Memphis Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace tonight announced that the Grizzlies selected Michigan State University freshman forward/center Jaren Jackson Jr. with the fourth overall pick in the first round and West Virginia University senior guard Jevon Carter with the 32nd overall pick in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft.
Jackson (6-11, 242) became the second player in Big Ten history to win both Freshman and Defensive Player of the Year honors in the same season after leading the conference and ranking seventh in the nation in blocks per game (3.03) in 2017-18. The 18-year-old set an MSU single-season record with 106 blocks, and he tied the program’s single-game record with eight rejections in a win on Dec. 5, 2017 over Rutgers.
An All-Big Ten Third-Team and All-Freshman Team selection, Jackson started 34 of his 35 games with the Spartans and averaged 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 21.8 minutes while shooting 51.3 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from three-point range and 79.7 percent from the free throw line.
The Carmel, Indiana native, who was named a 2017 McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American at La Lumiere High School, is the highest-drafted Michigan State product since 1979, when Magic Johnson was selected first overall and Greg Kelser was taken fourth. Jackson’s father, Jaren Sr., enjoyed a 12-year NBA career with nine different teams, winning the 1999 NBA Championship as a member of the San Antonio Spurs.
Carter (6-2, 205) was named the 2017-18 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and selected the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year for a second straight season after starting all 37 games and averaging 17.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.03 steals in 35.5 minutes for the Mountaineers. A 2017-18 Associated Press Second Team All-American, Carter ranked second in the nation in steals per game and was the only Division I player to average at least 17.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.00 steals.
A native of Oak Park, Illinois, Carter is the fourth Big 12 player and first guard to win conference Defensive Player of the Year honors twice. The 22-year old is West Virginia’s career steals leader (330) and set single-season school records last year for assists (246) and steals (112).
In addition, Carter was named the 2017-18 Arthur Ashe Men’s Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and the Division I Senior CLASS Award winner.
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