Incoming UNC freshman Jackson scores 21, helps East win McDonald’s game

By R.L. Bynum

Incoming UNC freshman small forward Ian Jackson scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half Tuesday night to help the East team beat the West 88–86 in the McDonald’s All-American Game at Toyota Center in Houston.

Cooper Flagg, the 6–9 forward who is the No. 1-ranked player in the Class of 2024 and headed to Duke, was only 3 of 9 from the floor and scored eight points.

Jackson, a 6–4 five-star recruit ranked 16th in the class out of Bronx, N.Y., started, played 25 minutes and was 9 of 21 from the floor and 1 of 5 from 3-point range with two assists and a steal. Last season, Jackson, who was the East’s point guard for much of the game, averaged 23.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists in the Overtime Elite League.

Fellow future Tar Heel Drake Powell, a 6–5 shooting guard ranked No. 13 in the class out of Northwood High School in Pittsboro, played 17 scoreless minutes off the bench but showed that he’s a dogged defender. He missed all three shots, including a 3-point attempt, but he pulled down four rebounds, swiped two steals, and had an assist.

Powell’s +/- of +11 was second only on the East team to the +13 of Kentucky recruit Boogie Fland, who scored 17 points.

Powell averaged 20.2 points and eight rebounds last season for Northwood.

Powell and Jackson were on the floor in the final minutes as the East pulled out the viotry.

Jackson, Powell and 6–8 four-star forward James Brown make up what 247Sports ranks as the No. 8 freshman class.

Maryland recruit Derik Queen collected 23 points and eight rebounds for the East and was the co-MVP along with the West’s Dylan Harper, a Rutgers recruit who scored 22 points.


No.ClassPlayerPos.HgtWgt
8FreshmanCaleb Wilson (5 star)46–10215
5FreshmanIsaiah Denis (4 star)CG6–4180
3FreshmanDerek Dixon (4 star)CG6–5200
40SophomoreIvan Matlekovic57–0255
11SophomoreJonathan PowellG6–6190
2SophomoreJames Brown 56–10240
1SophomoreZayden High46–10230
44JuniorLuca Bogavac
(BO-guh-VAHTS)
W6–6215
4JuniorJaydon Young26–4200
13RS juniorHenri Veesaar
(VEH-sar)
57–0225
0JuniorKyan Evans16–2175
15JuniorJarin Stevenson46–10215
7SeniorSeth Trimble26–3200
Walk-ons
25SophomoreJohn Holbrook46–8230
32JuniorEvan Smith26–1195
6RS seniorElijah Davis26–3205

Former UNC players who transferred

PlayerClass next seasonPos.HgtWgtNext school
Elliot CadeauJuniorPG6–1180Michigan
Jalen WashingtonSeniorC6–10235Vanderbilt
Ian JacksonSophomoreG6–4190St. John’s
Cade TysonSeniorF6–7200Minnesota
Ven-Allen LubinSeniorC6–8230N.C. State

DateMonth/dayTimeOpponent/event
(current ranks)
TV/
record
October
24FridayL, 78–76vs. No. 10 BYU in SLCExhib.
29WednesdayW, 95–53vs. Winston-Salem St.Exhib.
November
3MondayW, 94–54vs. Central Arkansas1–0
7FridayW, 87–74vs. No. 17 Kansas2–0
11TuesdayW, 89–74vs. Radford3–0
14FridayW, 97–53vs. N.C. Central4–0
18TuesdayW, 73–61vs. Navy5–0
Fort Myers Tip-Off
25TuesdayW, 85–70vs. St. Bonaventure6–0
27ThursdayL, 74–58vs. No. 9 Michigan State6–1
DecemberACC/SEC
Men’s Challenge
2TuesdayW, 67–64at Kentucky7–1
—————————
7SundayW, 81–61vs. Georgetown8–1
13SaturdayW, 80–62vs. USC Upstate9–1
16TuesdayW, 77–58vs. East Tennessee
State
10–1
CBS Sports Classic
in Atlanta
20Saturday3 p.m.vs. Ohio StateCBS
—————————
22Monday8 p.m.vs. East CarolinaACCN
30Tuesday7 p.m.vs. Florida StateESPN2
January
3Saturday2:15at SMUThe CW
10Saturday6 p.m.vs. Wake ForestACCN
14Wednesday9 p.m.at StanfordACCN
17Saturday4 p.m.at CaliforniaACCN
21Wednesday7 p.m.vs. Notre DameESPN2
24Saturday2 or 2:30at No. 23 VirginiaESPN or
ESPNU
31Saturday2 p.m.at Georgia TechACCN
February
2Monday7 p.m.vs. SyracuseESPN
7Saturday6:30vs. No. 3 DukeESPN
10Tuesday7 p.m.at MiamiESPN or
ESPN2
14Saturday2 p.m.vs. PittsburghESPN
17Tuesday7 p.m.at N.C. StateESPN or
ESPN2
21Saturday1 p.m.at SyracuseABC
23Monday7 p.m.vs. No. 11 LouisvilleESPN
28Saturday6:30 or 8:30vs. Virginia TechESPN or
ESPN2
March
3Tuesday7 p.m.vs. ClemsonESPN or
ESPN2
7Saturday6:30at No. 3 DukeESPN
10–14Tues.-Sat.ACC
tournament
Spectrum Center,
Charlotte

Photo courtesy of USA Baskeball

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