NCAA Basketball: 10 best players from state of Texas of last decade
By Joey Loose
2. Justin Jackson – North Carolina
When Jackson arrived at North Carolina, he was a top 10 recruit; a talented 6’8 forward from Tomball leaving his native Texas for the east coast. Three years later, he departed Chapel Hill having found a legacy and a national championship across an impressive career for the Tar Heels. Jackson started nearly every game of his career and played a mind-blowing 118 games in just three seasons.
As a freshman, he averaged 10.7 points for a Sweet Sixteen team, putting up a season-high 22 points in an ACC Tournament win over Virginia. Sophomore year saw a step forward for Jackson and the program, with the Tar Heels winning the ACC Tournament and advancing to the national title game. During Jackson’s junior season, he averaged 18.3 points and 4.7 rebounds a game, becoming a more important offensive weapon for the Tar Heels. He scored a career-high 34 points in a loss to Kentucky. Most importantly, he helped lead North Carolina to a national championship that season, scoring 16 points in their title game win over Gonzaga.
Jackson always played an important role for the Tar Heels, but he really emerged during that national championship season. He was a First Team All-American and was named ACC Player of the Year, though that was weeks before helping lead the Tar Heels to that national title. He led the ACC in points and field goals and left school as one of the conference’s finest players in recent memory. Jackson became a first-round draft pick of the Portland Trailblazers and has already played for six NBA franchises across the last five years.