As soon as Ian Jackson, a one-year UNC basketball player, entered the transfer portal on April 7, many insiders immediately pointed to a likely destination. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman from The Bronx, N.Y., was expected to move closer to home and join St. John’s—the same program that was a serious contender during his high school recruitment.
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That prediction came true this week when Jackson committed to Rick Pitino and the Red Storm. Before making his final decision, the former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American did explore other options, but ultimately chose St. John’s as his next stop. He still has three years of eligibility left.
Given that the 20-year-old scoring threat was a regular name on mock draft boards during his time at UNC, it wouldn’t be surprising if he plays just one season at St. John’s before entering the 2026 NBA Draft.
In his freshman year at UNC, Jackson played in 36 games, averaging 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per contest. He started in a third of those games under head coach Hubert Davis.
