Kansas Basketball: Josh Jackson hires agent, will enter NBA Draft

It’s official. Josh Jackson, the Kansas Jayhawks’ second- leading scorer from 2016-17, has hired an agent will enter the 2017 NBA Draft.

As expected, Kansas Jayhawks’ freshman and potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Josh Jackson has hired an agent and will head off to the NBA next season. He averaged 16.3 points per game, 7.4 rebounds per game, 3 assists per game, and, most impressively, 1.7 steals per game.

Sure, fans will have wished that he had surprised everyone by staying another season in Lawrence, but Jackson would have been crazy to turn down the type of money that comes with being one of the top picks in the draft. Jackson, while still very young, looks primed to have a successful NBA career no matter where he goes, which could factor into why he has jumped players like Lonzo Ball, Malik Monk, and De’Aaron Fox in most mock drafts since the start of the season.

Another question looms for the Jayhawks, however. Can Kansas bounce back immediately next season after losing so many key members of the 2016-17 squad?

The answer is simple because it is always the same answer when it comes to Bill Self and the Jayhawks.

While the loss of a talent like Jackson will hurt for the Jayhawks, Kansas should be more than ready to have major success in 2017-18. On the recruiting end, Kansas always finishes close to the top of the rankings, and there are several talented young players on this roster who will step up next season.

Next: Early preseason top 25 for 2017-18

While it’s too early to say that Kansas is the clear favorite to win the Big 12 next season, the Jayhawks should definitely be considered one of the favorites – even without Jackson returning for another season.