The North Carolina Tar Heels have a strong history of assembling top-tier rosters in college basketball, but this season, Hubert Davis’ team faced challenges in finding their rhythm.
They utilized a guard-heavy strategy featuring former highly regarded players like Elliot Cadeau, Ian Jackson, Seth Trimble, and RJ Davis.
While Trimble and Davis solidified their positions as key starters, Jackson, a freshman, had difficulty settling into a consistent role.
Following his freshman year at North Carolina, Jackson has chosen to end his time with the Tar Heels early and enter the transfer portal, according to On3.
BREAKING: North Carolina 5-star freshman Ian Jackson has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports👀https://t.co/mzMe9lva6f pic.twitter.com/0g4nj7kJgV
— On3 (@On3sports) April 7, 2025
Jackson’s performance on the stat sheet wasn’t poor; as a freshman, he averaged a solid 11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
However, it became evident that Davis’ system didn’t align with Jackson’s aggressive, drive-first playing style, which resulted in him being benched during crucial games, such as UNC’s defeat against Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament.
In that game, Jackson managed only one point, alongside two turnovers and two personal fouls, in just 10 minutes of play.
Davis and his team will need to find a replacement for the former five-star recruit. According to 247Sports, Jackson was ranked as the No. 4 shooting guard and the No. 8 player overall in the class of 2024.
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