Will Demetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste Return To Notre Dame?
By Andrew Hall
After incredible NCAA performances, Demetrius Jackson and Zach Auguste have seen their NBA Draft stocks rise. Both would benefit from another year with Mike Brey in South Bend.
However, they would not be the first players to make poor decisions regarding the draft. Carleton Scott departed with a year of eligibility remaining. Scott went undrafted in the NBA Draft.
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Demetrius Jackson showed his ability to change a game on a dime against Wichita State when he scored 20 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jackson possesses great athleticism, ball handling and passing skills. At times, Jackson is an inconsistent shooter and can disappear against larger guards. Against Kentucky, Jackson went 1-of-7 and only scored 2 points while dishing out 4 assists. At 6’1″, his size will always hamper him to some extent.
Currently, DraftExpress projects Jackson as the 11th selection in the 2016 Draft. Could Jackson forego his final two years of eligibility to be drafted in the late 1st or possibly 2nd round? It seems like a better business decision to try to become a lottery pick.
Jackson was not the only player who made some money during the NCAA Tournament. Zach Auguste looked like he belonged against Kentucky’s Karl Anthony-Towns, a guaranteed Top 5 pick. Auguste scored 20 points and snared 9 rebounds in Notre Dame’s heartbreaking defeat to the Wildcats. However, Auguste showed that he was deficient on the defensive end, allowing Towns to bully his way to 25 points.
DraftExpress projects Auguste as the 60th and final selection in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Most likely, both players will return to South Bend for next season. Jackson is intriguing because he has probably shown enough potential to be intriguing to scouts. Auguste only came on strong in the ACC and NCAA Tournaments.
The Irish certainly would be better off with Zach Auguste and Demetrius Jackson returning. With Jackson, Vasturia, Beachem, Colson and Auguste returning, Notre Dame may make another run at the NCAA Tournament.