UNC basketball freshman guard Ian Jackson received a well-deserved water-bottle shower from his teammates in their locker room on Saturday.

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With his team-high 24 points in New York City’s Madison Square Garden, the 6-foot-4, 190-pound Bronx native prevented the No. 18-ranked UCLA Bruins (10-2, 2-0 Big Ten) from building an insurmountable lead in their CBS Sports Classic clash. Ultimately, his hope-building buckets ensured the unranked Tar Heels (7-5, 1-0 ACC) avoided what would’ve been their fifth loss to a ranked opponent in as many attempts this season.

The Heels prevailed, 76-74, after their defense held UCLA to zero field goals across the final 3:42 of action.

Now, just imagine what UNC’s record could’ve been at this juncture had fourth-year Tar Heel head coach Hubert Davis made Ian Jackson a season-long starter.

As it is, the former five-star prep, arguably the most dangerous weapon on the roster, goes down as the star of the squad’s signature show in a reserve role, albeit with 33 minutes, second most on the team.

Against the Bruins, who enjoyed a 59-43 advantage with 12:50 to play in the game, the 19-year-old Jackson shot 8-for-13 from the field, 3-for-7 beyond the arc, and 5-for-8 at the charity stripe. He added four rebounds. And his 24 points marked the most by any UNC basketball rookie since Cole Anthony dropped 25 in a win over archrival Duke in February 2021.

Ian Jackson and the Tar Heels now enter their holiday break before hosting the Campbell Fighting Camels (5-7, 0-0 AAC) on Sunday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m. ET (ACC Network).

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