The first day of the NBA Draft Combine is in the books with all three Tar Heels going through measurements and two of them playing in a 5-on-5 scrimmage against each other.
Justin Jackson and Marcus Paige squared off in the scrimmage with Paige's team romping to a 109-69 win over Jackson's squad. Paige scored 8 points on 3-8 shooting and 2-5 from three. He missed his first three attempts including an air ball before dropping his final two in. Paige also had five assists. Jackson was 2-8 and 1-4 from three for seven points and had just one rebound..
According to Inside Carolina NBA scouts indicated Paige performed close to expectation while Jackson did not. In Jackson's case his ability to shoot the ball is the key to his draft value. Clearly he will need to do more than he did on Thursday if he intends to impress the NBA personnel in attendance.
Jackson did say in interviews with the media that he is "50-50" regarding his decision to stay in or return to UNC. As it stands right now Jackson has just one team schedule to bring him in for a workout, the San Antonio Spurs though the Charlotte Hornets appear to be very familiar with him.
As for the measurements, Brice Johnson came in at a little over 6-10 with his shoes on but just 209 lbs on the scales. As a big man, Johnson's wingspan and standing reach are important. The wingspan was over 7 feet with a standing reach of 8-11. UNC had him listed at 230 this past season. Paige was a smidge under 6-2 with his shoes and 164 lbs while Jackson was 6-8 and 193 lbs. Paige also had a body fat of 4.3%.
Via the ACC Digital Network here is Marcus Paige talking about his first day at the combine.
