Justin Jackson has grown into the star North Carolina was waiting for

Justin Jackson was streaking down the court for a layup in the final seconds of the first half in the national championship game. North Carolina was primed to take a nine-point lead on Villanova heading into halftime and had its sixth national title squarely in its sights.

Jackson saw he had Wildcats star Josh Hart on his back shoulder. He tried to use the rim to shield him from making a play on the ball by attempting a reverse layup. It didn’t work. Hart blocked the shot, Villanova pushed the ball to the other end and Phil Booth made a jumper just before the buzzer. Instead of a nine-point lead heading into the break, UNC was only up five.

You know how the story ends.

It was a symbolic moment for Jackson in a sophomore year that saw so much promise left unfulfilled. This was supposed to be the season Jackson made his star turn. He had entered college as the No. 9 recruit in the RSCI and the eight players above him turned pro after their freshmen seasons. With a quality sophomore campaign, Jackson would have been a first-round pick.

It never happened. Jackson stagnated, seeing his numbers barely improve from his freshman year. Brice Johnson became the Tar Heels’ breakout star and Marcus Paige served as their best crunch-time option. Jackson declared for the draft and received a brutal if honest assessment: he needed to go back to school and get better.

He had to improve his three-point shot as a career 30-percent shooter from deep. He had to add strength to his wiry frame. He also had to change his mindset and become more aggressive, so the next time he had a defender on his shoulder in transition, he could dunk the ball instead of going for a layup.

As his junior season enters its stretch run, it’s all happening. Jackson has finally become the star North Carolina always knew he could be.

Roy Williams was aware that North Carolina’s season largely depended on Jackson making a jump. Johnson and Paige had graduated and fellow junior Theo Pinson broke his foot less than a month before the season opener. UNC had a safe bet in point guard Joel Berry II but it needed another primary offensive option. Jackson had to be that player.

Jackson wasted no time showing he was up for the challenge. He went 4-of-5 from three-point range in UNC’s season opener against Tulane, closed November with 21 points (and four more three-pointers) in a tight loss at No. 13 Indiana, then hit a career-high seven threes in a 27-point effort the next week against Davidson.

Jackson saved his best performance for when the whole country was watching. He went shot-for-shot against freshman stud Malik Monk in a marquee matchup with Kentucky, finishing with 34 points. Even as Carolina lost a 103-100 heartbreaker, it was evident Jackson was an entirely new player this year.

That improvement starts with his jump shot. Jackson is taking and making significantly more threes than he ever has before. He’s more than doubled his attempts per game from deep and has raised his percentage 10 points in the process. Last year, Jackson shot 29.2 percent from three on three attempts per game. Now he’s shooting 39.3 percent on 6.7 attempts per game.

In his first two years in school, Jackson combined to make 63 three-pointers. He’s already made 66 threes this year with seven games left before the start of the ACC tournament.

It isn’t just shooting. Jackson has always had a great floater and that’s still very much part of his arsenal. Now he’s made it even more effective by adding strength to get all the way to the rim. Jackson is averaging an extra free throw attempt per game this year and upped his free-throw percentage from 66.7 last year to 77 percent this year. His added aggressiveness is noticeable to anyone paying attention.

Jackson is leading North Carolina in scoring at 18.6 points per game, posting the best offensive rating of his career (124.6) and has carried UNC all season alongside his classmate Berry. This is the player North Carolina thought it was getting when Jackson committed, it just took a little longer than expected.

As a recruit, Jackson solidified his status as a five-star prospect playing next to Justise Winslow and Kelly Oubre for Houston Hoops. Winslow was stronger and Oubre was more explosive and both left college after their freshmen years to become first rounders. Jackson’s development curve was slower but he should still get to where his former teammates ended up. DraftExpress currently projects him as the No. 27 pick in June’s draft.

Similar to Brice Johnson’s star turn as a senior last year, Jackson’s improvement is worth the wait for UNC. The Tar Heels haven’t had a one-and-done in 10 years, since Brandan Wright in 2007, but this is still one of the most consistently excellent programs in the country.

That’s because of players like Jackson who stay in school and continue to get better. This model works for North Carolina, and Jackson’s rise is all the proof you need.