Ian Jackson to commit on Monday, ESPNU announcement

Five-star junior Ian Jackson‘s recruitment will be coming to an end 24 hours from now, with Kentucky seen as a top contender to land his services.

The 6-foot-5 shooting guard out of The Bronx is set to announce his commitment at the Hoophall Classic on Monday, a televised decision with ESPN’s Paul Biancardi. The announcement is set to take place at halftime of the 3 p.m. ET game between Montverde Academy and Sunrise Christian.

Jackson is set to decide between Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Oregon and UNC, with the Razorbacks, Wildcats and Tar Heels seen as the top contenders. He’s taken official visits to all five finalists.

Recruiting News:
Ian Jackson of Cardinal Hayes high school, will make his college announcement on Monday, January 16th at halftime of the 3 PM ET game on ESPNU. Jackson is No.2 in the Espn 60. Class of 2024.

His final schools are Arkansas, Kentucky, LSU, Oregon, and UNC. pic.twitter.com/Pxr5yT9lNw

— Paul Biancardi (@PaulBiancardi) January 15, 2023

KSR previously reported that a decision was expected this weekend at the Hoophall Classic, either Sunday or Monday, with the tentative plan. January 31 was previously considered for the announcement date before pushing things up.

The anticipated commitment comes after back-to-back official visits to North Carolina and Arkansas, the former starting Jan. 6 and the latter on Jan. 10. He previously visited Kentucky on Oct. 14 during Big Blue Madness.

Jackson is rated as the No. 2 prospect and No. 2 shooting guard in the 2024 On3 Consensus.

“Putting me in that system, I’ll be great,” Jackson said of Kentucky in an interview with KSR back in December. “The way they get after it on defense is just great. And just Cal, Coach Cal, an NBA legendary coach. I can learn a lot from him and there’s a lot of things he can teach me to get where I want to go.”

The 6-foot-5 guard is widely considered the top two-way threat in his class, a versatile scorer on offense and a terror on defense. He brings intensity and a never-ending motor to the floor on both ends, what separates his game from the rest of high school basketball. Offensively, he’s got a quick first step to create easy scoring opportunities at the basket, but he also thrives as a facilitator. Defensively, he’s aggressive in picking pockets and jumping passing lanes, setting up quick transition buckets the other direction.

Could he be taking those talents with him to Lexington? We’ll find out in 24 hours.