A Brian Bowen replacement? South Carolina makes next move on recruiting trail
A highly touted 6-foot-7 basketball player has a chance at returning to South Carolina for the 2018-19 season.
A.J. Lawson – not Brian Bowen, whose short USC career came to an end Wednesday when he decided, in midst of NCAA uncertainty, to remain in the NBA draft – made an official visit to Carolina last weekend. The Ontario native is ranked by North Pole Hoops, a Canadian recruiting service, as the No. 4 player in the country.
“We had a ball,” Anthony Lawson, A.J.’s father, said of the family’s trip to Columbia. “They set the table so high, I really connected with the coaches.”
With Bowen’s departure, USC coach Frank Martin has three open scholarships to round out this recruiting season. Possible fillers include York Prep forward D.J. Burns, New York forward Aundre Hyatt, North Carolina transfer Jalek Felton and Lawson.
Lawson, like Burns, has made a late switch to the ’18 class. Only R.J. Barrett (Duke signee), Simi Shittu (Vanderbilt) and Andrew Nembhard (Florida) are seen as better Canadian prospects.
“I think some of the most intriguing parts of his game are his length, athleticism and downhill speed,” said Elias Sbiet, a national recruiting analyst for North Pole Hoops. “I think those are things that translate both to the college level and to the pros as well.
“He has a rare combination of scoring tactics and scoring moves. It’s the full package when you pair it together with the athleticism and the speed. Overall, his physical skills, his mindset and his play-making ability set him apart from a lot of the other prospects in the class.”
Had Bowen played for USC, he would have been arguably the highest-ranked Gamecock to ever do so. The 2017 McDonald’s All-American was seen as a potential centerpiece for Martin’s team, a talented perimeter complement to All-SEC forward Chris Silva.
Could Lawson fill that void?
“There’s no doubt in my mind – and I’ve watched him play on several levels – that he’s not the type of guy that needs time to make adjustments,” Sbiet said of Lawson, who averaged 21 points a game last season for GTA Prep. “He’s adaptable. So any basketball environment that you throw him into, he’s just going to find a way to make it work.
“He’s a baller. He’s a bucket-getter. I look at him as one of those bona fide bucket-getters. You can throw him in the mix and he just knows how to play the game.”
Other possibilities for Lawson include SMU, Creighton and Oregon. The Gamecocks could have an edge because of local connections.
Anthony Lawson was born in Baltimore, but grew up in Summerton and played football at Scott's Branch. While in the Air Force, he was stationed at Shaw and lived in Columbia. He still has plenty of family around the state.
"They really have a good plan for A.J. and made us feel right at home," Anthony Lawson said of USC. "There's a trust factor in that the questions we asked for weeks and weeks now, if I asked them twice or three times, they come back with the same thing.
“And meeting all the staff and sitting down together, it was a very, very good gathering. And what's good is I've got family all around there. I hate to let my boy go, but it's looking good for there to be honest with you.
“I can't say yes, but I'm probably 90 percent.”
A decision is expected in July.
“If they get A.J. Lawson, you are adding someone on the wing and as a potential (point guard) that can not only run the offense, but facilitate and make an impact immediately in the NCAA,” Sbiet said.
“I think he’s an absolute steal.”
This story was originally published May 31, 2018 at 9:33 AM with the headline "A Brian Bowen replacement? South Carolina makes next move on recruiting trail."