SUNDAY UPDATE: Mike Uva has some Sunday scoop on how G.G. Jackson’s South Carolina visit is going.
LINK: Sunday update on G.G. Jackson
SATURDAY UPDATE: G.G. Jackson has arrived on campus for his South Carolina official visit.
The man of the hour. pic.twitter.com/ChCOURymiJ
ORIGINAL STORY:
Not only will South Carolina men’s basketball host arguably its biggest game of the season to date, but the Gameco*cks will also host one of their most important recruiting targets in recent memory this weekend as G.G. Jackson hits campus.
As has been well-documented, the Columbia (S.C.) Ridge View class of 2023 On3Consensus five-star will take his official visit as the Gameco*cks host LSU and hold Legends Weekend.
‘It’s a perfect storm’
On3 basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw joined Gameco*ck Central’s GC Live show Friday to talk about Jackson’s visit, which could be considered one of the biggest in school history.
“It’s huge,” Shaw said. “You sit there and look at it, maybe Kevin Garnett who left the stadium and went to play in Chicago at Farragut Academy, is the only No. 1 player the state has had. G.G. Jackson is the No. 1 player in the country and he’s from 10 minutes up the road. And South Carolina’s got a legit shot at him. It’s a perfect storm. You have LSU, which is a big game, they’ve been ranked this year. … If ever the South Carolina fans were going to get behind the basketball program, this weekend would be the one to make that place lit.”
The 6-foot-8, 210-pound power forward is ranked the No. 1 prospect in his class by Rivals.com. The On3 Consensus considers him the No. 1 power forward and No. 7 overall prospect. He is the consensus No. 1 prospect in South Carolina across all four recruiting media services.
G.G. Jackson weighs in
It doesn’t take much of an in-depth analysis to realize what a transformational pickup Jackson could be for the South Carolina men’s basketball program.
The buzz in Gameco*ck Nation has expanded as the past week progressed.
South Carolina assistant Chuck Martin Tweeted, “Things that happen in cola , we want ___ ___” with those blanks obviously representing one prospect in particular.
“Ain’t nothing like home, so I know that they’re going to show out the best that they can,” Jackson told Lou Bezjak of The State newspaper Friday. “I’m definitely ready to get in the stadium and hear them chant my name and I feel like it’s going to be a great atmosphere for me and my family.”
"I'm definitely ready to get in the stadium and hear them chant my name." Top-ranked 2023 basketball prospect GG Jackson @GregJ2023 on his #Gameco*cks visit this weekend pic.twitter.com/2gCA4ukpwc
Can the Gameco*cks pull it off?
Basketball recruiting analysts have consistently felt that South Carolina is firmly in the mix for the five-star target.
North Carolina, and now Duke, appear to be the other two programs fighting it out.
“It’s kind of morphed into a three-team race,” Shaw said. “You have Duke, you have UNC and you have South Carolina. Being the local hometown hero thing is really an intriguing prospect to G.G. As you know, he’s a very engaging, charismatic kid. He likes home. He’s a homebody. Also, his mom loves Frank. His mom really likes Frank Martin a ton. That’s what’s kinda kept them in it, is Frank, to be honest.
“Duke’s obviously a power player with everything. I know G.G. was at the Duke game when they blew the doors off of UNC a couple of weeks ago as well. There was a lot of talk around UNC back in November. It’s kind of one of those things where if it was going to be UNC, why hasn’t he committed yet? He’s gone through all the process. But South Carolina is right in the middle of the mix. The relationship with Frank Martin that the family has is right there and is keeping them in.”
Jackson has talked about possibly making a decision at the end of the high school basketball season, but it remains to be seen if that happens.
He’s already taken official visits to North Carolina and Duke. This weekend’s South Carolina visit could be the last.
And possibly being one of the biggest in recent South Carolina history.
The Gameco*cks (15-10, 6-7 SEC) and LSU (19-7, 7-6 SEC) tip off at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Colonial Life Arena.
ALSO SEE: Scouting report, Keys to victory over LSU
