Tag: G.G. Jackson

UNC Basketball commit picks up MVP honors

UNC basketball five-star commit G.G. Jackson has earned MVP honors at the NBPA Top 100 camp this past week.

The NBPA 100 camp is an annual event that allows the top high school players across the country to showcase their skills in front of coaches and scouts. It’s a big event filled with the biggest names in high school basketball.

And this year, it was UNC commit [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] that stole the show.

The South Carolina native was named the 2022 NBPA Top 100 MVP for the event, impressing with his skills over the past week. Jackson was a standout from Day 1 and carried that into the rest of the camp, being the best player on the court and earning the honor.

The forward has climbed to the top of the recruiting rankings over the past few weeks backed by his stellar play. Jackson capped off an impressive junior season with a solid offseason and is now considered the top player in the 2023 class.

And earning this MVP award with his play in the NBPA Top 100 helps solidify that.

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G.G. Jackson standing out at NBPA Top 100 Day 1

UNC Basketball commit G.G. Jackson was a big standout at the NBPA Top 100 camp on Wednesday, earning praise from recruiting analysts.

UNC basketball commit [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] continues to impress and lead the way for the 2023 recruiting class. After Jackson committed to North Carolina in April, he saw a bump in his ranking moving him to the top and taking over the number one spot.

And now a few months later, he’s proving that he is the top player in the 2023 class.

During Day 1 of the NBPA Top 100 camp, Jackson impressed scouts with his play as he put together a big day. Eric Bossi of 247Sports wrote on Jackson’s play, stating that he will have some competition for that top recruiting spot but is up for the task of defending it:

Before the summer ends, GG Jackson is going to have to face some competition for the No. 1 spot in the class of 2023. On Wednesday morning, he looked like he could be up to the task against any challenger.

The North Carolina commit who hails from South Carolina was all over the floor and showed off many of the tools needed for a modern day four man at the highest level. He got off the floor quick to sweep the glass in and out of his area on both ends of the floor, showed the ability to create off the dribble and while being defended by size and length, showed that he could get to his spot, rise and swish home tough jumpers.

For the game Jackson finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds and was impressive on both ends of the floor.

Jackson is one of two prospects committed to UNC for the 2023 cycle, joining Simeon Wilcher who is also a five-star recruit and in attendance at the camp.

With UNC likely losing Armando Bacot, Caleb Love and Leaky Black, the Tar Heels do need to reload with future classes. And so far, the 2023 class is off to a heck of a start.

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Top UNC target set to announce recruiting decision

UNC basketball five-star target Matas Buzelis is set to announce his decision this week as his recruitment comes to an end.

The race for prized five-star recruit Matas Buzelis is coming to an end sooner than we thought it would.

On Wednesday, Buzelis posted to his Instagram account that he is set to announce his decision very early Friday morning. The recruit put a countdown that ends at 12:01 a.m. on Friday AM.

With Buzelis set to make his decision, he will choose between UNC, Kentucky, Florida State, Wake Forest and the G-League. However, it appears as if the G-League is trending for his destination.

Travis Branham of 247Sports logged his Crystal Ball prediction for Buzelis skipping college and going pro recently, and with his decision coming so quick it makes a lot of sense.

If UNC does indeed lose out on the recruit, it will allow them to focus on other 2023 recruiting targets.

As of now, UNC has [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] committed for their class as both are five-star recruits. But landing another five-star or even two recruits would be huge for Hubert Davis and his staff.

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UNC showing interest in four-star 2023 center

Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program are showing interest in a four-star center out of California in the 2023 class per a new report.

With two commitments in the 2023 class, Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball staff are off to a great start for that recruiting cycle. The commitments of five-star recruits [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] are setting a foundation for the class as UNC has their eyes on a few other prospects in 2023.

And now they have added a new name to their recruiting board.

Four-star center [autotag]Jazz Gardner[/autotag] is the latest prospect to draw interest from the Tar Heels according to a report. The Hacienda Heights, California native is hearing from UNC in his recruitment according to Andrew Slater of Pro Insight:

Gardner has a total of 14 offers in his recruitment so far, drawing interest from Illinois, USC, Saint Mary’s, Arizona State, Houston and Texas Tech among others. But while UNC has yet to offer, showing interest is the first step and is something to monitor down the stretch.

