Where things stand with GG Jackson and the Gamecocks
It has been a whirlwind weekend for Ridge View High School basketball standout GG Jackson.
Shortly after Jackson helped the Blazers get past Riverside in the S.C. state playoffs Friday night, he began his official visit with the South Carolina basketball team. That visit ended at 5 p.m. Sunday with a stop at head coach Frank Martin’s house along with the USC coaching staff and their wives.
A short time later, Jackson was back on the court at practice. He was the final player on the court Sunday evening, working on his free-throw shooting and his jumper. Jackson and Ridge View were preparing for Monday’s third-round playoff game at Fort Mill.
“My biggest takeaway from this weekend was, I got to see where South Carolina needed me, loves me and would cherish me for a very long time,” GG Jackson told The State. “It was a great atmosphere and shows we’ve got great relationship with the coaching staff and players. I got to hang out with players more than any other visit. It was like they were my teammates and I got to build relationships with them.”
The visit also made an impression on GG’s father, Greg, who spoke with the The State on Sunday after Ridge View’s practice.
“It was a great experience, hometown feel, hometown vibe,” Greg Jackson said. “They did a really good job letting GG know how special he is and how important he was to the university. I thought it was awesome. They put on a great show.”
Jackson’s visit was the most anticipated one for the USC men’s program since Zion Williamson visited in September 2017. Williamson eventually chose Duke over the Gamecocks, but USC coaches and fans hope things will be different this time around as they look to land Jackson, who is ranked No. 1 nationally by Rivals in the Class of 2023 rankings.
Current USC players James Reese and Devin Carter acted as Jackson’s hosts for the visit and attended dinner with him, his family and coach Martin on Saturday night after the Gamecocks’ game against LSU. Jackson’s visit included meetings with athletic director Ray Tanner, head football coach Shane Beamer and former Gamecock players Chris Silva, PJ Dozier and NBA Hall of Famer Alex English. He even swung by the USC football offices, where he met new Gamecock quarterback Spencer Rattler, who transferred in from Oklahoma.
Jackson was a big fan of Rattler from watching him on Netflix’s “QB1: Beyond the Lights,” which documented the QB during his recruiting process in high school.
”I about lost it,” Jackson said of the meeting with Rattler. “I have been watching him since the seventh or eighth grade. That is what I was saying, getting to meet different people. It just put the the extra on top. It was fun.”
Jackson was seen on his feet during Saturday’s game against LSU in which the Gamecocks pulled out a 77-75 victory. The USC student section broke out “We want GG!” chants on several occasions.
The Cotton Gin pub in Five Points had “We Want GG” on its marquee sign, and Jackson took photos in front of it that made the rounds on social media.
“It was nice to see my name back on the Cotton Gin,” Jackson said. “People walking by saying, ‘Who is that?’ In a couple of years, they will know my name for sure.”
South Carolina was the fourth of the five official visits he is allowed to take during his junior year. By NCAA rule, he could have more official visits next year as a senior but a decision is likely to happen before then. His other visits included Duke, North Carolina and Georgetown.
GG and his father said they will sit down over the next few weeks and go over their options for school — and possibly reclassifying from the Class of 2023 to 2022, which would mean enrolling at college this summer. Greg Jackson reiterated Sunday night that his son is unlikely to go the pro route and sign with the G-League or the Overtime Elite program.
“We are going to look at our checklist and look at each school we have been to and see who has the most checks on the list,” Jackson said.
GG said a decision could possibly come in the next few weeks.
“I want to get with (Ridge View head coach) Stoneman because I want to cut down my list real, real soon,” Jackson said. “After the state championship, two or three weeks after, I will be looking to make a commitment somewhere.”
If GG doesn’t reclassify, a decision will also need to be made on where he will play his senior season of high school. Stoneman announced this past week that he was leaving after this season to take over the nationally ranked Oak Hill basketball program. Stoneman obviously wouldn’t mind Jackson coming with him.
There are other national programs that have reached out, and staying at Ridge View could be a possibility, his father said.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 10:15 PM.
