North Carolina Tar Heels: Justin Jackson wins ACC Player of the Year

North Carolina Tar Heels can add Justin Jackson its list of Atlantic Coast Conference Players of the Year.

The North Carolina Tar Heels have a tradition of honoring former players by putting their jerseys in the rafters. There are specific requirements that one needs to get up there and not every top rated Tar Heel finds themselves up there. The blue jerseys are reserved for National Players of the Year. The white jerseys can be for ACC Player of the Year, All-America Team membership, and Final Four MVPs among others. The last two additions were Brice Johnson and Marcus Paige.

They will have to make room for one more. That would be Tar Heel junior Justin Jackson. Jackson was named ACC Player of the Year by the ACC media with twenty-four votes. That also put him on the ACC first team with Duke’s Luke Kennard, Wake’s John Collins, Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell, and Notre Dame’s Bonzie Colson. Of those picks, Kennard was the only player on every ballot.

It may seem like odd timing. Jackson had an atypical game against Duke right before the vote was taken. However atypical should not be confused with quiet. While his three point shot was absent (one for seven on the night), Jackson still made fifteen points in other ways. One of the more interesting plays was watching Kennedy Meeks and Jackson switch roles with Meeks looking to set up Jackson in the paint. Jackson also had four assists.