Josh Jackson Declares for 2017 NBA Draft, Signs with an Agent
Kansas guard Josh Jackson is the latest one-and-done college basketball star, as he declared for the 2017 NBA draft on Monday and signed with agent BJ Armstrong of the Wasserman Media Group, according to Dave Skretta of the Associated Press.
Jackson was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Year for 2016-17 after averaging 16.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for the conference's regular-season champs.
Kansas shared comments from head coach Bill Self after Jackson announced his decision:
The 6'8" Detroit native is a do-everything player who excels across the board. He is able to score the basketball both inside and outside, rebound effectively and distribute like a point guard despite his size.
With such a varied skill set at his disposal, Mike Schmitz of The Vertical expressed his belief prior to Jackson's declaration that he could be among the top players off the board:
Perhaps the biggest knock against Jackson is the fact he dealt with some off-court issues during his freshman season.
Jackson was suspended for Kansas' opener in the Big 12 tournament against TCU, and the Horned Frogs ended up pulling off the upset.
According to Jesse Newell of the Kansas City Star, Jackson was cited for three traffic citations, including one for "duty upon striking an unattended vehicle, inattentive driving and improper backing," on Feb. 7.
He was also charged with misdemeanor property damage for damaging the car of Kansas women's basketball player McKenzie Calvert, per Laura Bauer and Mara Rose Williams of the Kansas City Star.
Calvert's father, Tim Calvert, later told Bauer that Jackson attempted to sweep the incident under the rug: "They wanted to pay to make it all go away. But it wouldn't have gone away for my daughter. It would have been great for Josh, but not for McKenzie. ... This was never about money for me, it was about how my daughter was treated."
While multiple run-ins with the law could be a concern moving forward, Jackson's on-court ability is undeniable.
He was easily among the best players in the nation as a freshman, and he stood out on a Kansas team stacked with talent throughout the lineup.
Although staying for his sophomore year at Kansas could have helped round out his game and ease character concerns, Jackson is almost certain to be among the top picks in the 2017 draft regardless.
For more news, rumors and related stories about Josh Jackson, the NBA draft and the NBA, check out the NBA and NBA draft streams on Bleacher Report's app.
