Looking Back: Early 2024 Mock Draft Slots 5-Star Guard to Houston Rockets

Prior to Houston's 42-win season in 2023-24, NBA Draft analysts projected the team to select a high-profile guard.

Mar 21, 2024; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Elmarko Jackson (13) drives against Samford Bulldogs guard A.J. Staton-McCray (5) / Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

In August or September, the upcoming NBA Draft cycle is nearly impossible to accurately project.

With NBA basketball still awaiting the start of training camp, it can be hard to get a read on what teams biggest needs are or how they will finish in the standings. Additionally, the college basketball season has yet to start, meaning many of the top prospects are still being slotted based on high school production.

While a handful of these players will end up being lottery selections, there are a few who will fall down the draft board or return to school for another season.

In Sept. 2023, Bleacher Report draft analyst Jonathan Wasserman projected the Houston Rockets to select Kansas guard and former 5-star prospect Elmarko Jackson with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

In 34 contests and 17 starts as a true freshman, Jackson averaged 4.3 points, 1.7 assists and 1.4 rebounds per game.

The highly touted recruit elected to play his sophomore season with the Jayhawks and will fight for a spot in the 2025 NBA Draft next summer. Houston could still target Jackson in the upcoming draft if he is able to improve during his second year at KU.

Similar to Wasserman's projection, the Rockets ended up selecting a young guard with the third overall pick, taking former Kentucky standout Reed Sheppard. Sheppard was not as highly ranked as Jackson coming out of high school, but had a much better freshman campaign and showed much more NBA-ready skills.

In addition to Jackson, Wasserman also slotted Tyrese Proctor, D.J. Wagner and Aday Mara, who all ended up returning to school, in the lottery last September, illustrating how difficult projecting the NBA Draft is at this point in the year.

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