GG Jackson is off the board.
After one season with South Carolina men's basketball, forward GG Jackson became the first Gamecock to go in the NBA Draft since Sindarius Thornwell in 2017 when he went 45th overall to the Memphis Grizzlies. Jackson is the youngest player in this year's NBA Draft class, the first underclassman to get drafted in program history and the program's highest-drated player since Renaldo Balkman went in the first round of the 2006 Draft.
Jackson celebrated the occasion with a watch party at the Cockaboose Club at Williams-Brice Stadium with dozens of his friends and family members present. He made waves by committing to Lamont Paris and South Carolina with his one season of college basketball.
"His potential is through the roof," Paris said. "Long, athletic, he's shown that he can shoot the ball. He's a supertar as a person, to be honest with you. I always tell them if you draft him and the basketball works out the way that I think it can work out for you, you'll have as superstar on your hands. Not because of what he does in basketball, but because of who he is as a person."
The highest-rated recruit in program history hit the ground running with 18 points and 10 rebounds in his collegiate debut as a 17-year-old against South Carolina State. He averaged 15.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game across the season, topping out with a career-high 30 points in a home loss to Auburn. He scored at least 20 points in 11 out of 32 games.
His stock fluctuated throughout the season though, as the one-time lottery pick was projected as low as the second round in the run-up to the draft. His draft night that started at 8 p.m. with the San Antonio Spurs on the clock with the first pick finally reached its triumphant conclusion at 12:05 a.m. when the Grizzlies made the call.
"To be honest I did not have a feeling at all that it was going to be them," Jackson said. "I had a workout with them; it was an individual workout. It was extremely fun getting to see the facilities and I got to shake hands with [forward] Desmond Bane, so that was pretty cool."
This type of night was always the goal when he arrived at South Carolina, albeit it with a quicker conclusion. His family surrounded him all throughout the process, one aching draft pick that was not him after another.
Several of his former teammates were in the building to show their support inclulding Meechie Johnson, Zachary Davis, Jacobi Wright and Josh Gray. South Carolina's entire coaching staff joined Paris and stayed past midnight to see the magic moment, even with an early wake-up call tomorrow to get on the road recruiting.
"It's a great feeling and a huge blessing," Jackson said. "I still remember the days when I was in the backyard, and I just thought about basketball. I just always wanted to play basketball. To be in this moment and have the support that I've had by the state, it's unbelievable. I feel like I definitely made the right choice by staying home in South Carolina.
"Hopefully they can cherish me for forever."
****************************************************************************************
Looking for a place to talk about South Carolina athletics? Subscribe to the insider's forum.
