Josh Jackson has officially signed with Kansas.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson is the second No. 1 rated player to sign with Kansas in the past three seasons. Jackson, No. 1 by Rivals.com and 247Sports, joins current Minnesota Timberwolves standout Andrew Wiggins who played at KU in 2013-14.
NEW YORK -- Udoka Azubuike found out about Josh Jackson's commitment to Kansas the same way just about everyone else did.
"I just found out from the Internet," the 6-foot-10, 290-pound big man told SNY.tv on Wednesday at Jordan Brand Classic practice. "I think my boy Mitch Lightfoot, he's going to Kansas, he tagged me on Twitter about it. I just went on Twitter and I was like, 'Oh, wow really?' I was impressed."
Did Azubuike jump up and down to celebrate?
ROSELLE, N.J. -- Kansas coach Bill Self says the loaded batch of incoming college freshmen -- which includes new Jayhawk Josh Jackson -- will play a critical role in determining the NCAA championship in 2016-17.
That would be quite a departure from this past season when there wasn't a single one-and-done player in the Final Four, where national champion Villanova as well as North Carolina, Oklahoma and Syracuse were all led by upperclassmen.
"I like what Denzel [Valentine] said [in accepting the AP Player of the Year Award at the Final Four], it's not a competition between seniors and freshman," Self told SNY.tv exclusively on Friday at the NJ Coaches' Clinic at Roselle Catholic High School. "It's not a competition. Everything's cyclical and guys develop at different speeds and rates but I do think that it was great for the college game to have so many veterans have an impact on their college programs [this past year].
Let's face it. The Champions Classic was going to be loaded this year anyway.
Kentucky, Duke and Michigan State already had the Nos. 1, 2 and 3-ranked recruiting classes in 2016 according to Scout.com and 247Sports.com.
But now with Josh Jackson's commitment to Kansas, the Jayhawks are up to No. 7 on Scout and No. 13 on 247Sports.com.
The Josh Jackson Sweepstakes is over and he's taking his talents to Kansas.
The 6-foot-8 small forward from Napa (CA) Prolific Prep announced for the Jayhawks over Arizona and Michigan State on Monday, ending months of suspense.
Next year I will be attending Kansas University ��❤️ #RCJH pic.twitter.com/rmBiF85n4J
Josh Jackson is set to announce his college choice on Monday at his home in Detroit and there may be a livestream, he told USA Today at the Nike Hoop Summit.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson out of Napa (CA) Prolific Prep is considering Arizona, Kansas and Michigan State. He plans to tell his family first and then Tweet his decision.
"I'm committing Monday," Jackson told USA Today after practice with Team USA in advance of Saturday's Nike Hoop Summit. "It'll be at my house. I wanted my family around and I'm just ready to do it."
CHICAGO -- Duke commit Frank Jackson and uncommitted wing Josh Jackson both have the same last name. Both had 19 points for the West team in Wednesday's McDonald's All-American Game, and both earned Co-MVP awards for their performances.
But after a postgame television interview with the two players together, Josh was the one bombarded by the media. Among the lights, cameras and cellphones, he wouldn't budge or hint at where he plans on going to college.
"I'm really waiting for an opportunity where I can be home be around my family and close friends," he said. "I really want to [announce] around the people who have been supporting me the whole way through."
CHICAGO -- Before their college careers begin this fall, the 2016 McDonald's All-Americans lit up the United Center on Wednesday night. Thanks to a pair of "Jacksons," the West All-Americans emerged victorious.
Unrelated teammates Frank Jackson and Josh Jackson were named Co-MVPs as the West team topped the East team 114-107 in the 39th McDonald's All-American Game.
Both players scored 19 points, with Frank Jackson shooting 5-7 from deep. Josh Jackson added 19 points of his own, going 9-11 from the field.
CHICAGO -- While many of the McDonald's All-Americans spent Tuesday's media day soaking up the hype and media attention, four uncommitted recruits did so with a big decision looming.
Uncommitted wing prospect Josh Jackson says he's already made that decision. Now he just needs to decide how and when to announce it to the world.
"It's clear in my mind [where I'm going]," Jackson said about his decision, which he says has wavered at times.
Five-star unsigned Prolific Prep (CA) wing Josh Jackson tells Rivals he knows where he will attend what will likely be his only year of college.
Rumors floated last week that Jackson was about to pull the trigger, rumors that never came to fruition, but Jackson said they were more than just rumors.
"Originally I was supposed to make a decision on Thursday," Jackson said. "There were a few of my family members and close friends that couldn't make it at that time so we cancelled it. It's juts a real special thing I want to do and I want to have the people who have been supporting me the whole way through there."
