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Maryland small forward Justin Jackson announced on Wednesday that he will enter the 2018 NBA Draft.
“After talking with my family and weighing my options, it’s my desire to turn my full attention to preparing for a career in professional basketball,” Jackson said in a statement released by the school. “I love my teammates, many of them will be my brothers for life, and I will truly cherish the times I had playing in College Park.”
Jackson entends to hire an agent, which means he will no longer be able to play in college basketball.
Jackson spent the majority of his sophomore season on the sidelines as he was dealing with a shoulder injury, which caused him to have surgery in December. Jackson tried to play through the injury, but he saw his offensive numbers go down drastically from last season.
Jackson made a name for himself on the NBA-radar during his freshman season when he averaged 10 points and six rebounds per game while shooting 44 percent from the three-point line.
Jackson decided to enter the 2017 NBA Draft, but elected to return to College Park after competing in the NBA Combine.
“Justin had an outstanding freshman season, and we were excited to build upon the success that he had heading into his sophomore year,” Maryland head coach Mark Turgeon said in the same release. “He was making great strides over the summer and early in the fall, but unfortunately sustained a season-ending injury. Justin has progressed well after surgery, and in our discussions with him and his family, he has expressed his desire to pursue a professional basketball career.”
Jackson is listed as the No. 41 prospect by ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.
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