© Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
The Milwaukee Bucks acquire Andre Jackson Jr. and Chris Livingston in the 2023 NBA Draft
The Milwaukee Bucks were able to pluck two young talents during the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The Bucks first acquired the draft rights to Andre Jackson Jr., the 36th overall pick by the Orlando Magic.
Milwaukee got the 6-foot-6 Jackson in exchange for a 2030 second-round draft pick and cash considerations.
Milwaukee then picked Chris Livingston as the 58th overall selection.
A vital cog for UConn
Jackson, a 200-pound guard, helped UConn win the NCAA Championship last season, where he averaged 6.7 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 29.2 minutes per game.
Starting 28 of the 32 games that played last season, Jackson was selected to the 2022-23 Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award Top 15 watch list.
A co-captain of the Huskies last season, Jackson averaged 6.8 assists and had a 4.1-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in six NCAA Tournament games during UConn’s national title run.
A New York native, Jackson played 81 games in three seasons with the Huskies, helping them reach the NCAA Tournament thrice while posting a 69-26 (.726) overall record.
A consensus five-star recruit
Livingston, on the other hand, is a 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward, who earned 2022-23 All-SEC Freshman Team honors last season with Kentucky after averaging 6.3 points and 4.2 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game.
A native of Akron, Ohio, Livingston is a McDonald’s All-American, Jordan Brand Classic All-American, and a consensus five-star recruit as a senior in high school.
He appeared in 34 games and started 26 times as a freshman with the Wildcats. He was named the 2022 Virginia Player of the Year, and he earned the 2021 Ohio Player of the Year honors during his high school career.
