COLUMBIA, S.C. — One domino has fallen and now Lamont Paris and the Gamecock coaches wait to see if the next domino will fall in their direction.
Ridge View star GG Jackson, who committed to North Carolina in late April, announced on social media he is backing off that decision.
The top-rated overall prospect for the Class of 2023, Jackson wrote in part "I have decided to decommit from UNC to explore other options that can help me grow from a teenage boy to an adult and put me in the best position to reach my dream goal which is the NBA."
Speculation that the 6-9 Jackson would decommit from the Tar Heels has been heating up recently so Thursday's evening announcement was not unexpected and neither will be a public commitment to South Carolina. Travis Branham, a national analyst from 247 Sports had gone on record predicting Jackson would flip from North Carolina to South Carolina and that prediction is halfway home to being accurate.
In his junior season, Jackson averaged 22.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.5 blocks, 1.2 assists, and 1.0 steals per game as Ridge View captured its first state championship in Class 5A. Jackson was named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year for this season.
In June, Jackson added to his resume when he participated in the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico.
If Jackson were to commit to South Carolina, it would give the Gamecock men's basketball program its highest rated recruit in history as certainly a massive upgrade in the post from his power forward position.