GG Jackson Returns to Form Against Mississippi State

Though the past few weeks have been up and down for GG Jackson, the freshman found significant success against Mississippi State.

It is no secret that GG Jackson's tenure with South Carolina has not gone according to plan. The former number-seven overall player in the class of 2022 was expected to be one of the top college basketball players this season. While he has sometimes lived up to expectations and played like a future lottery pick, most of his first year has been a wild roller coaster of good and bad performances.

This roller coaster has been at its most evident in February. Jackson's scoring performances this past month have been sporadic, with Jackson scoring less than ten points in four games and scoring more than 20 points in three games.

While February may have been a volatile month for the young forward, he closed out the month on a high note. His 22-point performance against Mississippi State is reminiscent of the GG Jackson that dueled Auburn for a 30-point performance back in January.

Jackson didn't have his most efficient scoring outing Tuesday night, shooting below 50 percent on 5/12 shooting. But he did display an impressive trait that has been a key indicator of success for many of his performances this season; getting to the free-throw line. Jackson traveled to the free throw line 11 times against the Bulldogs, cashing in all his attempts.

The 6-9 forward has been praised for his size and athleticism, so getting to the paint and drawing fouls is something you would expect from Jackson, but he has not seen the free-throw line consistently this year. Jackson has attempted less than five free throws in 20 of his 30 games. That number might seem bad on its own, but it gets worse when you consider he averages just 13.35 points per game when he shoots four free throws or less. Conversely, he averages 19.3 points per game when he shoots five free throws or more.

On top of his promising scoring performance, Jackson was also active on the boards. He snagged eight rebounds, the most he has grabbed in a game since January. South Carolina typically plays better when he is active in the paint on defense, so it was positive to see him barely miss a double-double.

Though South Carolina did not secure the win in Starkville, South Carolina's high-profile freshman took a step in the right direction and will hopefully continue to build off of the positive momentum. Considering the Gamecocks only have one more regular season game before the SEC tournament, Jackson must string together a few great performances if he wants to remain one of the top picks in the upcoming draft, assuming he decides to depart from Columbia.

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