North Carolina’s Justin Jackson added another honor to his resume on Friday by being named a first-team All-American by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. With his selection, combined with previous honors from the Sporting News and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, the ACC Player of the Year has assured his designation as the Tar Heels’ 18th consensus All-American. Jackson is the second straight UNC player to earn the honor, joining former teammate Brice Johnson last year. He is joined on the first team by UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, Villanova’s Josh Hart, Kansas’ Frank Mason III and Purdue’s Caleb Swanigan. Duke’s Luke Kennard heads the NABC second team, along with Oregon’s Dillon Brooks, Kentucky’s Malik Monk, Baylor’s Johnathan Motley and Gonzaga’s Nigel Williams-Goss. Jackson is averaging 18.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game heading into UNC’s NCAA South Region semifinal game against Butler on Friday. He is shooting a career-best 38-percent from beyond the 3-point arc while his 98 3-pointers are a school record. Kennard averaged 19.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range for the ACC tournament champion Blue Devils.
