John Calipari visiting '24 5-star SG Ian Jackson on Tuesday
John Calipari and the Kentucky coaching staff will be visiting arguably their top recruiting target in the class of 2024 this week.
Ian Jackson, a consensus top-three junior and Bronx, NY native, was the first prospect to receive a scholarship offer from Calipari to open the direct contact period in June. Now, the UK head coach is set to visit Jackson in New York on Tuesday, with Orlando Antigua also making the trip.
Calipari shared that he was in The Bronx late Sunday evening, with Jackson telling KSR shortly after that Kentucky would be stopping by Tuesday.
Former Kentucky assistant Slice Rohrssen joined Calipari and Antigua for dinner Sunday prior to the in-person recruiting meeting this week.
The top two-way recruit in high school basketball, Jackson is ranked No. 2 overall in the 2024 On3 Consensus. Standing 6-foot-5, he’s a force on the defensive end of the floor, bringing intensity and a never-ending motor while forcing steals and blocking shots. Offensively, he’s quick and athletic with a growing jump shot.
Put it all together, and he’s arguably the most college-ready prospect in 2024.
“The way I get after it on the defensive end (is what separates me in my class),” Jackson told KSR. “I take pride in no one scoring on me. It’s probably a New York thing for me, I really take pride on that end of the floor, making sure no one scores. I lock things down on that end of the floor.
“… The jump shot is definitely what’s changed over the summer, really. It became way more consistent, being able to knock it down. I’m more confident handling the two (position), putting myself in position to come off pick and rolls, making plays, that definitely changed for me. Making plays and knocking down jump shots.”
It’s led to a long list of suitors lining up to fight for his commitment. Since the start of the in-person recruiting period started last weekend, Kentucky, Duke, North Carolina, Arkansas, Auburn, UCLA, LSU, Kansas, Oregon, Texas, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and Syracuse have all stopped in or plan to in the coming days.
One he’s had his eye on from the start? Kentucky.
He first told KSR that Kentucky was his “dream school” back in January. Then in April, he added that John Calipari is a coach he has “always wanted to play for” after watching the Wildcats “since I was a kid.”
Then to open the month of June, he told KSR it would “definitely mean a lot” to receive a scholarship offer from Kentucky, a school “I’ve been looking forward to going to — hopefully going to.”
“I would be able to play for John Calipari,” he said. “There’s a lot that he knows about making a pro and he would help me do what it takes to become a pro.”
That offer came to open the contact period on June 15, the first prospect in his class to receive a scholarship from Kentucky.
“Feels great. Like a dream come true,” he told KSR.
The mutual interest is high, a dream school for Jackson and a dream player for Kentucky. The two parties will meet in person Tuesday.
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