North Carolina basketball is looking up next year and Justin Jackson is a big reason why. The 8th overall ranked recruit (#2 small forward) was named Co-Most Valuable Player at the 2014 McDonald’s All American Game Wednesday. He shared the award with Duke recruit and #1 rated prospect Jahlil Okafor. Jackson and Okafor put on a show in the latter’s hometown before they begin their rivalry with one another in the ACC.
Justin Jackson is just the tip of the iceberg for the Tar Heels’ third ranked recruiting class.
Another blue chip soon to be sporting powder blue is Theo Pinson. He’s ranked #3 at the same position as Justin Jackson, and ranks #10 overall. The third member of the Carolina troika is Joel Berry II, the third ranked point guard in the nation; #16 overall. All three North Carolina signees were in the game. Only Duke and Kentucky had more with four each.
Justin Jackson finished the All-Star game with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists. A soon-to-be future Tar Heel has now won the #McDAAG MVP three times out of the past five seasons as Harrison Barnes (2010) and James Michael McAdoo (2011) were the others. It’s the sixth time a Tar Heel has won the award in the 36 year history of the event.
I had an exclusive with Jackson at the #McDAAG and this is what he said about Roy Williams and Tar Heels basketball.
“The program sells itself, but he’s a great guy off the court and I just felt comfortable with him.”
Pinson hails from nearby Greensboro, N.C. Here’s the mixtape of the 6’6″ superstar in waiting:
Berry II is a native of Apopka, Florida and will strive to continue the great tradition of UNC point guards.
It’s surprising that McAdoo declared for the Draft considering how his stock peaked after his freshman year, and then went down. Had he returned, the Tar Heels would have had their whole team coming back with the exception of fifth year senior Leslie McDonald. As it is, they’ll have six former McDonald’s All-Americans on the roster next year: Isaiah Hicks, Marcus Paige, Kennedy Meeks and the three members of the incoming class.
Paul M. Banks owns The Sports Bank.net, an affiliate of Fox Sports. He’s also a frequent guest on national talk radio. Banks is a former contributor to NBC Chicago and the Washington Times, who’s been featured on the History Channel. President Obama follows him on Twitter (@paulmbanks)