To say that G.G. Jackson was wowed during his official visit to Duke this past weekend would be putting it mildly.
From answering the call of the Cameron Crazies to sit with them in the stands to chatting with Mike Krzyzewski to an eye-popping NIL presentation, Jackson referred to the visit as an “eye opener.”
“Definitely a 10 out of 10,” Jackson said. “Me and my family enjoyed ourselves a lot. We spent a lot of time with the coaches and had some important talks. It was a great visit.”
RELATED: Duke sits atop SI All-American team recruiting rankings
And scary.
Sort of.
Jackson described listening to Krzyzewski address the team before its game against Syracuse as “intimidating.”
“Man, it was so crazy to hear him serious, serious!” Jackson said. “I was shaking a little bit! That’s one of, if not the greatest coach of all time. He pulled me to the side and told me he liked my game and told me a couple of things he wanted me to work on. That was big for me.”
Equally monumental was the NIL presentation given to Jackson and his family by the new coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer and his staff.
“It was very impressive,” Jackson said. “I didn’t know the NIL could reach that far like into car dealerships and everything like that. It definitely opened my eyes to new possibilities.”
Jason Jordan/SI
Vast NIL possibilities are believable and the red-carpet treatment is understandable for a player of Jackson’s caliber.
At 6’ 9”, Jackson’s ability to create and efficiently knock down shots from all over the floor makes him a headache of a defensive assignment. He’s just as capable in the paint, using his quickness and agility to maneuver around for high percentage shots and dominate the glass on both ends.
Makes sense why Scheyer & Co. are playing up the comparisons to star freshman Paolo Banchero, the potential top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft this summer.
“They talked to me all weekend about coming in and being the go-to player,” Jackson said. “They showed me how I’d fit in and how the offense would work and things like that. On the ride home, me and my dad were talking, and we were both on the same page that I’d fit in well there. Now, I just have to keep my eyes open in this process because I’ve got great options.”
RELATED: SB Live/SI Power 25 Basketball Rankings
Jackson has already taken official visits to North Carolina and Georgetown and has a tentative plan to take an official trip to South Carolina on Feb. 4 before shutting things down to lock in mentally for his pursuit of the state title.
“After that, I’ll probably lock in dates for some more visits,” said Jackson, who received his latest offer from UCLA. “I definitely left the Duke visit knowing that this process was going to be really tough. We loved it and want to get back up there at some point. After the visits, I’ll come up with a top five or seven and then go from there. God willing, I would like to decide this spring, so hopefully he directs me and I can get that done.”
Jackson has already gained clarity on a different decision regarding his future plans.
“I’m not going to reclassify,” Jackson said. “I was really considering trying to join the 2022 class, but I definitely want to stay in my class and reach some of the goals I have for my senior year.”
