GG Jackson’s Top 6 list includes one professional option
A day after winning the state championship GG Jackson has narrowed down where his next basketball decision might be.
The Ridge View five-star prospect released his finalists Friday afternoon on his Twitter page - Auburn, Duke, Georgetown, NBA G-League, North Carolina and South Carolina.
“Mainly how they showed I was a top prospect for them and the love each one showed,” Jackson said of why those six made the cut,” Jackson told The State on Friday.
There is no timetable for Jackson’s decision but he told The State Thursday night it could come in two to three weeks.
“I plan to talk to my family and coaches. I don’t have a date yet but it is around two or three weeks. It is going to be a big surprise for everybody,” Jackson said.
Jackson took official visits to four of the five schools on the list with the only one he hasn’t Auburn.. His recent visit came to South Carolina on Feb. 19-20. The Gamecocks were one of the first schools to offer him.
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.
South Carolina put a full-court press for Jackson on his visit with conversations with NBA Hall of Famer Alex English, football coach Shane Beamer. Frank Martin and the Gamecocks’ coaching staff were at Thursday’s state championship game against Fort Dorchester.
Jackson scored 14 points, 11 rebounds and four blocks in the win.
“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 a 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.”
If he picks the G-League, he would still have to finish one more year of high school unless he reclassifies and graduates in Class of 2022, instead of 2023. He could also reclassify if he choses the college route.
Former Keenan standout Jazian Gortman chose the professional route and signed with Overtime Elite in the summer and skipped his senior year of high school. But the G-League requires players to have a high school diploma.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 2:41 PM with the headline "GG Jackson’s Top 6 list includes one professional option."
