By R.L. Bynum
In a Thursday night blowout win, Ian Jackson looked like the freshman who went on an epic seven-game mid-season run for Carolina last season and has the confidence to match.
Jackson came off the bench to score 20 points in 21 minutes with four rebounds and three assists as No. 14 St. John’s (3–1) rolled to a 97–49 home win over Bucknell after averaging 12.7 points in the Red Storm’s first three games.
“I think my confidence is at an all-time high,” Jackson said, according to A Daily Dose of Hoops. “I’m just doing what I need to do to impact the game on both ends of the floor. I was just out there flowing, man, just going at it.”
Jackson, who scored 10 points in each half, was 6 of 13 from the floor and 6 of 6 at the free-throw line with four rebounds and three assists, and was +33.
“I thought he did a really good job, defensively as well as offensively,” St. John’s coach Rick Pitino said. “He didn’t force things; he took what was there. In practice, he’s getting better and better, so I’m really, really pleased with his play.”
It was his best game since scoring 23 points at Syracuse on Feb. 15, with shades of the seven-game stretch last season that began at Madison Square Garden, where he now plays most of his home games. He scored 24 points in the 76–74 win at the Garden over UCLA on Dec. 21, then scored 26 against Campbell, 23 at Louisville, 27 at Notre Dame, 18 vs. SMU, 21 at N.C. State and 20 vs. California.
“Ian’s younger, but he listens and he wants to get better,” said Dillon Mitchell, who came off the bench to score 10 for St. John’s. “Right now, he’s trying to figure out other ways to impact the game. Ian takes it every day [one] at a time and lives where his feet are. He just takes it one day at a time and gets better each day.”
Jackson is averaging 14.5 points and 18.5 minutes per game.
Tyler Nickel poured in 20 points and three 3-pointers with five rebounds and five assists Thursday as Vanderbilt moved to 5–0 with a 109–74 home thrashing of Texas Southern. It was his second 20-point game of the season.
Jalen Washington came off the Commodores bench for the second consecutive game after starting for the only time this season, collecting 11 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block in 18 minutes.
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For the first time in his career, Elliot Cadeau has gone two consecutive games with only one assist.
After a one-assist, six-turnover night in Friday’s 67–63 road win for No. 7 Michigan over TCU, Cadeau had 10 points, one assist and two turnovers in 21 minutes in Wednesday’s 86–61 home victory over Middle Tennessee. He’s averaging 8.8 points and 5.9 rebounds for the 4–0 Wolverines.
In other action the last two days:
— Tray Crisp scored 12 points, two 3-pointers and had two rebounds as 4–1 Mississippi State suffered its first loss of the season, a 69–62 setback against Texas Tech on Thursday.
— Will Shaver played five scoreless minutes with one rebound and one turnover in Samford’s 77–62 Wednesday loss to Florida Gulf Coast.
Get a rundown on how the former Carolina players did in early-week games in this story.
