COLUMBIA, S.C. — G.G. Jackson had some well-documented growing pains during his one season at South Carolina.
Back in February, Jackson made headlines after he expressed frustration on an Instagram post following a loss to Arkansas. Jackson openly questioned why he didn't get the ball in the latter stages of a 65-63 loss to the Razorbacks. Jackson scored nine points and committed three turnovers as Carolina lost for the seventh straight contest.
He would apologize on social media the following day. Still, the scenario would increase the intense scrutiny on the former 5-star prospect who de-committed from UNC and reclassified for the class of 2022.
A road loss at Missouri would stretch the skid to eight games, but that game in the other Columbia would mark the first of three straight games where Jackson was not in the starting lineup.
From then on, his body language during games was under the proverbial microscope, and it wasn't just the team, fans, and media who kept a watchful eye on his demeanor.
No doubt, NBA scouts and coaches kept those early February headlines in their files.
Jackson would return to the starting lineup, and down the stretch, GG and the Gamecocks would try to create some positive February headlines. A win at LSU was followed by a 78-76 overtime loss at home to an Alabama team ranked second nationally. In that game, Jackson led the Gamecocks in scoring with 19 points.
GG's last appearance at the Colonial Life Arena was the win over Georgia. In his final home game of an intense freshman season, Jackson had just nine points, but there was no negative body language on his part. Jackson high-fived fans and even posed for pictures as he exited the court.
His last collegiate honor came when he earned a spot on the SEC All-Freshmen Team.
But now, the work for GG begins in earnest. His reviews in pre-draft workouts were not overwhelming, and initial mock drafts, which had him going in the first round, showed him to be a second-round selection.
In Thursday night's NBA Draft, those latest projections would come true. It wasn't until around midnight that Jackson finally got the call. The Memphis Grizzlies selected Jackson in the second round with the 45th overall pick.
While it was expected Jackson would be a second-round draftee, the fact that Jackson slid to the 15th pick in the second round was a source of frustration for Jackson.
But now that he has his destination, Jackson says that long wait will give him extra motivation as he begins his pro career. The initial plan for Jackson is to sign as a two-play player with a stint in the G-League which will allow him to develop, and Jackson could eventually play in as many as 50 of the 82 regular season games.