soon.”

Despite his New York roots, Jackson never even visited MSG until Nov. 8 of last year,

when he took in a Knicks-Spurs game. A longtime Knicks fan, Jackson said he and Davis

have talked Knicks history a lot, and Davis brought in former Knicks standout John

Starks to give the Tar Heels a pep talk Friday.

“He (Starks) came to talk to them about what it means to come to New York and play

in the Garden,” Davis said. “And the way they came back, how resilient they were today,

reminded me what being a Knick is all about.”

That resiliency has become a UNC trademark this season, as on Saturday they

continued their bad habit of falling behind double digits before rallying.

Jackson’s scoring was a huge reason the Heels were able to rally. With Mom, Latisha

Simon and Dad, Dwight Jackson watching from behind the UNC bench, Jackson began

the game with a pair of transition 3-pointers, both of which electrified the heavily pro-

Tar Heels crowd here. The first came 4:09 in, a three from the left side that tied the

game at 9.

A few minutes later Jackson drained one from the right side to cut the deficit to 23-18.

With UNC committing 11 first half turnovers, it was Jackson’s 13 first-half points that

kept UNC within striking range, down 40-32 at the break.

“That was just so fun, hearing the noise from everybody, sheesh it was great and

electric,” said Jackson, whose 90-mph speech speed proves he’s a true New Yorker.

“Once I got going and my teammates found me, the game started feeling really

comfortable.”

After intermission Jackson played just about the entire second half, coming out of the

game only for offense-defense substitutions.

With a driving layup slicing through the Bruins defense in the opening, he continued to

show he’s not just an outside shooter.

With 13:26 left Jackson showed his strength, driving in between two UCLA defenders

and converting a pretty layup off the glass, while getting fouled.

The New Yorker kept drawing fouls on the Bruins defense down the stretch and his free

throw brought UNC to within 65-63 with 6:28 left, making the deafening noise inside

MSG even louder.

Then Jackson hit a step back 15-foot jumper from foul line, bringing Carolina to within

66-65.

“I heard everything my family was yelling,” Jackson said with a big smile. “The support

was unbelievable.”

Jackson has had to adjust to being a reserve for the first time in his life, although is

recent play may mean that won’t happen anymore. But he said he hasn’t given it much

thought.

“I just have to be ready when I go in,” Jackson said. “I am not sitting there thinking ‘oh

I should be starting.”

Hubert Davis was beaming after the game talking about his freshman.

“Just really proud of him,” Davis said. “When you’re around great kids like he and RJ

and you coach them and you want to be coached, that’s what’s most fun for me.”