Josh Jackson, the top uncommitted recruit in the Class of 2016 and the projected No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, will take his final official visit to Michigan State this weekend, according to his AAU team.
The No. 2-ranked Spartans host Ohio State at noon on Saturday for Senior Day.
The 6-foot-7 Jackson, now playing at Prolific Prep (CA), has already taken officials to Kansas and Arizona.
Josh Jackson, the nation's top recruit and the projected No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, is officially down to three schools and plans to announce within a month.
"Michigan State, Arizona and Kansas," the 6-foot-8 small forward from Prolific Prep (CA) told CSNBayArea.com on Friday night.
Miles Bridges hopes Jackson, a Detroit native, joins the Michigan State class that includes Bridges, Cassius Winston, Josh Langford and Nick Ward and is ranked No. 3 behind only Kentucky and Duke by Scout.com.
ROSELLE, N.J. -- Tom Izzo may already have landed his greatest recruiting class ever.
Sparty's four-man class of Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston, Josh Langford and Nick Ward is ranked No. 3 behind only Kentucky and Duke by Scout.com.
But if Michigan State adds uncommitted Prolific Prep (CA) forward Josh Jackson to the current class, look out. Jackson is ranked the No. 1 prospect in the Class of 2016 by 247Sports.com and is projected as the No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
On top of getting a key Big 12 win over Texas on Saturday, Kansas also hosted two likely pros on the recruiting front in Josh Jackson and DeAndre Ayton.
The 6-foot-8 Jackson out of Prolific Prep (CA) is the No. 1-rated prospect in the Class of 2016 according to 247Sports.com and is the projected No. 3 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft by DraftExpress.com.
Jackson's mother, Apples Jones, played college ball at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas, and Kansas head coach Bill Self watched Jackson at the Marshall County Hoopfest in December.
Josh Jackson, a newly minted McDonald's All-American and the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2016 according to 247Sports.com, will begin his official visit to Kansas on Friday and will be in Lawrence for Saturday's Big 12 basketball game with Texas.
Jackson's mother, Apples Jones, played college ball at Allen County Community College in Iola, Kansas, and Kansas head coach Bill Self watched Jackson at the Marshall County Hoopfest in December.
"Wish I could just make this decision tomorrow," Jackson said last month at the Hoopfest. "But I'm still not sure where I want to go and I know this is one of the most important decisions I will make in my life. I want to make sure I don't have any regrets about it so I'm going to take my time."
The 2016 McDonald's All-American Game nominations are out and many of the biggest names in high school basketball are predictably on the list.
The selection show is set for Jan. 17 from the HoopHall Classic in Springfield, Mass., and will be shown at 10:30 p.m. on ESPNU. The McDonald's All-American Game will take place March 30 at Chicago's United Center.
All four Duke signees (Javin DeLaurier, Harry Giles, Frank Jackson and Jayson Tatum), all four Michigan State signees (Miles Bridges, Josh Langford, Nick Ward and Cassius Winston), all four UConn signees (Mamadou Diarra, Juwan Durham, Alterique Gilbert, and Vance Jackson and four of the five Kentucky signees (Bam Adebayo, De'Aaron Fox, Malik Monk and Sacha Killeya-Jones) are on the list.
Josh Jackson got the win over his close friend Miles Bridges on Monday in his return home to Michigan, and the Michigan State-bound Bridges would like his friend to join him in college, too.
"We've got to get him on the squad," Bridges told MILive.com after his Huntington (W.V.) Prep team lost to Jackson's Prolific Prep (CA) squad, 100-80, in the Throwdown in Motown event presented by The Grind Session at HYPE Recreation Center. "He plays the same position as me but I know Coach (Tom) Izzo will work it out for us."
Both players scored 22 points in the game.
Josh Jackson's recruitment remains in flux after the 6-foot-8 forward out of Prolific Prep (CA) attended Michigan State's 99-93 overtime victory against Oakland at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday night.
Several reports indicated Jackson had narrowed his recruitment to Arizona and Michigan State, but a source close to Jackson said it was not true. This Twitter account, which is the official source for Jackson information, also indicated the report wasn't true.
The recruitment of Josh Jackson has not been finalized. The news reported by the Detroit Free Press isn't true.
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo watched Josh Jackson put on a show on Saturday.
The 6-foot-7 small forward from Prolific Prep (CA) went off for 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 blocks as his team lost to Victory Rock Prep (FL), 98-91, at the Cornfield Classic in Ames, Iowa.
Izzo would love to add the Michigan native to a blockbuster class that already includes Miles Bridges, Cassius Winston, Nick Ward and Josh Langford.
