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UNC Basketball: Justin Jackson set to graduate this weekend

By Zack Pearson

CHAPEL HILL, NC- APRIL 4: Justin Jackson of the North Carolina Tar Heels addresses the fans during the welcome-home reception for the NCAA men's basketball team on April 4, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tar Heels defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71-65 yesterday to win the national championship. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC- APRIL 4: Justin Jackson of the North Carolina Tar Heels addresses the fans during the welcome-home reception for the NCAA men's basketball team on April 4, 2017 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The Tar Heels defeated the Gonzaga Bulldogs 71-65 yesterday to win the national championship. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images) /
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Justin Jackson is back on UNC’s campus as he will officially get his degree from the University of North Carolina

Former University of North Carolina basketball standout Justin Jackson will return to campus this weekend to officially graduate from the University with a degree in Sports Administration.

Jackson returns to the campus after leaving following his junior season in 2017 as he helped lead the Tar Heels to a National Championship. The junior decided to forgo his senior year and enter the 2017 NBA Draft where he was selected with the 15th overall pick and was traded to Sacramento on Draft Day.

Two years later, Jackson was traded to Dallas in a deal that also included former UNC standout Harrison Barnes.

But with the Mavericks not making the NBA Playoffs, Jackson is now back on campus and is fulfilling a promise that he made to his parents to get his degree from UNC.

In a recent interview with Mavs.com, Jackson talked about that promise and fulfilling it this coming weekend:

"“Growing up, I always promised my family I would go back to finish it, no matter when I left,” Jackson said. “Obviously, I stayed three years so when I left, I didn’t have a lot of classwork left. I think I had one more class left I had to do on campus. All the rest I could do online. So I went back last summer for that class to finish up.”"

The Texas native had a memorable career at UNC, making back-to-back National Championship Games before beating Gonzaga to win it all in 2017. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in that 2016-17 season after averaging 18.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game for the Tar Heels.

Jackson was part of that very impressive 2015 recruiting class featuring himself, Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson. Both Berry II and Pinson finished their senior years at UNC and graduated in 2018.

As for his NBA career, Jackson is hoping for a fresh start in Dallas. After a year and a half in Sacramento, he now plays in his home state of Texas. He averaged a career high 8.2 points per game in 29 contests with the Mavericks.

Next. Vince Carter returns for a 22nd season. dark

For more on Jackson and other former UNC Basketball players, please check back with Keeping It Heel.

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