Ian Jackson stars in his Madison Square Garden debut

Returning to play in his home state, Ian Jackson showed the world just how good he is at the sport of basketball.

Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) shoots the ball while being defended by UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Dec 21, 2024; New York, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Ian Jackson (11) shoots the ball while being defended by UCLA Bruins guard Kobe Johnson (0) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

Big-time players are always ready for the bright lights. No matter what the stage is, certain players just have that ability to step up and shine in the spotlight.

On Saturday, Ian Jackson proved to the world that he is one of those players.

In his return to his home state, Jackson was outstanding. The freshman led the Tar Heels with 24 points, leading the UNC basketball program to a much-needed victory over UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.

Given he's from the area and came to North Carolina as a highly-touted five-star recruit, even Hubert Davis was surprised that Saturday was the first time that Jackson ever played at Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of Basketball!

Jackson certainly made the most of his opportunity, as his 24 points are the second-most by a Tar Heel freshman at The Garden. He fell just one point shy of tying Rashad McCants (who scored 25 vs. Kansas back in 2002 at MSG) for the team's freshman single-game record, and is now just one of three freshmen ever in UNC basketball history to score more than 20 points in a game at Madison Square Garden.

Pretty daggum impressive!

Now, don't get it twisted: this wasn't a fluke. Jackson has been ballin for a while now. In fact, Jackson has 92 points over his last six games, averaging 15.3 points over that span. He's also knocked down at least one three-pointer in each game this season, as his three triples on Saturday afternoon tied his season best in that category.

Given he's been coming off the bench, it might not be long before Hubert Davis is forced to insert Jackson into the starting lineup. With the way he's playing, you could easily make the case that No. 11 needs to be on the court as often as possible.

While Tar Heel fans will remember Jackson's debut at Madison Square Garden fondly, it's very important to realize one thing:

This most certainly won't be the last time that Jackson plays basketball at Madison Square Garden, as he'll likely be on an NBA squad the next time he plays there.

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