If Isaiah Jackson keeps his name in the NBA Draft then he stands to be picked before any other players that were on this year's Kentucky team.
Many were probably surprised when Jackson announced he would not be signing with an agent, thus leaving open the possibility of a return to Lexington.
But how realistic is the possibility of a sophomore season for Jackson?
The Cats Illustrated staff offers takes.
Jeff Drummond: On the surprise spectrum, Isaiah Jackson returning to Kentucky would rival the shock when the Harrison twins revealed they would come back for a second year. I don’t think it’s going to happen, but I won’t entirely write it off due to the way Isaiah has handled the process. I think he’ll go into it with an open mind and will realize how important it is to be a lottery pick on your first contract. It can set you up for the rest of your life, regardless of how you perform in your first three seasons. If something happens that causes Jackson to return, I think you could be looking at a scenario like you had in 2014-15 where the Cats are loaded up for a return to the Final Four. Maybe not 38-0, two platoons good, but certainly back in the national contender picture. I wish we could see more kids like that blossom with a second year at UK, a la PJ Washington or Immanuel Quickley.
Travis Graf: I’ve never been the one to fault a kid for going to get paid, especially when they’re a first round pick. Isaiah Jackson is a lock to head his name called in the first 30 picks and that money is absolutely life changing, especially for a player who has yet to scratch the surface on his potential. You strike while the iron is hot, in my opinion. Sure, you can crunch numbers on how much more a player could make between picks 20 and 10, and that’s fair, but if you’re guaranteed that 20th pick, 99.9% of humans will take that instead of adding risk of injury by waiting another year. I’d expect Jackson to be gone, while holding the door open with just the slightest crack that he returns.
David Sisk: In my opinion the chances that Isaiah Jackson returning to Kentucky for his sophomore season are slim and none with a heavy lean toward the latter. Right now he is projected as a mid first round pick although he could very well go higher. But even if he does finish outside of the lottery that is not a reason to return in my book. The NBA is all about the second contract, and he definitely has that level of talent. As soon as he signs a max deal it would more than make up for any money he might lose over three or four draft spots. The bottom line is that he will be a multi millionaire within a few months with a guaranteed roster spot on an NBA team.
Justin Rowland: I felt like we were obligated to tackle this question simply because of Jackson's decision not to hire an agent. That decision did surprise me a bit, but perhaps more than anything it was signaling to Kentucky's fans that he had a positive experience in Lexington and wouldn't be against returning under different circumstances. There's just almost no chance he slips very far in the draft and given the extreme upside of being drafted in the Top-10, he's gone.
