Ian Jackson (basketball)
Ian Jalen Patrick Jackson is an American college basketball player for the St. John's Red Storm of the Big East Conference. He previously played for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Early life and high school career
Jackson was born in Harlem, New York and grew up in The Bronx, New York and initially attended Cardinal Hayes High School. He was named the National Sophomore of the Year by MaxPreps after averaging 19.8 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game. Jackson transferred to Our Saviour Lutheran School before the start of his senior year. He also announced he would simultaneously compete in Overtime Elite as a non-professional player for the JellyFam team. Jackson was named first-team All-OTE at the end of the season. He was selected to play in the 2024 McDonald's All-American Boys Game.Recruiting
Jackson was a consensus five-star recruit and one of the top players in the 2024 class, according to major recruiting services. He committed to play college basketball at North Carolina over offers from Kentucky, Arkansas, LSU, and Oregon.College career
On December 30, 2024, Jackson was named the ACC Rookie of the Week after making his first college start and scoring a season high 26 points in a game against Campbell University.In February 2025, Jackson was named one of the top candidates for the 2025 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.