Elliot Cadeau, Michigan guard
6–1, 180 pounds | Junior | UNC 2023–25 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 38 games, 38 starts, 10.2 points, 41.6 FG%, 37.7 3P%, 69.4 FT%, 2.7 rebounds, 5.8 assists
Team record: 35–3; Rank: No. 3
Friday: 90–77 win Midwest Regional Sweet 16 in Chicago vs. No. 18 Alabama — Started; 33:37, 17 points, 6–14 FG, 3–8 3FG, 2–5 FT, 5 rebounds, 2 fouls, 7 assists, 1 turnover, 1 steal, 1 block, +15
Sunday: 95–62 win Midwest Regional final in Chicago vs. No. 23 Tennessee — Started; 34:20, 8 points, 3–7 FG, 1–2 3FG, 1–2 FT, 3 rebounds, 2 fouls, 10 assists, 3 turnovers, 2 steals, +30
Next game — 8:49 p.m. Saturday vs. No. 2 Arizona at Final Four in Indianapolis, TBS
Trayanna Crisp, Mississippi State guard
5–8 | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 30 games, 30 starts, 8.7 points, 38.3 FG%, 37.1 3P%, 84.6 FT%, 2.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists
Team record: 18–13
Season ended with SEC tournament loss
RyLee Grays, Tulsa forward
6–4 | Junior | UNC 2023–24 (1 season)
Roster situation — One of four forwards competing for time
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.3 points, 43.6 FG%, 4–10 3FG, 69.7 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 8 blocks, 12 steals
Team record: 19–12
Season ended with loss in American Conference tournament
Ian Jackson, St. John’s guard
6–5, 195 pounds | Sophomore | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter, sharing time in a point-guard-by-committee mix
Season statistics — 36 games, 19 starts, 9.4 points, 40.9 FG%, 34.3 3P%, 90.0 FT%, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists
Team record: 30–7; Rank: No. 13
Friday: 80–75 loss in East Regional Sweet 16 in Washington vs. No. 1 Duke — Didn’t start; 16 minutes, 5 points, 2–8 FG, 1–7 3FG, 2 rebounds, 2 fouls, 2 assists
Season ended with loss to Duke
Puff Johnson, Ohio State
6–8, 190 pounds | Graduate | UNC 2020–23 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Reserve
Team record: 21–13
Season statistics — 9 games, 1 start, 2.3 points, 33.3 FG%, 3–7 3FG, 6–9 FT, 1.1 rebounds
Season ended with first-round NCAA tournament loss to TCU
Teonni Key, Kentucky forward
6–4 | RS senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 28 games, 28 starts, 11.4 points, 51.2 FG%, 2–15 3FG, 69.8 FT%, 7.5 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
Team record: 25–11; Rank: No. 17
Saturday: 76–54 loss in Fort Worth Regional 1 Sweet 16 vs. No. 3 Texas — Started; 31:31, 10 points, 2–8 FG, 0–1 3FG, 6–6 FT, 9 rebounds, 4 fouls, 2 assists, 2 assists, 3 turnovers, 1 steal, 1 block, -17
Season ended with loss to Texas
Ven-Allen Lubin, N.C. State forward
6–9, 250 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting center
Season statistics — 34 games, 34 starts, 13.6 points, ACC-leading 66.8 FG%, 27.3 3P%, 73.3 FT%, 7.1 rebounds
Team record: 20–14
Season ended with NCAA First Four loss to Texas
Tyler Nickel, Vanderbilt wing
6–7, 220 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starting forward
Season statistics — 36 games, 36 starts, 13.5 points, 44.4 FG%, 40.0 3P%, 84.7 FT%, 3.3 rebounds, 1.2 assists
Team record: 27–9: Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Paulina Paris, SMU guard
5–9 | Senior | UNC 2022–24 (2 seasons)
Season statistics — 20 games, 12 starts, 9.6 points, 39.9 FG%, 25.0 3P%, 69.7 FT%, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
Team record: 9–21, 2–16 ACC
Season ended with left foot injury in February
Will Shaver, Samford center
6–10, 265 pounds | RS junior | UNC 2022–23 (1 season)
Roster situation — Reserve minutes
Season statistics — 30 games, 2.6 points, 47.6 FG%, 33.3 3P%, 59.3 FT%, 2.6 rebounds, 17 blocks, 7 steals
Team record: 18–14
Season ended with loss in Southern Conference tournament
Cade Tyson, Minnesota wing
6–7, 180 pounds | Senior | UNC 2024–25 (1 season)
Roster situation — Starter
Season statistics — 31 games, 32 starts, team-leading 19.6 points, 50.0 FG%, 42.2 3P%, 82.6 FT%, 5.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists
Team record: 15–17
Next game — 10:30 Wednesday at College Basketball Crown in Las Vegas vs. Baylor, FS1 (first game since March 11)
Jalen Washington, Vanderbilt center
6–9, 240 pounds | Senior | UNC 2022–25 (3 seasons)
Roster situation — Backup center
Season statistics — 36 games, 9 starts, 8.9 points, 56.3 FG%, 29.4 3P%, 74.1 FT%, 5.6 rebounds, 1.3 blocks
Team record: 27–9; Rank: No. 22
Season ended with loss to No. 4 Nebraska in the second round of the NCAA tournament
Photo via @StJohnsBBall
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