The constant revolution of the transfer portal leads to exciting results even for the Blue Blood programs. In this case, North Carolina lost one of their great young prospects from last season in Ian Jackson, but he’s certainly found a prosperous landing spot, committing to play for Rick Pitino and St. John’s.
Jackson is a 6-4 guard out of the Bronx who headed down to Carolina after some outstanding play at the high school level. Jackson wasn’t just a 5-star recruit; he was considered one of the top prospects in the nation. A Top 10 prospect by most metrics, Jackson chose Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels over a number of other suitors.
St. John’s lands North Carolina transfer Ian Jackson
His one and only campaign in Chapel Hill had its moments but was a largely productive season for a highly touted prospect. He put up 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds per game while knocking down 39.5% of his 3-pointers on the season. Jackson started 12 of the 36 games he played as a freshman, earning that starting role mostly in January during a season mired with great potential and some inconsistency.
North Carolina played a tough schedule in nonconference play, but Jackson had memorable performances. Even though the Tar Heels lost by double-digits, he put up 23 points in their loss to Alabama in his first real breakthrough effort. Those kinds of efforts became a regular thing as the calendar swung to 2025, as Jackson had a 7-game stretch where he averaged nearly 23 points a game and made 54% of his field goal attempts.
Jackson had some tough efforts down the stretch, even during North Carolina’s winning streak near the end of the season. He did put up 23 points against Syracuse but only scored seven points in the Tar Heel’s three ACC Tournament games combined and was nonexistent in their first round loss to Ole Miss in the Big Dance.
Rick Pitino lands his new point guard and has already committed to Jackson in that role for the Red Storm. St. John’s is banking on Jackson taking a major step forward as a sophomore, though we’ve already seen that true potential. That seven-game stretch showcases Jackson’s talent and ability when he puts it all together and that is exactly what St. John’s needs this season.
This is still a major loss of talent for North Carolina but the transfer portal allows Davis and his staff plenty of places to look for new backcourt pieces. The Tar Heels already added Kyan Evans and surely will keep bolstering this roster before next season, hopeful for a bounce back after another disappointing season in Chapel Hill.
Meanwhile, Jackson joins an already stacked portal class for St. John’s, a team looking to defend their Big East title after this season’s success. After already adding Bryce Hopkins, Joson Sanon, and Oziyah Sellers, do the Red Storm have an argument to be the best team in that conference again? Will it depend on what version of Jackson they get on a consistent basis?