Ian Jackson makes 2024 “statement” in 2022 Hoophall Classic

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SPRINGFIELD, Ma. – Getting a handle on national high school basketball player ratings is always a dicey proposition, at best – especially when it comes to trying to put the “best” prospects in order nearly two years removed from their schedule high school graduation.

But 6-foot-6 Ian Jackson introduced a whole lot of on-court evidence Sunday afternoon as to why there many not be many – if any – better players in the Class of 2024 than he is right now.

In an event stockpiled with future college All-Americans – and NBA draft choices – no one this weekend turned in a better performance than he did while leading his Bronx Cardinal Hayes High team past Chicago De La Salle, 81-40, in one of the eight Hoophall Classic games played in Blake Arena on the Springfield College campus.

Jackson, who played on the USA team that won the 16U FIBA gold medal in Argentina last August, scored 30 almost-too-easy points, soaring for spectacular dunks while also hitting four of seven shots from behind the arc while missing only seven of 18 field-goal attempts.

Jackson, capable of playing anywhere on the perimeter with the ball in his hands, also grabbed four rebounds to go with four assists while committing just one turnover in 29 minutes.

Monday’s five-game schedule wraps up the 20^th anniversary of the event.

 

In other games played Sunday:

White Plains (NY Archbishop Stepinac 67, Ramsey (NJ) Don Bosco Prep 50: The Crusaders, with a roster chock full of quality underclassmen, cruised from jump street in the first game of the day while improving to 11-2.

Two of those underclassmen were freshman point guard Danny Carbuccia (13 points and four assists) and junior forward Benjamin Lyttle (16 points and 12 rebounds).

Roselle (NJ) Catholic 79, Chicago Kenwood Academy 70: The Lions went to 12-1 via the strong play of guards JaMarques Lawrence and Simeon Wilcher.

Lawrence, who signed with the University of Nebraska in November, had 20 points, six rebounds and three assists while Wilcher (one of the top players in the Class of 2023, he’s already committed to the University of North Carolina), who added 13 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals.

Junior point guard Darrin Ames had nine points and 10 assists for the Broncos (14-5) while freshman Bryce Heard added 12 points off the bench.

 Brookville (NY) Long Island Lutheran 88, St. Louis Chaminade College Prep 40: In a contest that every bit as one-sided as the winning margin projects, the Crusaders dominated things immediately at their point of attack, with Providence-bound guard Jayden Pierre cranking out 16 points and nine assists to go with five steals and just one turnover.

Mouth of Wilson (VA) Oak Hill Academy 70, Washington, DC, Gonzaga College High 56: University of Kentucky and Duke recruits from the Class of 2022 were terrific while leading the Warriors to their second win in two days of the event.

Six-six wing Chris Livingston (who missed seven of nine shots Saturday while scoring seven points in his team’s win over La Lumiere) scored 19 points, with 13 rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots while playing in front of the man he’ll be playing for a year from now, Kentucky Head Coach John Calipari.

And 7-footer Christian Reeves, who recently committed to Duke, scored 12 points with 12 rebounds and four blocked shots as the Warriors improved to 17-7.

Bel Aire (KS) Sunrise Christian School 63, Mount Pleasant (UT) Wasatch Academy 62: The Buffaloes improved to 14-1 but only after coughing up a double-figure advantage through the fourth quarter.

Wasatch (10-8) started cranking in 3s and the Buffaloes coughed up some less-than-prudent (time and score, fellas!) attempts.

But Sunrise Christian defended quite well on the final possession and a Willie Lightfoot jumper that would have won it for Wasatch was off the mark at the buzzer.

  Gladstone (NJ) Gil St. Bernard 70, West Chester (PA) Westtown 61: Sophomore Naasir Cunningham hit three consecutive 3s in the third quarter to propel the Knights to the victory, about 30 hours after they’d lost to Chicago Simeon in this same event Saturday.

The 6-7 Cunningham finished with a game-high 23 points (and five 3s), with 11 rebounds and three assists, while his 6-9 junior teammate, Mackenze Mgbako, scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds with five assists while getting the best of an occasional head-up matchup with 7-1, Duke-bound Derreck Lively (limited to five points, 2 of 8 shooting, with 9 rebounds and four blocked shots).

La Porte (IN) La Lumiere 54, Chandler (AZ) Compass 52: Junior guard Kylan Boswell couldn’t convert on desperation 30-footer as the buzzer sounded to give the Lakers the mild “upset” among two of the better prep academy teams in the country.

Boswell’s 11 fourth-quarter points helped his team rally from deficits of as many as 14 points.