Five things we learned about the Gamecocks from the SC Pro-Am
Carey Rich sat courtside all week, watching Gamecocks from as young as A.J. Lawson to as established as Carlos Powell.
No matter the age, talent was evident during the SC Pro-Am, Rich’s baby. The former South Carolina point guard and longtime contributor to the local hoops scene has been the leader of this event for seven years. It concluded Sunday with a Carolina-heavy championship before a good crowd at Heathwood Hall.
“One word that comes to mind for me was consistency,” Rich said, looking back on a week that began with Sindarius Thornwell and P.J. Dozier battling each other. “From day one, we had an unbelievable crowd all three games. Players were consistent with showing up and all of the games were consistently competitive.
“Right now, if there’s one word that best describes my emotion, it’s probably just the level of consistency that the entire Pro-Am showed over the last four days.”
The Jets -- a team highlighted by former Gamecocks Devan Downey and Frank Booker, plus current USC players Maik Kotsar and Jair Bolden -- beat Powell’s Bernie’s Chicken team in Sunday’s final.
“(The SC Pro-Am) is centered around the college guys,” Rich said, “but we can’t make it go, it’s not a special Pro-Am unless we’re able to reach back and allow the Devan Downeys and the Carlos Powells, those guys that are still on rosters, guys that play professionally. This is good for them when it comes to a safe and competitive environment, it’s good for them when it comes to live competition.
“But more importantly, think about what these young guys are able to learn from a Carlos Powell, from a Devan Downey. Somebody like myself, that’s far removed from my playing days, I can kind of offer instructions, but to get it from those guys, who are in the mix with them, I think serves as more valuable and more impactful.”
What did we learn from the Gamecocks this week? Let’s start with the old ones.
1. Downey, Powell still got it
Downey, who played professionally last season in Venezuela, scored a team-high 21 points in the championship. This came after USC’s fifth all-time leading scorer dropped 38 Wednesday.
“I’m like 3 or 4-0 in this,” Downey said, boasting about his Pro-Am track record. “They ought to rename it the ‘Devan Downey Invitational.’ I like that name.”
Powell, the 2005 NIT MVP who also played in Venzezuela last year and narrowly beat Downey for league MVP honors, had three double-doubles in four games.
2. T.J. Moss has a scorer’s mentality
What Frank Martin liked about Moss on the recruiting trail was his successful transition from scoring at Memphis East High School to distributor at Findlay Prep in Nevada.
The incoming freshman point guard was back in a scoring mode at the Pro-Am. His 25 points per game led the nine active Gamecocks participating. (He also took a USC-high 60 shots.)
“Moss is more of a scoring point guard, so to speak,” Rich said, “nice size.”
3. USC should be fine with Tre Campbell at PG
Moss and Campbell were on the same team at the Pro-Am. They combined for 47.3 points per game.
USC went through a season-long battle at finding point guard consistency last season. The Gamecocks have addressed the position with the Moss and Campbell additions. Campbell, a graduate transfer from Georgetown, appears poised to take on a starting role.
“He’s already run a major college offense before,” Rich said, “you can tell. He’s driven, he’s motivated.
“He didn’t play last year because of injury. Came out of high school highly touted, so he’s motivated to finish his college career in a fashionable manner.”
4. Lawson ‘jumps out at you’
It’s important to note A.J. Lawson was ranked among the class of 2019’s 40 best player before he reclassified late in the spring. The Candaian showed his potential at the Pro-Am by averaging 17.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and shooting over 51 percent from the floor.
“That’s the one guy that jumps out at you because his overall skill set is multi-dimensional,” Rich said. “He’ll be able to play every position on the perimeter -- 1, 2 and 3. He does it in a very comfortable manner, he does it with a flair.
“He’s the one guy I know will certainly have every opportunity to come in and impact this team right away.”
5. A healthier Hassani Gravett on tap for 2018-19
Beyond the new guys, three veteran Gamecocks participated. Kotsar won a title, Jason Cudd teammed with Dozier and Hassani Gravett showed off his skills at full strength.
Gravett said Wednesday that the ankle injury that sidelined him for three games in the middle of last season lingered as the year continued.
“My ankle had issues and I wasn’t able to display any athleticism,” Gravett said. “During this offseason, I’ve just been trying to get back in the groove of making athletic plays, whether it’s crashing the boards or showing that ability when I do get in the lane.”
Gravett averaged 16.7 points and four assists at the Pro-Am. A 22-game starter a year ago, Gravett’s role for 2018-19 will be interesting to watch. Can he start again? Or, with Campbell and Moss in the fold, is Gravett used as a top bench option who can play both guard spots?
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How the Gamecocks did at the SC Pro-Am
A.J. Lawson: 17.6 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game, 1.3 assists per game, FG percentage of 51.2
Alanzo Frink: 13 ppg, 4 rpg, 61.1 percent
Hassani Gravett: 16.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 4 apg, 41.3 percent
Keyshawn Bryant: 9.3 ppg, 6 rpg, 1 apg, 40.5 percent
T.J. Moss: 25 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.7 apg, 45 percent
Tre Campbell: 22.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 3.6 apg, 42.1 percent
Jason Cudd: 4.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 60 percent
Maik Kotsar: 12 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 3 apg, 62 percent
Jair Bolden: 17.6 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.3 apg, 51.2 percent
This story was originally published July 29, 2018 at 7:45 PM.