Nic Thomas | NBA & NBA Draft

Like many of you, we over at Draftstack tuned into UNLV vs. Missouri last night to keep an eye on potential lottery pick Jason Crowe Jr., who had an impressive 25-point showing, getting to the foul line 14 times and making 11. But the real star of the show came from the Rebels side in sophomore big Tyrin Jones, who led UNLV to a 90-81 win and finished with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, and 4 steals while shooting 8/14 from the field. In his freshman season, Jones showed promise, averaging 11.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks in 27.0 minutes per game while shooting 59.4 percent from the field. However, he appears to be ready for the next step and is definitely someone starting to put himself on the radar of many evaluators as a candidate to be drafted in the 2027 NBA Draft. Jones's immediate standout trait is how well he moves for a player listed at 6’10”, 200 pounds on UNLV’s team website. He is a fluid athlete with plenty of vertical pop that will catch your eye the second you tune into his tape. Jones plays with a slitheriness when attacking the basket that lets him leverage his length and create scoring angles for himself. That combination of skills, plus his solid handle for a big, makes him the type of player who can be a nightmare for slower-footed frontcourt players. He also is great at punishing harsh closeouts and is the type of big that can also be a weapon in DHOs or fake DHOs because of his ability to turn and get downhill so quickly. Jones showed improved body control in preseason and did a good job adjusting his finishes in mid-air to either draw some contact or still score against a great contest. He plays with a high motor and is really comfortable sitting in that dunker spot, finishing plays off dump-offs or collecting offensive rebounds and scoring putbacks. Off the ball, he’s also an excellent cutter, and while his frame isn’t fully filled out, he sets a solid screen and knows where to go as a roller. Defensively, his physical traits shine through too, as his lateral quickness, paired with his size, lets him cover ground and be disruptive off the ball. He’s unique in the sense that he can man a zone defense from the point of attack or be the big anchor in the paint. He has solid second-jump ability and is a super exciting shot blocker. Jones will need to keep getting stronger and improving his frame in order to bang with top college bigs and bigs at the pro level, but he does have solid recovery tools for when he gets outmatched physically. The playmaking feel is definitely there. Now it’s just about improving his decision-making and passing skills. He doesn’t project to ever be an offensive hub by any means, but growing as a short roll passer would definitely improve his stock. Even though Tyrin Jones only played in one of UNLV’s three preseason games, he gave evaluators a ton to like. Jones is a high-level downhill self-creator, with impressive defensive versatility and athletic tools that make him a very intriguing name for the 2027 NBA Draft cycle. Many of us tuned in for Jason Crowe Jr., but we stayed for Jones.

Ian Jackson may finally be putting it all together. After being a top-10 recruit in the 2024 high school class, expectations were high for Jackson when he first arrived at Chapel Hill for his freshman season. Things didn’t pan out as he struggled to adjust from high school to the college game, mostly because Jackson wasn’t very effective when the ball wasn’t in his hands and didn’t get to be the primary scoring option. He still posted impressive numbers for a freshman in the ACC: 11.9 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.9 assists while shooting 45.6% from the field and 39.5% from three. The issue was that his willingness to buy into a team-oriented offense wasn't always there. Jackson made the move to St. John's to play under Rick Pitino, but that didn't go particularly well either, as the same issues persisted. The one positive takeaway was that Jackson appeared more engaged and willing to defend, which was a concern at UNC. Now heading to his third college season, it may be time for Jackson to break through as a legit NBA prospect. With Pitino’s Johnnies in a transitional year following Zuby Ejiofor's departure to the NBA, their offense needs a new look, and Jackson appears to be a big part of that change. Jackson has started all three of the Red Storm's exhibition games and had a standout performance in their win over Texas this past weekend. He finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals while shooting 7/14 from the field, 3/7 from three-point range, and 1/2 from the FT line. Jackson showed off the three-level scoring ability that had him so highly ranked coming out of high school, but it looked different. He wasn't hunting his own shot and was instead making plays based on what the defense was giving him. Playing within the flow of the offense is one way Jackson can attract more attention from NBA teams, but it'll also build some good juju with Pitino, which will help his role with the Johnnies grow. Defensively, he was engaged on and off the ball too. If that’s the version of Ian Jackson the Johnnies get all year, he will be drafted next June. Everyone always knew he had the size, athleticism, and scoring ability to be a two-guard at the NBA level. The question was more about his willingness to buy into being a winning player every night. It is just one game, but if he keeps getting Pitino to say things like Jackson was “by far the best player on the floor” when talking about his play against Texas, you might want to buy stock in him sooner rather than later. #SJUBB