Getty Wofford forward Cameron Jackson
The Wofford Terriers basketball team made waves in the opening round of the 2019 NCAA Tournament with a victory over the Seton Hall Pirates. Wofford didn’t just win either, as they rolled by 16 points behind a number of strong performances. One of which included forward Cameron Jackson, who’s still flying under the radar quite a bit in terms of a potential NBA future.
While Terriers guard Fletcher Magee grabbed major headlines by setting the Division I record for most 3-pointers made in a career, his teammate deserves some love as well. Jackson went to work against the Pirates, posting 14 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and one block on 5-of-8 shooting in the 84-68 win.
Cameron Jackson’s NBA Draft Projections & Mocks
At this moment, there are virtually no mock drafts or big boards from NBA draft analysts which feature Jackson listed on them. There may be a reason for that, but it is somewhat surprising to see him not even able to find a spot on a top-100 board for the draft from any of the major sites or analysts.
It’s worth noting that the senior forward’s numbers aren’t eye-popping, as he averaged 14.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game this year. He’s increased his scoring, rebounding and assist marks from previous years and at least made an impression worth talking about heading into draft season.
While Jackson’s name isn’t on draft boards currently, that’s not to say things won’t change, but there are a few things standing in the way of the Wofford standout being selected.
Should Cameron Jackson Receive More NBA Draft Love?
The million dollar question here is how to grade Jackson in terms of his NBA outlook. Although he has increased his numbers, one big issue is how his size will adjust to the NBA level. He stands 6-foot-8 and 250 pounds, making him essentially the definition of a “tweener” who’s too small to be an NBA power forward and doesn’t shoot enough to be a small forward.
Throughout Jackson’s entire collegiate career, he’s only attempted 25 shots from beyond the arc, making three of them. He did try to increase that number a bit during his senior year, knocking down 7-of-18, so there’s at least some upside on that front. Another big question is if he’s athletic enough to play small forward in the NBA, but he’s built like a power forward with the size of one as well.
The realistic best-case scenario for the senior forward is likely that he either pushes his way into the late-second round or lands as an undrafted free agent in the NBA G League. Even if Jackson were to be drafted, it would likely lead to him starting in the G League and having a chance to showcase his talent while attempting to make the jump to an NBA roster.
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