South Carolina five-star freshman Gregory “GG” Jackson II has been as good as advertised through his first 14 games.
The 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward leads the Gamecocks with 16.9 points and 7.5 rebounds per game while also recording team highs with 13 blocks and 12 steals, but his 15th appearance takes place Saturday afternoon against No. 8 Tennessee inside Colonial Life Arena, and nobody seems to unleash a menacing defense this season like the Volunteers.
It’s the biggest test yet for Jackson, and first-year Gamecocks coach Lamont Paris knows it.
“For a young guy like that to have double figures in every game we’ve played, that’s difficult,” Paris said in a recent news conference. “That’s hard for a guy who’s in his fourth year. As we go deeper into conference play, that’s going to be more difficult. I don’t doubt that he’ll keep doing it, but will he do it efficiently or as a volume guy?
“It’s hard to make a living as a jump shooter in this conference, so that’s going to be tested. They’re going to be putting their meanest, toughest guy on him, and that’s going to make life miserable for him.”