South Carolina adds touted in-state prospect with commitment of Jalyn McCreary
South Carolina’s 2019 recruiting class will include two in-state players after all.
Jalyn McCreary, a top 150 prospect who attends Greenville’s Legacy Charter School, has committed to the Gamecocks. He joins Hartsville point guard Trae Hannibal as SC products in Frank Martin’s incoming class.
There were several things that attracted him to the Gamecocks.
“The facilities, the environment,” McCreary said. “They treat you like you’re one of their’s. The players are real cool and I just felt like I should commit there and it would feel like home. And it’s close to home.”
The 6-foot-8, 225-pound McCreary was offered by Martin during an official visit to USC over the weekend.
McCreary said the Gamecocks have been recruiting him for about two months and over that period he’s gotten to know Frank Martin and watch him coach up his team. He likes Martin’s style.
“He’s very tough, and I know that, and he’s going to coach me even harder and make me better,” McCreary said. “I’ll feed off the energy. I feed off energy like that.”
McCreary, an Acworth, Georgia, native, transferred to Legacy Charter from the Peach State’s Kennesaw Mountain High School. He averaged 18 points and six rebounds a game this season for Legacy Charter, a team that finished 34-5.
“Coming over from Georgia,” said Legacy Charter coach B.J. Jackson, “I was always told that he was athletic and plays hard and stuff. And then to get him actually in the gym, working with him, he’s a dog. He plays hard, he has a high motor. He loves challenges and stuff, especially when the crowd gets involved — yelling at him, hollering at him, it fuels him.”
A variety of programs came to visit McCreary at Legacy Charter, including Pittsburgh, Xavier, DePaul, South Florida, Wofford and Murray State. Recruiting site 247Sports lists Xavier, DePaul and Georgia State as his offers.
At No. 143 by 247Sports, McCreary is the highest ranked USC pledge since Sedee Keita (No. 111 in ‘16 class). The USC staff views McCreary as a “hybrid four (power forward)“ with SEC athleticism who can help the fill the void left by the departed Chris Silva.
“Jalyn will be able to come in and be a contributor right away, especially in that four-spot with his athletic ability,” Jackson said. “He can guard one (point guard) through four (power forward). With his length, he’s able to do a lot of things.
“I tell people, if he gets to that left side, there’s nobody in the country that can stop him.”
He’s also a fan of getting on the run.
“I’m a transition player and rebounder and just try to affect the game,” McCreary said. “Hopefully I can help them win games and make the tournament.”
McCreary’s commitment fills the lone scholarship left open by Jason Cudd’s transfer.
South Carolina 2019 basketball recruiting class
F Jalyn McCreary — three stars*, Acworth, Georgia
PG Trae Hannibal — three stars, Hartsville
PF Wildens Leveque — three stars, Brockton, Massachusetts
W Trey Anderson — two stars, Santa Ana, California
This story was originally published April 1, 2019 at 7:13 PM.
