Ian Jackson is officially back in New York. After one season at North Carolina, the former five-star guard transferred to Rick Pitino’s St. John’s program this offseason.
The 6-foot-4 shooting guard had been considered a potential one-and-done prospect, but he chose to return to school and play closer to home. A native of the Bronx, he will now suit up at Carnesecca Arena with hopes of raising his NBA stock under one of the game’s most respected coaches.
Jackson has already been seen working out with the Red Storm, and expectations for his role next season are starting to take shape.
Analyst Explains How Rick Pitino Could Use Ian Jackson
On the Aaron Torres Podcast, New York Post journalist Zach Braziller shared his thoughts on the role Jackson might take on under Rick Pitino this upcoming season.
“He’s going to have the ball in his hands. There’s no question about that,” Braziller said. “I think Dylan Darling is a guy who’s going to play a lot of point guard for them as well. If you look at Rick’s career, he’s always had kind of two primary ball handlers,” he said.
Braziller pointed to examples from Pitino’s coaching history to back that up. In his first season at St. John’s, Pitino relied on Kadary Richmond and Daniss Jenkins to share ball-handling duties. Before that, he ran a similar setup at Iona with Walter Clayton Jr. and Daniss Jenkins. At Louisville, the pattern continued with Russ Smith and Peyton Siva forming a dynamic pairing.
According to Braziller, Pitino’s history suggests that Jackson could split lead guard responsibilities with Darling.
At North Carolina, Jackson was mostly used off the ball, which, Braziller noted, did not sit well with those around him.
Keep Reading: Rick Pitino Urges Teams to Take Chance on St. John’s Star Kadry Richmond During 2025 NBA Draft
In high school at Cardinal Hayes, he had more chances to handle the ball and run the offense. Braziller said it will take time for Jackson to get comfortable in that kind of role again and added that patience will be important as he develops.
Despite that, Braziller made it clear that the potential is undeniable.
“You’re dealing with an incredibly talented player people think could be a lottery pick in a year,” he said. “And then you’re dealing with Rick Pitino, an all-time great coach. I mean, I’d be surprised if they don’t find a way to make it work.”
View this post on Instagram
Jackson appeared in 36 games for the Tar Heels, making 12 starts and averaging 11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists. He also shot 45.6 percent from the field and 39.5 percent from deep, showing strong offensive tools as a freshman.
Now heading into his sophomore year at St. John’s, Jackson will look to take on a larger role and continue developing as both a scorer and a playmaker under Rick Pitino.
