Just how historic is UNC basketball freshman star Ian Jackson’s recent hot stretch?

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Jan 7, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) with the ball as Southern Methodist Mustangs forward Yohan Traore (21) defends in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

If the North Carolina Tar Heels didn’t have Ian Jackson on their basketball roster, I feel confident saying they wouldn’t have a winning record this season.

UNC entered its CBS Sports Classic battle against UCLA with a 6-5 record, a shocking statistic considering all the preseason hype. North Carolina returned reigning ACC Player of the Year RJ Davis, welcomed two 5-star freshmen and secured a couple of needed transfer portal reinforcements.

Entering Saturday’s ACC basketball rivalry matchup at NC State, the Tar Heels now sit at 10-6 overall and 3-1 in conference play.

UNC is collectively playing solid team basketball, but there’s one specific catalyst behind the improved play: Jackson.

A 5-star, McDonalds All-American Freshman from New York City, Jackson likely wouldn’t be in the starting lineup if Seth Trimble was fully healthy. Jackson scored 24, 26, 23, 27 points and 18 points respectively in North Carolina’s last five games, which brought four wins back to Chapel Hill.

That’s pretty elite company for Jackson to be in, right? Tyler Hansbrough is North Carolina’s all-time leading scorer with 2,872 points. Cole Anthony’s lone season in Chapel Hill (2019-2020) was interrupted by a knee injury, but he compiled an electric season with a Tar Heels-best 18.5 points per game.

Trimble missed several recent games with an upper-body injury, leaving the Tar Heels with the need for a starting guard, but returned to the court against SMU. Though Trimble is easily UNC’s best defender, he doesn’t bring the scoring punch Jackson does.

Can Jackson continue his hot play, which has North Carolina back on the fringe of NCAA Tournament contention, to deliver his team a big win at NC State?

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/just-historic-unc-basketball-freshman-133025757.html

Author : Tar Heels Wire

Publish date : 2025-01-11 13:30:00

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