‘Something special’: Inside North Carolina basketball guard Ian Jackson’s drive to improve

It’s just flowing for Ian Jackson.

That’s how he describes it, gripping an OVERTIME-branded microphone and leaning back at his dorm room desk to record his self-titled “Captain Jack Show” podcast.

“When I get on the court, man, I just be freelancing,” he said in a recent episode with a chuckle, shaking his head. “I be gliding.”

It was with that same nonchalant air that Jackson isolated on the perimeter in the first two minutes of Wednesday night’s game against California. Between the legs. Hard-pound dribble. Raise up. Swish. The stepback 3-pointer was effortless, his celebration understated as he pointed three fingers to the ground.

Smooth.

Jackson’s performance in North Carolina’s 79-53 win over Cal was another display of his uncanny ability to make the game look easy. He jackknifed through the defense with a calm deftness, finishing with 20 points.

UNC is now riding a four-game winning streak, its longest of the season. Jackson has scored 159 points in the last seven games, one shy of the UNC freshman scoring record (Tyler Hansbrough scored 160 in 2005-06) over seven straight games.

“It was needed — having someone else who could score the basketball,” Hubert Davis said on Jan. 10. “It comes really easy to him.”

But what’s been more impressive to Davis is Jackson’s hunger to grow beyond scoring.

According to the UNC coach, their daily text exchanges go something like this:

“Coach Davis,” Jackson will write.

“Player Jackson,” Davis replies.

“Coach, where can I get better? What can I work on?”

Jackson said he’s been messaging Davis just like this since he landed in Chapel Hill this summer. He does the same with the rest of the coaching staff, but talks to Davis the most.

“When you have a player that wants to be coached and you combine that with the giftedness he naturally has,” Davis said on Wednesday night, “it’s something special.”

‘Scoring isn’t enough’

Jackson radiates confidence.

Before he ever played a college game, the Bronx native spoke to reporters in October about his windmill dunks and bedazzled Louis Vuitton letterman jacket.

“I understand that these guys have been here and I’m a freshman,” Jackson said then, speaking about his veteran teammates. “But I’ve put in the work too. I trust my game; that’s where my confidence comes from.”

He backed it up.

On Jan. 4 against Notre Dame, Jackson became the first Tar Heel freshman in decades to hit certain scoring milestones — scrawling his own name into the record books next to players like Hansbrough and Cole Anthony.

But don’t mistake his bravado for arrogance. Jackson’s confidence is rooted in his preparation and a willingness to embrace feedback. UNC sophomore guard Elliot Cadeau called Jackson “one of the most hardworking players on the team.”

“He knows he doesn’t need any work scoring,” Cadeau said. “I think he’s the best scorer in the country… but coaches are holding him accountable a lot and pushing him on the defensive end.”

Jackson himself acknowledged the need to evolve as a two-way player. He said it’s “absolutely” been a common topic of conversation between him and Davis.

“Scoring isn’t enough,” Jackson said. “You’ve got to be able to play both sides of basketball — at every level. We talked. I feel like I’m making huge strides on the defensive end and in rebounding… I take pride in it.”

While Jackson may have been a defensive liability early in the season — occasionally losing track of his man and miscommunicating on assignments — he showcased significant progress in his performance against Cal.

He snagged seven rebounds, made deflections and committed to making second efforts on defense — even picking up Golden Bears star Andrej Stojakovic for stretches.

“We got the stops for real,” Jackson said. “We made him [Stojakovic] miss. We was in the right spots defensively. We talked.”

Sitting back, watching and learning

Early in the season, Jackson found himself watching from the bench. Instead of sulking, he used the time to learn.

“I just got a chance to sit back, watch, and learn what I was doing wrong,” he said in the most recent episode of his podcast. “I talked to coaches, had them tell me what I could do better on the floor, what I could do to stay out there and how I could be better as a player.”

When his opportunity came, Jackson’s confidence was already through the roof. He credited his coaches for helping him master the “little things” that come with adjusting to college.

This newfound confidence has been reflected in his evolution as a leader, something his coaches and teammates have taken notice of. UNC guard Seth Trimble praised Jackson for finding his voice on the team.

“It’s been huge,” Trimble said. “Naturally, with everybody, the better you’re playing, the more you speak up… and that’s one thing I’ve seen from Ian. He’s been playing really good these last few games and his voice has really been in these last few games too. He’s speaking up. He’s stating his opinion. He’s encouraging others a lot more.

We need the scoring from him, but we need that just as much also.”

Jackson’s offensive highlights will continue to draw attention — both from fans and opposing defenses. His smooth Euro steps, no-look passes, and contested finishes — like the one against Cal’s Mady Sissoko, where he absorbed contact, contorted his body, and still made the layup — are showstoppers.

Yet, Jackson’s focus remains on refining his all-around game.

“Just doing something other than score, you know?” Jackson said. “Making it easier on the rest of my teammates.”

With his natural ability to score, Jackson has established himself as one of the most electrifying freshmen in college basketball. His game has an effortless fluidity, but with his intention to improve as a rebounder, defender and leader, he’s hoping to transform into a complete player — to flow in more ways than one.

This story was originally published January 16, 2025 at 12:36 PM.