Freshman becomes third Gamecock in transfer portal since basketball coaching change
Another South Carolina basketball player is in the NCAA transfer portal.
Freshman forward Ta’Quan Woodley is the third Gamecock to announce plans to leave the program since coach Frank Martin was dismissed. The school confirmed Woodley’s departure Saturday evening and he later posted the announcement on Twitter.
All three announcements have come since the school officially announced Lamont Paris as the new head coach.
“I would like to thank Frank Martin and the University of South Carolina for taking a chance on a boy from Camden, NJ,” Woodley wrote. “From the moment I arrived on campus, I have felt nothing but love from the Gamecock family. South Carolina will always hold a special place in my heart.
“With Coach Martin moving on in his career, I feel that I need to explore my options and identify a situation that suits my needs. Hence, I have decided to enter the transfer portal. I look forward to talking to coaches and finding a new basketball home.”
Woodley joins Jermaine Cousinard and Erik Stevenson as Gamecocks who are the portal. The USC roster is also losing James Reese and AJ Wilson, who were graduate transfers this year.
The 6-foot-8 Woodley was a three-star prospect coming out of Camden High in New Jersey. He appeared in 26 games this season, averaging two points and three rebounds.
Being in the portal doesn’t guarantee a player will leave the program, though Couisnard indicated that he will not return to South Carolina.
In his introductory press conference Thursday, Paris said that one-on-one meetings with current players would start soon but he also said he wouldn’t “strong-arm” any Gamecocks into staying on the roster. Paris is already on the recruiting trail and has experience using the transfer portal with eight transfers on this year’s NCAA tournament Mocs team.
No current Gamecocks were seen in attendance Thursday at Paris’ first press conference. The new coach met with the team for the first time earlier Thursday.
“Some guys aren’t going to like me because I’m a new guy and I didn’t recruit them. And some guys are going to get a chance to get to know me and say, ‘Whoa, this is a fresh start and I can thrive in this guy’s system,’ ” Paris said. “That’s just how it is sometimes. I won’t strong-arm a young man into staying here if it is not the best thing for him. He isn’t going to perform well and not going to buy in.”
Gamecocks in the transfer portal
Ta’Quan Woodley (March 26)
Jermaine Couisnard (March 25)
Erik Stevenson (March 24)
This story was originally published March 26, 2022 at 8:19 PM.
