GG Banks Decision Day: Where Things Stand
Five-star point guard Jezelle “GG” Banks will announce her commitment on Friday, October 9, choosing between South Carolina, LSU and Texas. She will announce in Delaware, according to ESPN. I couldn’t find a posted time or broadcast details, and I found no credible insider report on where she’s leaning.
Her profile
Banks is the fourth-ranked player in the 2027 class. She is a 5-star prospect, the No. 1 combo guard in the nation and the top player in Virginia. She attends The St. James Academy in Virginia after transferring from Delaware.
What she says she wants
Banks has been fairly open about her priorities. She told CBS Sports she wants a place where a coach will let her make mistakes. She also said in a summer interview that she sees South Carolina as a good fit and praised Dawn Staley’s program.
That is a double-edged signal. A player asking for freedom to take risks might gravitate toward a program where she’d have the ball in her hands, which fits how she described what she wants.
The case for each school
South Carolina
- Brown’s pledge. Taylor Brown, a five-star, committed last weekend.
- The visit. She visited the weekend of September 18 alongside Brown and Jordyn Palmer. One analysis says Staley hosting her as one of the final official visits could give the Gamecocks an edge.
- The risk: the style question. Earlier analysis suggested Staley’s demand for balance and defense may clash with Banks’s more freewheeling game.
LSU
- The early favorite. An On3 prediction page had LSU at about 31%, with Texas at 7.3%. That page is roughly six months old and predates her visits, so treat it as stale.
- The fit: Kim Mulkey’s offense has historically given guards freedom, and the program was pursuing her early.
- Fan chatter: some supporters in July suggested she was only adding other schools for leverage. That is opinion, not reporting.
Texas
- Consistent presence. She has listed Texas among schools where she sees herself fitting the system, and Texas was among her first official visits.
- The lowest early indicators. Texas trailed in older predictions, though those are outdated.
My updated percentages
These are my own estimates from public reporting, not insider information or a formal model.
| School | Estimate |
|---|---|
| LSU | ~38% |
| South Carolina | ~34% |
| Texas | ~28% |
South Carolina rose slightly from my earlier ~30% for two reasons: Brown’s commitment, and the fact that Staley’s staff secured a late official visit during a decisive window.
LSU still has a slight edge in my view because of the playing-style fit and early momentum. The gap is small, though, and a three-way split this close means any of them is plausible.
What to watch Friday
- Hat choice and any leaks from the ceremony or social posts.
- Reaction from Palmer’s camp. A Banks commitment to South Carolina could raise Palmer’s odds there.
- MacCalla’s timeline. Her South Carolina visit may move depending on Banks’s pick.
If she picks South Carolina, the Gamecocks would have two five-stars in a single week.
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