We do know that the Tar Heels are heavily pursuing Matas Buzelis but will have a need at center when Armando Bacot leaves after this year. Could Gardner and Jalen Washington be the new post duo for the Tar Heels?

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Top 10 2023 prospect includes UNC in his final five

2023 five-star prospect Matas Buzelis named his top-5 programs and the UNC basketball program made the list.

A key target for UNC basketball has listed his top-5 schools and included the Tar Heels in the list. 2023 five-star forward[autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag] announced his list on Thursday that surely made UNC coaches and fans happy.

His list includes UNC, Kentucky, Florida State, Wake Forest and G-League Ignite.

Buzelis has exploded on the recruiting scene this spring and continues to be a focal point for many top programs around the country. The 6-foot-9, 175-pound small forward out of New Hampshire is a top 10 prospect in that 2023 class.

Buzelis dished on his finalists with On3.com, and made it known that the Tar Heels have many people active in trying to get him to Chapel Hill.

“I just talk to some of their commits, Simeon Wilcher and GG Jackson, most of the time. But I talk with pretty much every coach on staff, Coach Hubert (Davis) a lot. They played great in the tournament, everyone thought they would be a no show, but they played fast and loose and made plays.”

Both UNC basketball 2023 commits [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] have made it known that they want Buzelis.

That pitch resonates with Buzelis, who also thinks he can play well alongside Jackson in the front court.

“UNC has been on me consistently. I think GG (Jackson) and I would fit really well beside one another. We’re both big wings; I can get it to him, and he can shoot it. We can both run the floor and handle and shoot.”

It has been long perceived as a Kentucky vs UNC matchup for the top-10 wing and it looks like those two will square off for another high-profile prospect once again.

The Tar Heels already hold the No. 2 overall recruiting class in both Rivals and 247Sports team rankings for 2023, so landing a commitment from Buzelis would surely give the Heels the top-rated class.

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A pair of UNC basketball recruits make Team USA

UNC basketball recruits G.G. Jackson and Seth Trimble have made the USA Basketball U-18 Team after tryouts.

The UNC basketball program will officially be represented on the Team USA U-18 that is set to compete in the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship in Tijuana, Mexico, from June 6-12.

After a three-day camp in Houston, USA Basketball announced their 13 finalists and both G.G. Jackson and Seth Trimble made the cut. 

This is great news for the UNC basketball program as both are among the top recruits in the country in their respected classes. While Jackson is the No. 1 player in 2023, Trimble has moved up the rankings in 2022 and has now shown that he can compete with the best in the country ahead of his UNC arrival this Summer.

The full team is as follows via USA Basketball:

Mark Armstrong Jr., Anthony Black, Xavier Booker, Kanaan Carlyle, Stephon Castle, Eric Dailey Jr., Caleb Foster, Brandon Garrison, Gregory ‘GG’ Jackson, Jared McCain, Derik Queen, Ty Rodgers, Seth Trimble, Jordan Walsh, Kel’el Ware, Bryson Warren and Cam Whitmore.

UNC and Villanova are the only programs with two commitments that made the team. Duke had just one recruit on the team in guard Jared McCain.

 

G.G. Jackson takes top spot in On3 rankings

UNC basketball commit G.G. Jackson has taken the top spot in the latest ON3 consensus rankings.

It’s been a big week for UNC commit [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag].

The class of 2023 five-star recruit not only impressed at the Team USA basketball camp over the weekend but he also saw a bump in his ranking on two different recruiting sites.

Last week, 247Sports moved Jackson to the top of their list as the No. 1 recruit in the country. With that, Jackson also moved up in the On3 consensus rankings which takes into account a player’s ranking on major recruiting sites.

Jackson is now the No. 1 player on the On3 recruiting board beating out Dajuan Wagner, Ronald Holland, Kwame Evans Jr. and former UNC target Robert Dillingham.

The recruit is also the No. 1 player in the On3 rankings as well, although he’s been there for a few weeks now.

