As soon as one-year UNC basketball player Ian Jackson entered the portal on April 7, the logical favorite seemed clear. The assumption among insiders was that the 6-foot-4, 190-pound freshman, who hails from The Bronx, N.Y., would transfer closer to home by joining the program that once posed a threat to the Tar Heels in his recruitment as a prep, St. John’s.
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That forecast became a reality this week, as Jackson committed to Rick Pitino and the Red Storm, although the former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All American did check out a few other schools before ultimately deciding on St. John’s as his second college destination.
5⭐ freshman Ian Jackson is coming home and just committed to St. John’s 🚨🔥@slam_university https://t.co/EUix2F8xqI pic.twitter.com/axdsm2SxFF
— SLAM HS Hoops (@SLAM_HS) April 21, 2025
Jackson has three years of eligibility remaining.
Of course, considering he frequently appeared on mock drafts throughout his campaign in Chapel Hill, it wouldn’t be a surprise if the 20-year-old potent scorer spends only one season at St. John’s before declaring for the 2026 NBA Draft.
Across 36 appearances as a UNC basketball talent last season, Ian Jackson averaged 11.9 points and 2.7 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game. He drew a starting nod from Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis in a third of his outings.
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