GG Jackson got the standard hype out of high school that any other North Carolina recruit.
Hubert Davis had his replacement for the likes of Amando Bacot and a two-years removed Brady Manek.
But a funny thing happened on Tobacco Road.
Jackson decided to reclass “up” and come to college in 2022 and not 2023. Of course, Jackson waited for the Tar Heels to run out of scholarships for ’22 before decommitting and showing up at South Carolina.
Coming into today’s Georgetown game I received mixed reviews about Jackson.
Everything from “he plays like a kid that is heading to the NBA next season” to “he doesn’t have the necessary talent around him”.
Like a lot of things both can be true.
The first half Jackson wasn’t a factor at all. At times he looked uninterested and was a non-factor, shooting 0-5 in the half.
After the game, Jackson would admit that he was engaged in the first half saying that “mentally, he wasn’t there at all”.
Then halftime happened.
Jackson started the second half by driving baseline and made an athletic play in mid-air for the finish.
That move seemed to get him started.
“When I saw that first shot go in, I was like oh ok,” said Jackson.
He followed that with another layup. Then caught the ball high post with his back to the basket and, literally, hit a turnaround jump shot over Primo Spears.
Later in the half, Jackson stepped into an NBA three pointer then another catch and shoot three.
Jackson drove to the middle on Mozone, shoulder-shook, spun and stepped through for a layup.
Then he went inside on Spears with Akok helping. Jackson missed the shot. Got his own rebound and powered through Akok for a three-point play.
Jackson finished the afternoon with 22 points and 8 rebounds. More importantly, he helped South Carolina to a much needed 74-71 overtime win over Georgetown.
“I thought he was going to be special when we recruited him,” said Ewing. “He stepped up in the second half and got big boy baskets”.
All of a sudden, you saw the Jackson that North Carolina longed for and that NBA scouts pencil into the first round.
