Justin Jackson missed his first shot on Friday night, a 3-pointer that bounced high off the rim, and for a moment it felt like everything that had gone wrong for him in recent weeks might continue. The pressure had seemed to build, after all, with every miss.
These had been long, mentally grueling weeks for Jackson, the North Carolina junior wing forward. Since he'd received ACC Player of the Year honors, something went missing and something looked different, and Jackson entered the NCAA tournament seeking once again to play like himself – to feel like himself.
And so here he was after the Tar Heels' 103-64 victory against Texas Southern, describing a bit of a personal renaissance.