South Carolina Basketball: GG Jackson announces his NBA Draft decision
By Kevin Miller
In a not-so-surprising piece of news, Gregory “GG” Jackson has entered his name into the 2023 NBA Draft. In an intentionally ironic Instagram Live post in which he seemed to make fun of himself for his previous misstep on the social media platform, Jackson made known his plans to move on from South Carolina basketball and step into the realm of professional basketball.
The youngest player (as of now) in the 2023 NBA Draft, Jackson has tremendous upside and potential that intrigue scouts across the league. Jackson is 6’9″ and has an even longer wingspan. A combo forward, Jackson has the athletic profile to play either forward spot and has the tools to operate successfully on offense and defense. His shot-making ability is elite, and he possesses good defensive instincts when his motor is running.
The 2022-2023 season as a Gamecock was an interesting one for the Columbia native. Despite graduating high school early to enroll at South Carolina, Jackson instantly became the most talented player on the team and the team’s most electric scorer. He scored in double-digits in his first 15 college games and notched a couple of double-doubles. However, as the schedule started piling up losses, Jackson grew frustrated.
After a particularly frustrating loss at home against Arkansas, Jackson took to Instagram Live to vent his frustrations. The move was one that he instantly regretted, but the stunt put a sizeable wedge between Jackson, the coaching staff, and some of his teammates. An already fiery and, at times, emotional young player had become a distraction.
For the next couple of weeks, “the GG Jackson situation” was pretty ugly. Neither he nor Head Coach Lamont Paris handled things particularly well, and the effect was felt on the floor. However, Jackson and Paris came together and resolved their issues as the Gamecocks started their best stretch of play of the year as the season was in its final weeks. The vibes on the court and off it were at the highest point since the last-second win against rival Clemson in the season’s second game.
Dissimilar from most “one-and-done” players, Jackson truly did love his team. That reality showed itself as Jackson was emotional as the Gamecocks were eliminated from the SEC Tournament, ultimately ending their season. He likely knew then that his college career was over.
It is important to note that college players can submit their names for draft consideration without forfeiting their eligibility. South Carolina guard Meechie Johnson is going through this process right now. However, this does not appear to be the case for Jackson as he will be a first-round pick in June’s NBA Draft. The high-flying athlete has too much potential for teams to pass up.
Jackson’s career highs as a Gamecock were 30 points (Auburn), 16 rebounds (Western Kentucky), 3 assists (multiple games), 3 blocks (@ George Washington), 4 steals (@ Georgia), 10 field goals made (multiple games), 4 3-pointers made (multiple games), and 11-11 from the free throw line (@ Mississippi State). He averaged about 15.5 points per game and 6 rebounds per contest.