Josh Jackson On Entering The 2017 NBA Draft: ‘We’ll See If It’s Right For Me’


No. 1 overall prospect Josh Jackson spoke on the Seth Davis Show about whether or not he’ll be in the 2017 NBA Draft.


For players like Josh Jackson, the one-and-done phenomenon that has swept the college basketball landscape has become an expectation.

Long gone are the days when four-year collegiate careers are the standard, a time when NBA aspirations were accompanied by a college degree. In today’s world, the NCAA has simply become a “mandatory” path to the world’s largest stage for the nation’s top athletes.

So when Jackson, the No. 1 prospect in the class of 2016 and a Kansas Jayhawks commit, spoke on the Seth Davis Show about the assumption that he’ll be in next year’s NBA Draft, he answered honestly.

“That is what I’m preparing for right now. I am preparing to be an NBA player. I think every college athlete is,” Jackson said.

And while he currently appears to be a lottery and potential No. 1 pick in the draft, Jackson realizes that nothing is guaranteed. The narrative for players of his stature lean heavily in Jackson’s favor, but it may not be wise to assume he’ll be in that position when the 2017 draft rolls around.

“Now, will I be in the NBA next year? I don’t know if I can say yes to that right now,” Jackson said. “I’m waiting to see how I play, and to talk about it with my family a little bit. We’ll see if it’s right for me at that time.”

That’s a mature attitude for a 19-year-old that has been receiving national media attention since his early high school days. And it speaks volumes to Jackson’s humility in handling the monstrous expectations that come with being a high-profile athlete.

Whether or not Jackson follows that path remains to be seen, but it’s that type of mindset that is an early indicator of a young player that is capable of following the one-and-done route.

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