UNC Basketball: Could 2023 commit GG Jackson leave for South Carolina?

Why staying at North Carolina makes the most sense

If GG Jackson decides that he wants to play right away, then the Tar Heels very well are likely to lose him. There’s a small chance that he could reclassify and stick around, making it a three-man frontcourt rotation alongside Armando Bacot and Pete Nance.

Since Nance can play at the five-spot, it could work on paper. Of course, North Carolina tried that last season with Bacot, Brady Manek, and Dawson Garcia, but the team only took off once Garcia left the team due to personal reasons. And while he would join easily the No. 1 preseason team in NCAA Basketball and the team to beat in 2023, I doubt that Jackson would be good with 25 mpg at the most to make all the bigs somewhat happy.

There’s also the chance that reclassifying isn’t the right thing for Jackson and that he could get “exposed” if he doesn’t stay in his original class. There are countless examples of players moving up and it not working out, with the recent and most famous one being Emoni Bates, who went from being a clear-cut future No. 1 NBA Draft pick to now transferring to Eastern Michigan of the MAC.

If Jackson were to stick with the current plan, he would become the go-to option for North Carolina in the 2023-24 season. Nance and Bacot would be gone in the frontcourt, while guards Caleb Love and RJ Davis very well could go pro too. He can continue developing his game and by the time November 2023 comes can become a national star and a definite top-tier pick in the 2024 draft class.