Ian Jackson is getting the recognition he deserves after playing at an elite level this past week.
ESPN analyst Dick Vitale announced his "DIckie V Weekly Winners" this morning, including awards for player of the week, freshman of the week, coach of the week and team of the week.
Vitale's "Diaper Dandy" award, given to the best college freshman of the week, was given to Jackson, who averaged 25 points and five rebounds per game last week to open up ACC play.
My DICKIE V WEEKLY WINNERS! @MarquetteMBB KAM JONES @UNC_Basketball IAN JACKSON @KentuckyMBB MARK POPE @WVUhoops COACH DeVRIES pic.twitter.com/ae9Y9FbNzz
— Dick Vitale (@DickieV) January 6, 2025
Jackson had 27 points and six rebounds in the UNC basketball program's win over Notre Dame on Saturday and 23 points along with four rebounds in the loss to Louisville. Jackson led North Carolina in scoring in both games, shooting a combined 18/33 from the field. Jackson's elite scoring ability has been on display for a few weeks now, as he has led the Tar Heels in scoring for the past four games, including a 26-point performance against Campbell and a 24-point performance against UCLA.
Jackson is the first UNC freshman to score at least 20 points in four straight games since the 2005-06 season (Tyler Hansbrough).
Hopefully, the good play will continue as North Carolina returns home Tuesday for a matchup with SMU, one of their newest ACC rivals.