Future Oregon Ducks Star Jackson Shelstad Is A Potential NBA First-Round Pick.

LAKE OSWEGO, OR – JANUARY 24: Jackson Shelstad #3 of the West Linn Lions shoots during a game against the Lake Oswego Lakers at Lake Oswego High School on January 24, 2023 in Lake Oswego, Oregon. (Photo by Tom Hauck/Getty Images)

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

Jackson Shelstad may not even be the most hyped player in the Oregon Ducks recruiting class. But that does not mean the four-star prospect from West Linn won’t have a shot at the NBA.

Former Trail Blazers scout John Ross joined John Canzano on 750 The Game on Wednesday with his thoughts on Shelstad and his NBA prospects.

Ross said when he first saw Shelstad, he thought the same as a lot of people. He’s too small. He’s a combo guard. But after watching Shelstad at the Les Schwab Invitational last winter, Ross said his opinion started to change.

“The thing that just really made me change my mind as to why Jackson is an NBA player is at the end of the game,” Ross said. “You know, fans are rushing the court, everyone is celebrating, and he didn’t. He went and shook hands and was just stoic.”

Ross even compared Shelstad’s on-court personality with the likes of a present-day Portland basketball legend.

“It reminds me, and I’m not saying he’s this player, but the tendencies of Damian Lillard,” he said. “Dame hits a buzzer-beater and knocks out a team to win a playoff series and he’s just stone cold.”

Canzano also asked Ross about Bronny James, who, like Shelstad, starred in the Nike Hoop Summit for Team USA last weekend.

Bronny has yet to make his college decision, but would he be a good fit alongside Shelstad at Oregon?

“I would love to see Bronny go there (Oregon),” Ross said. “And I think Bronny and Jackson would complement each other phenomenally well, and I think they would be good for one another. I’m hoping that it works out for both of them, because I think it would be a great match for them and just a great match for the Oregon program.”

Listen to the interview with John Ross in the podcast below, and catch the Bald Faced Truth with John Canzano weekdays 3-6 p.m. in Portland exclusively on 750 The Game.