Before GG Jackson, these were the highest-ranked prospects to pick South Carolina
G.G. Jackson’s announcement that he will play basketball at South Carolina will make him the highest-rated high school recruit to play for the Gamecocks.
Jackson is ranked No. 1 nationally by 247Sports and On3 in the 2023 class. He’ll reclassify to 2022 and play college basketball this season — with most expecting him to be a high pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
The State took a look at the top-ranked basketball recruits to play at USC before Jackson’s decision. Note that such Gamecock greats as Alex English and John Roche played before Rivals, 247Sports, On3 and the star rankings existed.
Here are the top-10 ranked recruits in USC history since 2000, according to the 247Sports Composite that factors in all of the networks. (Not included in the list is former 5-star recruit Brian Bowen, who transferred in from Louisville but never played for the Gamecocks.)
Top Gamecock recruits before G.G. Jackson
1. PJ Dozier, G: Dozier was the No. 25-ranked player in the country coming out of Spring Valley High School in 2015. He was a McDonald’s All-American, played two seasons for the Gamecocks and was a part of 2017 Final Four team. Until Jackson’s commitment, Dozier was the only five-star high school signee for South Carolina in the rankings era.
Dozier averaged 13.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his sophomore year. He is playing with the Denver Nuggets.
2. Sindarius Thornwell, F/G: Thornwell will go down as one of the most beloved Gamecocks of the past two decades. He was a four-star recruit, ranked 30th overall coming out of Oak Hill Academy in 2013.
Thornwell was the top scorer on the 2017 Final Four team, averaging 21.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals — and was SEC Player of the Year. He has played for five teams in the NBA, played last season overseas and was with the Chicago Bulls’ summer league team this year.
3. Bruce Ellington, G: Known more for his football skills, Ellington was a four-star basketball recruit and ranked 57th nationally coming out of Berkeley High in 2010. He played both basketball and football his final two years at USC, averaging 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3 assists in his hoops career.
Ellington was a fourth-round pick by the San Francisco 49ers in 2014 and played six seasons in the NFL.
4. Damontre Harris, F: The North Carolina native was a four-star recruit and 59th overall coming out of Trinity Christian in Charlotte for the Class of 2010. Harris was named to the SEC All-Defensive team during his sophomore season. He finished his college career at Florida.
5. Devin Carter, G: Carter was a four-star recruit coming out of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire in the Class of 2021. He appeared in 30 games last season, making seven starts and averaged 9.0 points, 3.8 rebounds. Carter has since transferred to Providence.
6. Lakeem Jackson, F: Jackson was a four-star prospect and ranked 85th overall coming out of Christ School in North Carolina for the Class of 2009. He started 97 games in his four seasons with USC and averaged 6.4 points and 5.9 rebounds. Jackson still is playing professionally overseas and played last year with the Aomori Wat’s in Japan.
7. Renaldo Balkman, F: Balkman was a four-star prospect, ranked 83rd nationally coming out of IMG Academy in Florida for the Class of 2003. He was the MVP of USC’s 2006 NIT championship team and averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and shot 55% in his career.
Balkman was a first-round pick by the New York Knicks in 2006 and spent six years in the NBA. He still is playing professionally and is currently with Mets De Guaynabo in Puerto Rico.
8. RJ Slawson, F: Slawson was a four-star prospect and ranked 89th nationally coming out of Fort Dorchester in the Class of 2010. He appeared in 91 games over three seasons at USC, averaging 3.6 points a season. Slawson transferred to Jacksonville for his senior season and averaged 8.3 points and 6.1 rebounds a game.
9. Mike Holmes, F: Holmes was a top-100 national prospect coming out of Lee Central High School in 2007. He averaged 9.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in just over two seasons with the Gamecocks. Holmes was dismissed from the team in January 2010 and finished his career at Coastal Carolina, where he played seven games before being suspended.
10. Anthony Gill, F: Gill was ranked No. 94 in the country and a four-star recruit coming out of Charlotte Christian in 2011. He played one season at USC, averaging 7.6 points and 4.7 rebounds, before transferring to Virginia. At Virginia, he played three seasons and averaged 11.3 points and 5.5 rebounds a game.
This story was originally published July 23, 2022 at 3:52 PM.
