Behind the emotional moment that could be GG Jackson’s last as a Gamecock
When the buzzer sounded on South Carolina’s season — and perhaps GG Jackson’s college basketball career — the star freshman reached for his white and garnet jersey and pulled it over his eyes, tears gushing.
Hayden Brown, the team’s spiritual leader and eldest player, wrapped his arms around the 18-year-old Jackson, and they cried together on the court of Bridgestone Arena.
It might be the last image Gamecocks fans will see of Jackson in a USC uniform.
There have been times this season when Jackson’s immature moments were a liability for Lamont Paris’ team. That wasn’t the case Wednesday on the first day of the SEC tournament.
The Gamecocks (11-21, 4-14 SEC) did not lose because of GG Jackson. The 6-foot-9 forward scored a game-high 24 points and delivered big shot after big shot in the final minutes of the second half.
That effort wasn’t enough. Ole Miss was the better team, using a late run to beat the Gamecocks 67-61. And, now, Jackson will have a decision to make. Does he declare for the NBA Draft, where he’ll likely draw first-round or even lottery pick interest? Does he enter the transfer portal? Is there another route?
Jackson gave no hints toward his future after Wednesday’s game. He was still wrapped up in his emotions — alongside an equally emotional Brown — at the postgame podium.
“I want to thank Hayden,” Jackson said, reflecting on their embrace at the end of the game. “I never had a big brother in my life. I always had a big sister annoying me.
“(Brown) always has this one quote that he would say a lot: The river’s going to keep flowing.”
The river will indeed keep flowing for the Gamecocks, with or without Jackson, as they head into Year 2 of the Paris era. Key players Meechie Johnson and Josh Gray said after the game that they intend to return next year — a quality foundation. But the 24-year-old Brown is out of eligibility and will be moving on. And Jackson has professional options to consider.
Jackson led the Gamecocks in scoring this season in a year when he could’ve been a senior in high school, had he not reclassified to the Class of 2023. He was the youngest player in the country this season. His youth was easy to see — from moments of endearing goofiness to a head-scratching Instagram Live video in which he complained about not getting the ball in crunch time.
Jackson spent three games playing off the bench after that infamous video, but the freshman showed a degree of self awareness as he talked about his growth on Wednesday. He thought he’d step up to the college level and dominate like he did in high school. That wasn’t quite the case.
“I came in thinking I was gonna be like an iso scorer, all of that,” Jackson said. “I got a real, real rude awakening.”
A couple weeks after Jackson was pouting on the bench and standing apart from his teammates in a home loss to Vanderbilt, Jackson seemed determined to will USC to victory himself on Wednesday.
The forward flashed many of the traits that have NBA scouts drooling over him. He had a pair of eye-popping dunks — one on a slick alley-oop from Brown — and he scored five points during a 10-0 run that briefly gave USC the lead in the second half.
Even at the very end, Jackson showed no signs of relenting. With 59 seconds left, Jackson sunk a 3-pointer that cut USC’s deficit to just three points. If USC had managed to get a defensive stop on the other end, the Gamecocks were in position to at least make a push for overtime.
When the buzzer sounded, Jackson couldn’t contain his emotions. It was the cathartic culmination of a turbulent season both on and off the court. But Brown wanted to make sure Jackson knew he was appreciated — that his contributions mattered.
“I wanted to thank him just for the teammate that he’s been,” Brown said. “There’s been some ups and downs, but he’s just been a teammate. I was just so thankful to have had this year with him.
“I just wanted to hopefully just encourage him in that moment because this kid has a crazy career ahead of him. He really does.”
Whether that career will continue at South Carolina — or somewhere else — remains to be seen.
This story was originally published March 8, 2023 at 11:10 PM.
