Potential No. 6 JJ Jackson becomes the first inductee to drop out of North Carolina’s men’s basketball program since 2003

Senior Rising Elite JJ Jackson He resigned from North Carolina, he announced via social media Thursday.

Jackson became the first person to be driven out of North Carolina in nearly 20 years; JR Smith committed to Tar Heels in 2003, but chose to go straight to the NBA outside of high school. No player in the modern conscription era has dropped out of Tar Heels and gone elsewhere to study in college.

“First, I would like to thank God for taking care of me and giving me the talent and talent of playing basketball,” Jackson wrote on his social media accounts. “To all my coaches from middle school onwards and Al Ain University coaches, thank you for trusting me and letting me play for your programs. Thank you to coach Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball staff for recruiting me and giving me the chance to play for college, my family has stuck by my side since I was born and has been the biggest supporter of my life By pointing me in the right direction.

“I have decided to cancel the commitment from UNC to explore other options that can help me grow from a teenage boy into an adult to put me in the best position to reach my dream goal which is the NBA.”

Gods plan pic.twitter.com/BRWs2To5Cj

– Gregory “JJ” Jackson (@_ggjackson) July 15 2022

Over the past few months, reclassification rumors have swirled around Jackson’s enlistment, though he has consistently denied that he plans to enroll in college next fall.

“We were looking at first,” Jackson told ESPN in April. “But evaluating my options and looking at the different people I’ve reclassified, and seeing how that affects them. I feel, physically, that I’m not yet there to play at that college level, so I wanted to stay on my side and just prepare as best I can.”

However, speculation has mounted in recent weeks that Jackson is eventually planning to move to the 2022 class and play in college next year. Sources told ESPN that the likely landing point is South Carolina, which was in the driver’s seat of his commitment until the Gamecocks split from head coach Frank Martin in the spring. New coach Lamont Paris tried to land Jackson after taking the job, but Jackson committed to North Carolina State in late April.

Had Jackson remained committed to North Carolina, a potential complicating factor in any reclassification decision would have been Tar Heels signing the Northwestern move. Nance’s house from the gate. A 6-foot-10 striker, Nance plays the same position as Jackson and is signed as Brady Manic replacing.

A 6-foot-9 striker from Ridgeview High School in Columbia, South Carolina, Jackson ranks sixth in the 2023 ESPN 100. He averaged 12.9 points and 9.8 rebounds on the Nike EYBL circuit this past spring and summer, scoring 12.1 points and 9.4 Rebound in 14 in-ring matches this season. During his prep season, he averaged 22.1 points and 10.9 rebounds, and was named Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina. Jackson was also named MVP in the prestigious NBPA Top 100 camp last month after averaging 14.0 points and 9.2 rebounds.

North Carolina now has one commitment in the 2023 class, ranking 10th Simeon Welcher.