25. SF Justin Jackson, North Carolina
Jackson was another player who could have feasibly gone in the first round last season, but inevitably saw his stock waver and backed out in favor of another year at school. As a gifted scorer with a lot of innate talent, Jackson has shown a plentiful number of signs that he could be more than serviceable as a go-to offensive threat in time at the next level.
Jackson’s scoring prowess is among the most polished in college basketball at the moment. The mechanics on his 3-point shot are a little funky, but otherwise, he is capable of producing at a high level in a plethora of different facets.
Standing at 6-8 with a long, wiry frame, Jackson’s ability to attack his defender off the dribble and hit pull-up shots from almost any angle is notably promising. He needs to work on getting all the way to the basket more often, but he excels at creating space and utilizing his length and killer touch inside the arc to his utmost advantage. He can shoot over smaller defenders with ease and get by slower opposition and finish around the basket when opportunities present themselves.
Jackson also showed greatly improved passing skills during camps prior to last season, and continued showing those flashes throughout the Tar Heels’ run to the championship game. Like the aforementioned Kurucs, he won’t run the offense, but can find open teammates on the outside with consistency and helps keep the ball in motion when shots aren’t available.
Jackson had an up-and-down campaign last season, but if he’s able to find stability heading into 2017, there’s no reason why he shouldn’t be a first round selection.
Next: 24. Bolden