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2016 NBA Draft Radar: Notre Dame’s Demetrius Jackson has a Great Opportunity Before Him

By James Fitzgerald

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Notre Dame point guard Demetrius Jackson has an opportunity to really boost his draft stock in 2015-16.

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The Irish lost two key players in Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton to the 2015 NBA Draft, and yet Notre Dame is still expected to be a major player in the ACC conference, and rightfully so.

A big reason for that is because Demetrius Jackson is easily one of the best point guards in the entire ACC conference and he is going to have plenty of weapons around him to utilize.

This is going to give Jackson an opportunity to take center stage and display his leadership capabilities as Notre Dame tries to repeat their accomplishments from 2014-15 which include an ACC Tournament Championship and “Elite Eight” appearance.

Jackson had a solid 2014-15 season averaging 12.4 points and 3.1 assists last season while shooting 50.8% from the floor and 42.9% from three-point land.

Those numbers were overshadowed by the great seasons that Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton had, but explain why the expectation for Demetrius Jackson to have a strong 2015-16 campaign are legitimate.

Photo: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)

At 6-foot-1, 194 pounds, Jackson has to be viewed as the prototypical point guard. The reason for his assist total being low in 2014-15 is because Jerian Grant, who averaged 6.7 assists per contest, shared ball-handling duties with Jackson for Mike Brey’s offense.

There is no doubt that Jackson is going to be the primary ball-handler this upcoming season which is going to give him the chance to show everyone the full scope of his capabilities.

He has already shown that he can knock down shots, get to the rim and finish, as well as break defenders down with his dribble. Now it is time for everyone to see him create shots for others as the main initiator of the offense.

The description that comes to mind is that Demetrius Jackson is like former NBA star Tim Hardaway  but with more leaping ability.

Jackson has great body control and knows how to absorb contact around the rim and finish.

He has no problem pushing the tempo and makes great decisions on the fast break. That part of his game is going to be displayed even more in the 2015-16 season.

If people are really honest about what they see in the ACC, they would have to admit that Demetrius Jackson is the most pro-ready point guard in the conference.

North Carolina’s Marcus Paige gets all the ink and is preseason First-Team All-ACC. Paige should be a solid pro in his own right, but Demetrius Jackson is the better point guard of the two players when it comes to NBA projection.

What is interesting is that, of course, not everyone agrees with that view.

When you look at NBADraft.net’s 2016 Mock Draft, Demetrius Jackson is nowhere to be found in their 60 selections though they do have Marcus Paige projected as a late second round pick.

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    • Meanwhile, DraftExpress.com sees Demetrius Jackson as the 15th best prospect in the entire 2016 NBA Draft crop while still projecting Marcus Paige as a late second round prospect.

    Demetrius Jackson’s true pro value is going to be determined by his performance in 2015-16 with his game being displayed on center stage.

    There is no doubt that by the end of this season he is going to be mentioned as one of the best point guards in the country. How that determination translates into his draft status still needs to be seen.

    In reality, if he is not taken in the mid to late first round that would be kind of surprising. We did just see Louisville’s Terry Rozier go that early in the 2015 NBA Draft, and Demetrius Jackson is better than him.

    Next: Looking Ahead Gonzaga Bulldogs Potential Starting Lineups

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