GG Jackson is taking it all in as he nears a decision

Gregory ‘GG’ Jackson has come to expect the noise when he walks into opposing team’s gyms. It comes with the territory of being a top-ranked player. The chants of ‘overrated’ are becoming second nature.

GG simply takes it all in and lets out one of his patented smiles. One of those smiles that lights up a room. A smile that you cannot help but let out a slight grin along with him. Then GG just goes out and plays.

Before tip-off, GG is a fun-loving and charismatic kid. The type his peers gravitate toward and want to be around. But once the game starts, a switch turns, and a blank stare comes across GG’s face. The intensity and a will to win you see only with someone who has something to prove.

On3 Ranks the Contenders for 5-Star GG Jackson

“GG is an unbelievable young man,” Ridge view head coach Yerrick Stoneman told On3 after the third round playoff victory. “He is one of those kids where everyone always wants to be around him. He is very talented, and not just in basketball. In his church, he can play just about any instrument, and he can sing.”

After the final horn sounded, GG finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and four blocks on 10-16 shooting. His Columbia (SC) Ridge View High team finished with a 20 point, third-round playoff victory, and the crowd’s tune changed quickly. Recognizing the talent GG had, they rushed to be around GG. The old heads wanted to shake his hand; the kids wanted to snap photos. GG took it all in stride, with that larger than life smile.

A legacy

“Being the first No. 1 ranked player in South Carolina since (Kevin) Garnett definitely puts a little pressure on me,” GG Jackson told On3 after the playoff win. “But it puts a chip on my shoulder to live up to the legacy. All the highly ranked players from South Carolina have gone on to the league to do great things.”

But there is a decision coming right around the corner. Playing the game is the easy part. Walking into opposing gyms with the crowds is fun. Choosing a college brings a little bit of pressure.

GG has been going through the recruiting process during his high school season. He has taken four official visits, first to Georgetown, then North Carolina, and rounding out with Duke and South Carolina. The 6-foot-9 forward said he will announce his decision soon after his high school season ends. There are two rounds of playoffs left; the semi-finals are on Saturday, and the finals are the following Thursday.

“We have not come up with a definite time just yet,” Jackson’s dad, Gregory Jackson, Sr., told On3. “But it will be soon after the season is over.”

GG’s Visits

Duke:
GG Jackson: “It stood out how they prioritized me as their number one prospect in 2023. I liked how they broke down how I would fit, how I would play. Then they broke down how all the other prospects and players they were going after would fit in and play together. The atmosphere was great. The Crazies went crazy for me; that was cool. Overall the atmosphere there was just fun. I liked Durham, I mainly stayed around the campus, and I liked it.”

Gregory Jackson, Sr. “The atmosphere there was all that it lived up to be with the Cameron Crazies. We got to meet the legend, Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski), it was great. The crowd, during the game, the energy they brought from start to finish was excellent,”

UNC:
GG Jackson: “It was a dream come true going there. What stuck out to me was everyone knew my name up there. Coach Hubert (Davis) stressed to everyone how much they needed me, and he showed me how much they needed me. He also showed me how they would use me, with in-game situations and how they were going to develop me.”

Gregory Jackson, Sr. “It was above and beyond, a great atmosphere. To meet legendary Roy Williams and many former players were nice. They want to bring him in as a three/four and be one of their primary guys.”

South Carolina:
GG Jackson: “There was a lot of love shown the entire visit. There is no place like home, definitely. It was a good game, an intense game, and everyone in the building got into it, so that was good. I didn’t know all the different connections the University has and all the different connections I could have, no matter what I do, just by putting on that jersey. They showed a lot of love. Even walking through the city downtown, they were chanting my name.”

Gregory Jackson, Sr. “To see home do it big, it was amazing. Everyone else was great, but seeing home show you that love was very special. If he can get the players he is going after, I think Coach (Frank) Martin has that program on the rise. Their whole message is to stay at home, and be great at home, be like A’ja Wilson on the men’s side.”

The decision

GG has a decision to make. Three schools are standing out at the top. On the one hand, Duke has gotten the No. 1 player four of the previous ten recruiting cycles. Then you have UNC, who has had great success recruiting the top South Carolina players. And on the other hand, there is South Carolina, the logo you see on sweatshirts and t-shirts every day at school.

The path Duke is setting for GG is by looking at what current freshman Paolo Banchero is doing, “They said how they produce guys like me, and they compared me to Paolo and want me at his position. They went through exactly what they envision their team looking like with me there.”

South Carolina is painting a different picture, to be the first. “It would be legendary to stay home,” Jackson said. “I’d be able to build a legacy for men’s basketball at South Carolina. I could lift up the state by staying home. A’ja (Wilson) did it with the girls, and (Jadeveon) Clowney did it with football, I could be that guy for men’s basketball. They have not had a guy recently, in my position, to go there in that jersey; it would just be crazy.”

The NIL angle

Then there is the looming name, image, likeness (NIL) that plays a significant factor with the top-ranked kids. The NCAA approved players’ ability to capitalize market value off their name, imagine, likeness within the last year.

While college coaches cannot get involved in NIL deals or facilitate them in any way, the thought of NIL certainly plays a part in visits and decision-making.

South Carolina: “I saw (Spencer) Rattler on my visit, which was awesome. I have been seeing him on tv since I was in middle school. We talked about NIL a good bit, and he told me himself that I am from here and I am No. 1 in the country, so coming to South Carolina would be like a perfect NIL storm if I came to South Carolina.”

Duke: “Looking at Paolo, he is getting millions from NIL. I see he’s getting commercials and all kinds of endorsements. Going to Duke would put me in a position to do well with NIL.”

UNC: “They have had a lot of legends play there and being in a Tar Hell jersey with all the fans.”

GG’s take

A decision is coming soon. By this time, next Friday, GG’s season will be over. The official visits he has scheduled have concluded.

“We want him to be happy,” Jackson, Sr., said. “Go to a place where he is going to enjoy playing. We don’t want it to be a decision his mother and I make, but that he makes, and we just help guide the way. At the end of the day, we want him to be happy. One thing that we will push him with will be the values. We do want him to go someplace that has the same values that we have at home and hold him accountable.”

GG reiterated, “I want to go somewhere that is going to take care of me and treat me like family. What school will be able to help me after the ball stops bouncing.”

GG walked away from our conversation; he thanked me graciously as we cracked a couple of jokes with one another. I walked over to his dad, and we watched as the students from the opposing team flocked to GG. Even with them chanting and cheering against GG the entire game, he stood there and took pictures and laughed with each one of them. That is just who GG is, a superstar basketball player who keeps a smile from ear to ear at all times.