South Carolina basketball fans have had more to focus on this season than they have in years.
Dawn Staley's women's team remains a constant at the top of the national rankings, and they are the favorite to win the program's third national championship.
Lamont Paris' men's team is the surprise of the SEC with a record of 21-4 overall and with a 9-3 mark in league play, numbers that are good for a tie for 2nd place in the conference.
And, at the professional level, a former Gamecock has exploded onto the scene in the NBA, giving the South Carolina basketball faithful a reason to tune into the pro game.
GG Jackson, a Columbia native who elected to stay home to play for his home town Gamecocks, has bounced back from the up-and-down experience he had in garnet and black to become a bonafide DUDE in the NBA.
On Thursday, Jackson continued to defy his 2nd-round selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. For the second time, he scored 27 points off the bench. That means that the two youngest 25+ point bench games in the history of the NBA belong to GG Jackson (Kobe Bryant held the record before Jackson).
In Thursday's 27-point outburst, Jackson shot 10-17 from the field and 6-10 from behind the 3-point line to lead the Memphis Grizzlies in scoring as they upset the Milwaukee Bucks. It was another strong performance in a hot stretch that has the NBA world buzzing about just how high the youngest player in the league's ceiling can be.
GG Jackson’s last 5 games
— Bryson (@BrysonWright3) February 16, 2024
27 PTS | 10-17 FG | 6-10 3-PT
20 PTS | 8- 15 FG | 9 REB | 3 BLK
16 PTS | 7-14 FG | 2 STL
27 PTS | 9-18 FG | 9 REB
16 PTS | 5-10 FG | 5 REB
The youngest player in the NBA has hit his stride pic.twitter.com/lTtn7mtwkf
Jackson is the third-youngest player ever to average what he is currently averaging at least 10 points per game, trailing only Dwight Howard and LeBron James. He is shooting much better percentages than those two Hall of Fame players, as well.
Jackson recently signed a long-term deal that will keep him in Memphis for four more seasons, and as star players like Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Jaren Jackson return to full health next year, the youngster's ascent could help make the Grizzlies a legitimate contender.