TTP Scouting Report: Josh Jackson

In the first installment of our TTP Scouting Report series, we’re going to take a look at the #1 player in the country – Josh Jackson. Jackson committed to the Kansas Jayhawks on April 11th and was the 3rd member of the Jayhawks 2016 recruiting class.

Overview

Jackson is a hyper-competitive shooting guard with all the tools of an NBA player. He is considered by many to be the best player and prospect in the 2016 high school class.

Strengths

Jackson’s competitiveness on the floor is second-to-none, as he never backs down from a challenge and routinely is able to will his teams to victory. Last season, there were times where the Jayhawks appeared to lack internal fire and killer instinct, something that Jackson naturally possesses. Combining that competitive fire with Jackson’s elite aestheticism is what helps separate him from the rest of his peers. Jackson has elite NBA athleticism and size for his position. He is both fast down the floor and quick laterally, which also will help his transition into Head Coach Bill Self’s defensive system – a system that has asked previous high profile wing recruits like Andrew Wiggins and Kelly Oubre to step up as the primary defensive stalwarts on the Jayhawks’ perimeter. Jackson has already shown in his pre-college career that he wants to defend, even in the glorified scrimmages that are the various All Star games he took part in.

On the offensive side, Jackson has all the base tools to be a college and NBA star. At 6’7, he’s a capable ballhandler – he often led his AAU and high school teams at the point – and a very gifted passer. In Coach Self’s offensive system, which often features guards that are expected to be interchangeable, Jackson’s ball security and passing will play a big role in allowing him consistent early and late-game minutes. If he can spell Frank Mason  or Devonte Graham for a handful of minutes each game, Jackson’s value rises even more as the Jayhawks struggled to find rest for their guards in 2015.

Jackson’s ability in the open floor is the last piece of his elite skillset, where he is a superb finisher at the rim and is gifted with great vision to find teammates on the run. He runs the floor as well as anyone I’ve scouted, and should help the Jayhawks improve their transition offense alongside Graham, Mason, and sophomore forward Carlton Bragg.

Weaknesses

When talking about an elite prospect like Jackson, it’s always  tough to go in-depth on his weaknesses without sounding “nit-picky”. That said, we still need to pick a few nits here.

Throughout the year, Jackson’s shooting will end up being a common talking point. While he’s never been a poor shooter, he’s not going to be mistaken for an elite long-range gunner either. In that regard, he does remind me a bit of Andrew Wiggins, who also struggled with his long-range shooting prior to his stint in Lawrence. Like Wiggins, Jackson does show the ability to hit mid-range jumpers, which bodes well for him expanding his range consistently at the college and NBA levels.

The Kansas staff will likely put in some heavy work on Jackson’s shooting form, just like they did with Wiggins, Oubre, and others before him. Right now, Jackson’s delivery is a bit low and comes from in front of his face with a bit of a slow build-up. As such, there’s a chance his accuracy struggles early in the year and improves throughout as that release gets fine-tuned. Fortunately, Jackson’s shot is far from broken and he has always shown a knack for hitting big shots, something that will only get better as his mechanics are improved.

Stock Report

This is a feature that I plan to have in each scouting report I do on Kansas commits. We’ll take a look at how the player is currently viewed and treat him as a stock – should you buy his stock? Hold it? Sell?

Right now, Jackson is listed as the #4 pick in the 2017 Mock Draft by DraftExpress. Listed behind Harry Giles (Duke), Jayson Tatum (Duke), and Markelle Fultz (Washington), I think Jackson is undervalued here. Given his protoypical size, athleticism, and skills for the NBA shooting guard position, I think Jackson has a very strong chance to move to the top of the draft in a year’s time.

If Jackson were a stock, we’d recommend you BUY because we think there’s still quite a bit higher heights it can reach and it’s a bit undervalued right now.

Final Word

Josh Jackson was a major recruiting coup by Coach Self and his staff. The Jayhawks now have an elite NBA talent on the perimeter to complement veteran guards in Graham and Mason, as well as a true “alpha dog” that has the ability and willingness to take over entire games at the Big 12 level. As long as Jackson’s emotions on the floor are held relatively in check, he should be the star of the Jayhawks 2016-2017 season.