CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Elliot Cadeau stood in amazement as Ian Jackson soared over Johnson C. Smith’s Javon Anderson in an attempt to secure a preseason poster.
Jackson drew the foul but came up short on the dunk, practically spiking the ball off the rim as he hit the deck. Cadeau ran across the bench after Jackson’s miss, and the big board in the Smith Center showed his stunned face.
“His head looked like it was at the rim,” Cadeau said after the game. “And he almost threw the ball in the rim. It just looked crazy, that was just my natural reaction.”
Jackson remembers missing a few layups earlier in the game, so when he saw the smaller defender, he went for the slam. Attendees in the Smith Center shared the same reactions, with a collective gasp filling the arena.
But Jackson didn’t make them wait long for a highlight. A fastbreak opportunity presented itself just moments later, and the freshman guard saw a clear lane to take off. Jackson took three dribbles after the steal, leaped off one leg and punched down a windmill dunk, taking off from just inside the ACC logo in the painted area as his hair flew through the air.
“It was definitely an attempt to get it back,” Jackson said. “Go back out there and make a good play. I told Elliot before the game, ‘I’m gonna get a windmill today. If I get a fast break, I’m gonna windmill it.’ So that was for Elliot.”
Jackson’s dunk attempts in UNC’s 127-63 win on Sunday reflected his intentions to play a more aggressive game — a style closer to what he’s used to.
Last week’s exhibition was a learning experience for the five-star freshman. He shot 0-4 from the field against the Tigers and registered a plus/minus of -11 in his 17 minutes. All four of his shot attempts that day were 3-pointers. Cadeau said he had a conversation with Jackson about being confident on the court and playing with more freedom.
So against the Golden Bulls, Jackson scored a game-high 21 points off the bench, making six of his 10 shots from the field and eight of his 10 free throw attempts. Jackson showed a noticeable shift in mindset offensively in Chapel Hill. Rather than settling for jumpers, he drove to the rim more often and used his frame and athleticism to finish inside.
“I know who I am as a player,” Jackson said. “All my teammates know who I am as a player. And the Memphis game was not me, nowhere near me, actually. So tonight, I went out there and played my game. That’s who I am. I feel like I can score on all levels of the floor, get fouled. And tonight, I did.”
Part of the reason Jackson committed to North Carolina was to play in a guard-oriented offense that pushes the pace, and Sunday gave him an early opportunity to do so. Jackson, as evidenced by his second-half dunk attempt, wasn’t afraid to use his speed and attack the basket, even using his footwork to evade the defense when needed.
Hubert Davis said that Jackson looked more comfortable on Sunday compared to the exhibition game on the road against Memphis. He acknowledged the youth Jackson still has as a freshman as he adjusts to the collegiate level.
“Because of his athleticism, and he has good size, I think he can get to the rim,” Davis said. “I think he can create fouls and get to the free throw line. He can shoot to three. He’s got a great midrange jump shot, but I told him, I don’t want him to bail out the defense. I think he has an ability to put major pressure on the rim, whether it’s in transition or a one-on-one situation. So him getting to the free throw line 10 times, that’s exactly the way that I want him to play.”
Jackson was all smiles at the deadball timeout following his windmill dunk, and his teammates added to the excitement by mobbing him as he made his way over to the bench.
Jackson is slated to make his official college debut on Nov. 4 when North Carolina hosts Elon in the regular-season opener. And with a pair of exhibition games under his belt, he’s gotten a feel for the speed of the college level.
“He was very decisive, I think that was the biggest difference,” Seth Trimble said. “I think he realized he can get to the rim anytime he wants to, and if you want to stop him, unless it’s an elite defender, you’re gonna end up fouling himself. He realized that today and created really good opportunities off of it.”
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