UNC basketball rumors: 5-star reclassify candidate visits, Pitino poaches Heels, Team USA connection
UNC basketball rumors: 5-star 2024 commit Ian Jackson in makes first cut for Team USA U19 team
It will still be more than a year until Ian Jackson sets foot in Chapel Hill, but the UNC basketball commit is already showing Tar Heels fans exactly what they can expect from him — namely, being one of the best players in the 2024 recruiting class and under-19 players in the United States.
Jackson is participating in the USA Basketball U19 training camp and tryouts this week in Colorado Springs. And after four sessions, the group of 35 initial invites was trimmed down to 18 players. Only six of those players are current high school players, one of which was Jackson.
Six high school players have made the first cut here at 🇺🇸 #USABMU19
— Adam Finkelstein (@AdamFinkelstein) June 12, 2023
Kanon Catchings
Dylan Harper
Ian Jackson
Tre Johnson
Asa Newell
Cam Scott https://t.co/FUFJaylEZz
Drake Powell, another North Carolina commit for the 2024 class, was also invited but did not make it through the first cut from 35 to 18.
In Jackson’s case, he’s proving his pedigree with Team USA in hopes of making the team for the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary, which will be played June 24-July 2. As the No. 5 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, the 6-foot-4 guard has immense talent as an elite athlete and top-notch scorer that could make waves before ever joining the Tar Heels.
With the tournament set to tip off in just 10 days, more cuts are surely coming soon as USA Basketball will trim the roster to 12. Jackson is now very much in the running to join that group for Hungary with only six more cuts remaining and his hopes still alive.