North Carolina’s Justin Jackson has done something that rarely happens for NBA prospects. Jackson entered last year’s NBA Combine but opted to come back to school to improve his draft stock.
Players are rarely able to return and improve their NBA Draft stock as the scrutiny tends to be much higher on these prospects. Jackson took last year’s criticism to heart and improved his shooting by a wide margin. Jackson’s three-point percentage is up nine percent on over two times as many attempts.
In my latest mock draft, Jackson sneaks into the lottery at number 12. Jackson offers an NBA team the ability to contribute in multiple ways. Jackson stands at 6’8″ and 210 pounds but will need to get stronger as he transitions to the NBA.
ESPN’s Chad Ford has Jackson as his 26th ranked player on his big board. Ford notes that scouts have Jackson all over the board.
“Some [scouts] see him going as high as the mid-first round, but most still put him on the first-round bubble because of his lack of elite athleticism and concerns that his 3-point shooting might be a little fluky after two seasons of struggling from beyond the arc,” Ford writes.
Draft Express’ Jonathan Givony notes that Jackson has used the tournament to continue helping his draft stock.
Besides [Zach] Collins, the player who has helped himself more than anyone at the Final Four thus far is UNC’s Justin Jackson. Oregon had absolutely no answer for him on the wing with his tremendous size, length, much improved shooting stroke and outstanding basketball IQ. Besides scoring 22 points on 6/13 shooting from outside, Jackson was just as impressive defensively, covering ground exceptionally, using his big 6’11 wingspan to contest shots all over the floor, and playing with the type of toughness, focus and energy scouts have been wanting to see from him since he emerged as a McDonald’s All-American three years ago.
Jackson has been trending up in Draft Express’ recent mock drafts. He has moved from a late first rounder into the lottery. Jackson sits at 12 in Draft Express’ latest mock draft.
NBADraft.net is not as bullish on Jackson’s draft stock. They have him at 28 in their latest mock draft.
As a junior, Jackson still has another year of eligibility at North Carolina if he chooses to use it. Given he was close to entering last year’s draft, Jackson is expected to enter the 2017 NBA Draft but has not formally announced his intentions.
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