Kansas basketball: Ranking each of the Jayhawks one and done players
No.1: Josh Jackson (2016-2017)
Kansas basketball career stats: 35 games, 16.3 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 51.3% FG
It was a close call, but as of right now, Josh Jackson was the best one-and-done in Kansas basketball history.
We’ve never seen a freshman as ready from the get-go as Jackson was. What he brought to the table defensively and as an athlete was unheard of for a player his age. It didn’t take him long to overcome his “freshman jitters,” and you would have been convinced he was a four-year player by the time the calendar struck March.
If he hadn’t played alongside one of the best Jayhawks of all time in Frank Mason III, Jackson probably could have averaged a 20-point-double-double. The aspect of his game that separated him from other KU one-and-dones was how he did anything Coach Self asked him to. Most recruits ranked No. 1 overall out of high school aren’t willing to do the little things that help teams win, but that wasn’t the case with Jackson. He left everything he had on the table.
His character issues became a problem once he headed to the NBA, but it never affected his play in college. Jackson was named an AP Third Team All-American and the Big 12 Freshman of the Year. He was truly a treat to watch for Kansas Jayhawks fans.
Next. Kansas basketball has played, but never beaten, these teams. dark
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