Notre Dame sophomore point guard Demetrius Jackson is passing up a strong chance to become a late first-round pick this year, as he tells Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com that he’s returning to school for next season (Twitter link). Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress lists Jackson as the 27th-best prospect, while Chad Ford of ESPN.com has him 29th.
The 6’1″ Jackson took on a more prominent role than he had as a freshman and averaged 12.4 points, 3.1 assists and 1.5 turnovers in 34.7 minutes per game for the Irish this season. He also chipped in 3.6 rebounds per contest, impressive considering his height, and he’s a 42.5% three-point shooter for his college career.
Jackson posted one of his four games of 20 points or more this season against Wichita State and its backcourt of pro prospects in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, nailing four of his five three-point attempts. He followed that up with just two points against Kentucky and its seven draft-bound players. Ford lists shooting as an area perhaps in need of improvement for Jackson, in spite of his strong numbers from behind the arc, and while he does have a nearly 6’5″ wingspan, he’d ideally have more size, Ford also writes in his profile.