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UNC Basketball: Justin Jackson thinks Luke Kennard was ACC’s top player

By Alec Lasley

Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson cuts down the net after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson cuts down the net after defeating the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the championship game of the 2017 NCAA Men's Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Justin Jackson was named ACC Player of the Year in 2017, but according to him, it should have been someone else

On the eve of the NBA Draft, it was a fellow ACC player that Justin Jackson was talking about.

Earlier this spring, Jackson became the 14th Tar Heel – first since Tyler Zeller in 2012 – to be named ACC Player of the Year, receiving 24 of the 53 votes.

Jackson, though, doesn’t believe that he was the best player in the league.

“I should not have been ACC Player of the Year,” Jackson told reporters at a NBA media session on Wednesday.

Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) reacts after making a basket against the Oregon Ducks in the second half in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 1, 2017; Glendale, AZ, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Justin Jackson (44) reacts after making a basket against the Oregon Ducks in the second half in the semifinals of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Final Four at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Who would Jackson have picked? Well, travel eight miles down the road and you’ll find him.

Yes, he picked Luke Kennard. The Duke sharpshooter averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.9 assists last season and is a projected lottery pick in Thursday’s draft.

"“Justin’s a great guy,” Kennard said in response to Jackson’s comments. “I played against him in high school and I was able to play against him in college, obviously….And he’s a great player. I don’t know if I would take that away from him.”"

Though we spend so much time talking about how talented these athletes are and where they will land in the draft, let’s not forget who they are as people.

Jackson, home-schooled all the way up until he enrolled at North Carolina, and an outspoken follower of Christ, has molded himself into not only a terrific basketball player, but also a great man.

The soft-spoken, soon-to-be first round pick in the NBA Draft, hasn’t let success change who he is.

When his name is called on Thursday night and he walks across the stage to shake Adam Silver’s hand, Jackson will bring with him the same humility that he’s carried with him his entire life. And he’ll take it to whatever city’s team that selects him.

That’s something no coach or trainer can teach.

Related Story: Justin Jackson to Portland?

Congrats, ACC Player of the Year, Justin Jackson. You deserve it.

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