Arden Conyers signs with South Carolina, takes pride in keeping his talents in-state
Before Arden Conyers stepped on the stage Thursday morning at Westwood High School’s auditorium, head coach John Combs pulled the senior aside.
Combs, the fourth-year Westwood coach, showed Conyers a picture of South Carolina’s 1997 Southeastern Conference championship ring. The Gamecocks went 15-1 in the conference that year on their way to the school’s first SEC title.
Combs was a manager on that team and is hopeful his player can help the Gamecocks win another conference championship.
“I showed him a picture of my SEC championship ring, and I said, ‘Go win one of these, get an even bigger ring.’ It is really cool to see coach (Lamont) Paris and the coaching staff get a good fit for the program. I’m excited to see what he is able to do.”
Conyers joined the Gamecocks’ 2023 class on Wednesday during the first day of the fall signing period. The senior is one of two USC signees for Paris, both with S.C. ties. Collin Murray-Boyles also signed Wednesday during the early period. Murray-Boyles attended A.C. Flora High his first three years but is playing his final season at Wasatch Academy in Utah.
“I’m grateful for the opportunity coach Paris has given me. It is a dream come true,” Conyers said. “I have always been a Gamecock fan since I was a kid and went to games. I really enjoyed that (2017) Final Four team and that run with guys like PJ Dozier. That was fun to watch.”
Conyers received a scholarship offer from USC in August and committed to the Gamecocks a week later. Conyers’ father, Alphonso, attended USC as a student but didn’t play basketball.
Alphonso Conyers remembers his son starting to play the sport at the age of 7 after the family got a basketball hoop and put it in the backyard.
“I never expected this to happen,” the father said. “When he started out, I thought it was something for him to do and play, but he has really worked hard on his game.”
Arden Conyers wasn’t in attendance at Colonial Life Arena for Tuesday night’s USC season opener, but he watched on television as the Gamecocks pulled out a three-point win over S.C. State. Four of USC ’s five starters were from the state of South Carolina, and Conyers takes pride in helping the program keep some of the top talent in-state.
“It was a close game but I liked what I saw,” Conyers said. “I like the way coach Paris talks to his team, motivates his team.
“The rest of the season, I will be paying attention to coach Paris, see how he subs, his system. On the court, I will watch how they play defense, how they talk, rebound, push the ball, their offensive sets. I’m really locked when I’m watching.”
The 6-foot-6 guard/forward is in the mold that Paris likes — big guys who can shoot from the outside.
Conyers had a strong end of his junior season for Westwood and carried that over to the summer. He was an all-region selection last season and averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game last season for the Redhawks.
Conyers will hit the 1,000 career points mark this season and was named one of the preseason “Elite Boys” players by the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association.
“I feel like I can bring a mixture of everything to the program,” Conyers said. ”I’m working on my defense now and that is a flaw I see in my game. But I want to bring that defensive intensity, along with my shooting ability along with my height and length. Those are the things I’m focusing on this year.”
This story was originally published November 9, 2022 at 12:08 PM.
