Drake Powell was eliminated from consideration for the top prep accolade, but Ian Jackson, a UNC basketball signee, is still in the running.
Ian Jackson, a five-star guard from Our Saviour Lutheran (N.Y.), is one of the ten semifinalists for the Naismith Boys’ High School Player of the Year as of this week’s announcement. The other two early 2024 UNC basketball signees, James Brown, a four-star center from Link Academy (Mo.), and Drake Powell, a five-star forward from Northwood (N.C.), are not included on the list.
Even so, the Tar Heels’ total, with Jackson by himself, is second only to Rutgers’ two, at least for the time being. The list included two five-star junior forwards, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa, targets for UNC, as well as one uncommitted senior, five-star forward Derik Queen.
It is hardly shocking that Brown, who is ranked 71st on the 247Sports 2024 Composite, is not included. Ultimately, he wasn’t included in the Naismith Awards’ 25-person midseason roster that was revealed three weeks prior.
However, Powell—ranked No. 10 in the class and chosen, along with Jackson, for the McDonald’s All-American Game—was on that watch list and appeared to have a chance to go to the semifinals.
Ian Jackson, the Tar Heels’ highest-ranked player at No. 8 overall, doesn’t seem like a favorite to take home the trophy. In the 2024 cycle, it will likely come down to Rutgers’ outstanding five-star forward Ace Bailey and Duke’s top pick, five-star forward Cooper Flagg, ranked No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.
That being said, Jackson has still put on some incredible performances this season (see: his recent 33-point performance while sick).
The Naismith has only gone to a future UNC basketball player once since it was founded in 1987, and that was in 2002 to Raymond Felton, a five-star guard from Latta, South Carolina.
