NCAA Basketball: 3 takeaways from GG Jackson’s decision to join South Carolina

The pieces are coming together for the Gamecocks 

GG Jackson will join incoming freshmen Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Zachary Davis on the roster as freshmen while the Gamecocks will also have five players out of the transfer portal to work with in Meechie Johnson, Hayden Brown, Ebrima Dibba, Troy Boynton, and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk.

Jackson picked a good time to change his mind as the Gamecocks have a ton of potential by adding him to the mix. He’s a player that can operate inside and out with his handles, length, and athleticism at 6-foot-9. He possesses the ability to play the 4/5 spot and can even see some time on the wing in space.

Hayden Brown is a graduate transfer forward that played the past five seasons in the SoCon at Citadel. He’s more than familiar with head coach Lamont Paris having faced his Chattanooga Mocs in this past year’s conference tournament championship. While he’s listed at 6-foot-5, he plays a lot bigger than his height suggests.

Brown averaged 18.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 2.3 apg on 51.5 percent shooting from the field in 2021-22. He’s got the ability to lead by example and is one face that could help lead Jackson to success.

Ebrima Dibba is the other prized addition out of the portal from Coastal Carolina. He’s a 6-foot-6 guard with a ton of playmaking ability as evidenced by his 8.1 ppg, 5.4 apg, and 4.8 rpg. He’ll be one backcourt name looking to make plays for Jackson.

Meechie Johnson is the third cog in the formula, joining the Gamecocks after spending the 2021-22 season with the Ohio State Buckeyes. He’s a speedy floor general that produced 4.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, and 1.2 apg across 26 appearances as a second-year freshman thanks to Covid rules. He’ll look to turn things around with a fresh start under Lamont Paris in Columbia.