Draft season truly never ends in today’s modern sports world.
In ESPN’s most recent mock draft, rising sophomore Justin Jackson was ranked as the 15th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.
Jonathan Givony, formerly of DraftExpress, spoke highly about the Canadian native’s projection at the next level, calling him a “versatile combo forward” with center skills thanks to his size. Givony still sees room for improvement in Jackson’s feel for the game and ball-handling ability, however.
Jackson led the Terps in rebounding last season, averaging six per game, and was second on the team with 10.5 points per contest. His best performance came in a 85-78 win at Minnesota where he scored 28 points, including a perfect 5-for-5 on shots from beyond the arc, and 10 rebounds, recording his first career double-double.
Despite a slow finish to the season, only averaging 7.4 points in his last nine games, Jackson is one of the returning college players many have their eyes on. In fact, in this most recent mock draft, only three players ranked above Jackson played in the NCAA last season: Texas A&M’s Robert Williams (5th), Michigan State’s Miles Bridges (6th) and Miami’s Bruce Brown (12th). The remaining players are either freshmen or come from overseas (Luka Doncic).
Jackson and the rest of the Terps will play their season opener at the newly renovated Nassau Coliseum against Stony Brook on November 11th.
