Kansas basketball had two players selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, and soon-to-be freshman Elmarko Jackson is projected to be the next Jayhawk draftee.
Across the extensive history of the Kansas Jayhawks, 87 players from the university have been selected in the NBA Draft. Twenty-nine of those have come from the Bill Self era (2003-now).
Former Jayhawks Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson made the headlines this past week, as Dick was drafted in the lottery and Wilson in the second round. Kansas is widely known as a hub for those who want to play at the next level, and Coach Self was able to send off a one-and-done and a terrific college player into favorable situations.
Now that the draft has concluded, people can’t help but wonder about the top prospects next year — and they’ve already put together mocks. Only one Kansas basketball player is being featured on them, and he has yet to play a game donning the crimson and blue.
Several publications are predicting Elmarko Jackson to go in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft. A Kansas signee, Jackson is a tremendous athlete who can take it to the hole and play menacing defense. He has plenty of untapped potential but could become an elite player in the future.
READ: Will Morris or Jackson start for Kansas in 2023-24?
SB Nation has Jackson being taken 19th overall in their most recent edition of a mock draft.
NBADraft.net is higher on Jackson than most other sites, projecting Jackson to go No. 13 overall in 2024 to the Toronto Raptors — the same organization that just took Dick days ago.
Yahoo Sports shares a similar sentiment about Jackson. He is the 18th overall pick in their mock. They had this to say about his game:
"“Jackson was one of the most athletic guards during the McDonald’s All-American Game and showed a nice second burst in transition. He has a strong frame and uses his body well, especially at the rim in the way he scoops shots under defenders. Jackson is one of the quickest guards n the country with the ball in his hands and has a solid 3-point jumper.”"
The only available mock draft sans Jackson is from ESPN. They do not add any description about him, but it’d be a safe assumption that they think he will spend more than one year in school and hold back from entering the draft pool.
No other Jayhawks can be found on any other way-too-early mock draft. That is not good news for Kevin McCullar, who returned to KU for his super senior season this offseason. Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson has another year of collegiate eligibility following 2023-24 and could use it if he’d like. It might be for the best, as his skill set is not very suitable for the NBA.
Jackson has yet to play college ball yet, so these mocks are nothing but speculation. It goes without saying that a 5-star high school recruit will have high expectations. He could increase or decrease his draft stock depending on how he performs this season.
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