Ian Jackson questions NC State being a rivalry game for North Carolina

With a game against the NC State Wolfpack on the horizon for the North Carolina Tar Heels, freshman Ian Jackson is preparing to get his first taste of the rivalry. That is, if the game between in-state ACC foes is a rivalry game at all.

While speaking to media members, Jackson was asked about the feeling going into the rivalry and if anything would be different. That’s when the young guard downplayed just how much of a rivalry this game actually is for the Tar Heels.

“That’s our rivalry? Nah,” Ian Jackson said. “NC State is a great team. Every team in the ACC is a great team. It’s a hard conference, but we’re just going to go out there and play our game. We’re not looking into it as a rivalry. We just want to go win another game in conference play. But they’re a great team.”

Last season, NC State and North Carolina met three different times. The first two times, in the regular season and at both team’s home courts, the Tar Heels won twice. However, when they met for the ACC Tournament Championship Game, NC State was able to get its revenge and clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament with a win.

All-time, the Tar Heels lead the series between the two sides with a record of 166-81 in 247 games. North Carolina also has more NCAA Tournament championships, ACC Tournament championships, and Final Four appearances. Hubert Davis, the current North Carolina head coach, has a record of 5-2 against NC State. Meanwhile, Kevin Keatts, the NC State head coach, sits at 4-11 against the Tar Heels.

For Ian Jackson, personally, there is no history of playing against NC State. A true freshman who came to North Carolina as a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was the eighth-ranked player overall in that recruiting cycle. To this point, Jackson has lived up to that ranking too. He’s playing in 25.3 minutes per game and averaging 15.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.8 assists while shooting 50.6 percent from the field and 40.3 percent from three-point range.

North Carolina is going into the game at 10-6 overall and 3-1 in ACC play. That puts the Tar Heels in a tie for fourth in the standings, still early in conference play. NC State, meanwhile, is 8-6 overall and 1-2 in conference play. That puts them in a tie for eighth in the ACC standings.

Tip-off for Ian Jackson’s first taste of the rivalry between North Carolina and NC State is scheduled for Saturday, January 11th at 4:00 p.m. EST in Raleigh.