COLUMBIA, S.C. — The NBA Draft rolled on past midnight into Friday morning, and GG Jackson was still waiting on a phone call from an NBA employer.
But just a few minutes into Friday, GG received the phone call he coveted, and it came from the land of Blues and Bar B Q.
The Memphis Grizzlies selected GG with the 45th overall selection.
The Ridge View product has taken quite the eventful path to his life-changing moment.
Jackson was rated as the consensus top player in the country for the class of 2023. The 6-9 Jackson capped off his junior season at Ridge View, leading the Blazers to the 5A state championship in March 2022.
After committing to North Carolina in late April, Jackson would de-commit from that program on July 14 before committing to South Carolina less than two weeks later. Jackson became the highest-ranked incoming freshman in program history. He joined former Gamecock standout PJ Dozier (currently with the Sacramento Kings) as the only five-star signees all-time at South Carolina.
In his one season in the South Carolina program, Jackson earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team after averaging 15.4 points (9th in SEC) and 5.9 rebounds per game (13th in SEC). His scoring average was the fifth-most in the nation by a freshman.
With his pro career taking off one year earlier, Jackson became the 40th player in program history to be selected in the NBA Draft.
He’s the first Gamecock selected in the NBA Draft since Sindarius Thornwell was chosen with the 48th overall selection of the 2017 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.