University of North Carolina Athletics
Q&A With Justin Jackson
October 8, 2014 | Men's Basketball
CHAPEL HILL—Having played in a pair of exhibition games in August in the Bahamas, endured preseason conditioning and most of the first week of practice with the 2014-15 Tar Heels, freshman wing Justin Jackson also led all scorers with 17 points in last Friday's Late Night with Roy scrimmage.
This week, he sat down for a Q&A with GoHeels.com:
Why did you pick your jersey number?
Because I wore it in high school and because of George Gervin
At what age did you start to play basketball and in what league or at what level?
In second grade in a YMCA league
What part of your game do you want to improve the most this year?
Getting stronger, my all-around game
What other sport are you good at?
Skiing
What other sport or sport skill would you like to try and master?
Ping pong
What's something about yourself that most people don't know but you want people to know?
I played on a soccer team called the Blue Whales when I was little
What part of Carolina convinced you to choose UNC for college?
The personalities of the coaching staff and my teammates
Which former Tar Heel did you like to watch play the most when you were younger?
Harrison Barnes
Who is your closest friend who plays for another college basketball team?
Danrad Knowles (University of Houston)
What's the best piece of advice you have received about playing basketball and who gave it to you?
Stay humble and hungry and never settled (my dad)
If you could go back in time and be a witness to one event in history, what would that be?
The birth of Jesus Christ
If you could choose one destination in the world for a vacation that you have never visited before, where would that be?
Bora Bora
What was your favorite high school athletic accomplishment and why?
Winning the homeschool state and national championships
If you could have a particular skill or ability of any current or former NBA player, what would that be and whose skill is it?
Kevin Durant's scoring ability
If you had to pick one teammate to beat Duke in a dance contest, whom would you select?
If you had to prepare the best meal ever to impress a date, what would you make?
Shrimp scampi
Who is your pre-game "must listen to" musical artist?
Lecrae
Have you ever made a buzzer-beating, game-winning shot and what were the circumstances?
Yes, in a couple of tournaments
What former Tar Heel that you played against the summer impressed/awed you the most?
Raymond Felton, Marvin Williams
The most fun thing that happened in the Bahamas was...
The waterslides
What teammate and/or coach has given you the best advice about being a Carolina basketball player and what was it?
Marcus Paige-"Just take care of your business."
What is an essential part of your pregame routine?
Listening to music
Who do you call/talk to/text after every game?
My parents and girlfriend
What did playing the two games in the Bahamas teach you about playing basketball at the UNC level that you wouldn't have known without playing in a "real" game?
You have to play as hard as you can the whole time.