With Jackson taking the top spot in the rankings, it’s great news for Hubert Davis and his staff at North Carolina. With a good 2022 class incoming, the Tar Heels have two five-star recruits committed for 2023 and are hoping to land another.

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Five-star target reveals UNC’s ‘consistent’ pursuit of him

Five-star recruiting target Matas Buzelis talks about the consistent pursuit from the UNC Basketball program in his recruitment.

With tow five-star commits already signed in the 2023 class for North Carolina, head coach Hubert Davis and his staff are aiming to land a third and complete their class.

And the prospect that sits atop their recruiting board is [autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag].

The 6-foot-9, 175-pound small forward is a Chicago native that is currently playing at Brewster Academy in New Hampshire. He’s ranked as the No. 7 player in the 247Sports rankings and has 13 offers so far. Kentucky, Wake Forest, and Florida State are all involved and have received visits, but North Carolina is starting to make a strong push as well.

On3 recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw caught up with Buzelis and he had this to say about UNC’s consistent pursuit of him:

“No one really new has come in lately,” Buzelis said. “UNC has been on me consistently.”

UNC: “I just talked to some of their commits, Simeon Wilcher and GG Jackson, most of the time. But I talk with pretty much every coach on staff, Coach Hubert (Davis) a lot. They played great in the tournament, everyone thought they would be a no show, but they played fast and loose and made plays.”

Both [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] and [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] have made it known that they are actively recruiting Buzelis to UNC as well.

Landing this trio of talent would make for an even brighter future in Chapel Hill for the Tar Heels.

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UNC commit G.G. Jackson stands out at USA Basketball camp

UNC basketball commit G.G. Jackson was named a standout at the USA Basketball camp in Houston over the weekend.

North Carolina commit G.G. Jackson hit the court for the first time since earning his No. 1 overall ranking in the updated list from 247Sports. And he certainly proved why he should be the top player.

Jackson is participating in the USA Basketball training camp in Houston this weekend hoping to land a spot on the U18 National Team for the upcoming FIBA America’s Championship in early June. And for Friday’s session, Jackson was the best player on the court according to 247Sports analyst Adam Finkelstein. 

Here is what Finkelstein had to say about Jackson’s performance at the camp on Friday:

He competed and played with a high-motor from start to finish, which allowed his athleticism to shine through on both ends of the floor. He was a lob threat, even in the half-court, and also very active rebounding the ball off both backboards, displaying very soft hands in the process.

While we know Jackson has increasingly versatile skill, he’s clearly focused on maximizing his efficiency in this setting and consequently playing with just the right inside-out approach that should give him the best chance of making the final roster.

Regardless of what happens for the remainder of the camp, Jackson was the best high school frontcourt player on the floor on Friday night.

The 6-foot-9, 210-pound Jackson committed to North Carolina a few weeks back, giving them another five-star recruit in the 2023 class. He’s elevated his game over the past few months, earning that top ranking and giving the Tar Heels an elite recruit.

For Jackson, the next steps are performing well in this camp and then wrapping up his senior season of high school ball later this year. Then UNC fans will be able to see him in action in Chapel Hill.

 

Where UNC five-star target ranks in updated rankings

We take a look at where top UNC basketball target Matas Buzelis ranks in updated 247Sports rankings.

As we push on for the Summer, recruiting will take center stage in college basketball. The UNC basketball program already has a great start to the 2023 class with five-star recruits [autotag]G.G. Jackson[/autotag] and [autotag]Simeon Wilcher[/autotag] already committed.

But Hubert Davis and his staff aren’t done just yet.

The top target left on UNC’s big board is five-star prospect [autotag]Matas Buzelis[/autotag] out of New Hampshire. Buzelis is a small forward that has a total of 13 offers in his recruitment with UNC, Duke, and Kentucky among others.

Earlier this week, 247Sports released their updated rankings for the class and while Buzelis dropped a few spots, he’s still a top 10 prospect. The site has him ranked No. 7 overall in the class, the No. 3 small forward and No. 1 player in his state.

It’s tough to tell where things stand in his recruitment right now but both Wilcher and Jackson are actively recruiting him. However, one analyst believes Kentucky is the team to beat.

The good news is that there is a long ways to go in this recruitment and UNC figures to be in it until the end.

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