Jezelle "GG" Banks, the No. 4-ranked player and one of the top point guards in the SC Next class of 2027, has committed to South Carolina, she announced Saturday.
She is the Gamecocks' second recruitment of the cycle, choosing coach Dawn Staley's program over Texas and LSU.
"From my first time meeting Dawn, to Coach Jo and the staff making me feel right at home, I knew this was where I belonged," Banks told ESPN. "They never just recruited me as a player, they recruited me as a person, and they were honest with me about what it would take to get where I want to go. I want to compete for national championships, and I want to be pushed every single day."
The 5-foot-10 Banks is the highest-rated point guard to commit in the 2027 class and the fourth top-10 recruit off the board. She is one of the most gifted passers and playmakers of the past few classes and sees the floor in all dimensions. She is adept at living in the paint and causing chaos for defenses. She is also physical at the rim, creative in her finishes and a smooth pick-and-roll operator. As her perimeter shooting continues to improve, she will project even higher.
Last season, she led The St. James Performance Academy to the Chipotle Nationals in its first year. In the Nike EYBL this summer, she averaged 19.0 points, 5.5 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 47.4% from the floor and 76.1% from the free throw line. She was also part of the gold-medal-winning Team USA for the U18 FIBA Women's AmeriCup, where she averaged 13.8 points, 6.2 assists and 2.4 steals per game. She also participated in the WNBA All-Star Weekend, winning the Shooting Stars contest with Team Washington (Shakira Austin and Elena Delle Donne).
Banks gives Staley her most elite point guard recruit since Raven Johnson and joins fellow point guard Taylor Brown (SC Next 100 No. 30) in filling a crucial need for the Gamecocks.
They would join the No. 2-ranked 2026 recruiting class -- including forward Oliviyah Edwards (SC Next 100 No. 3), guard Jerzy Robinson (No. 6), forward Kaeli Wynn (No. 19), post Kelsi Andrews (No. 30) and French forward Justine Loubens -- in Columbia next season. With the presumed return of Joyce Edwards, Alicia Tournebize and Edwards inside as well as wings Jordan Lee and Agot Makeer, Banks could take the keys to a high-octane team upon her arrival next fall.
The Gamecocks are still in the mix for wing Jordyn Palmer (No. 7) and post Zaniya Johnson (No. 18) in the 2027 cycle.
