Offseason primer: A closer look at Lamont Paris’ USC roster as transfer season begins
The transfer portal just opened this week, and already hundreds of men’s college basketball players have entered their names — including a pair of South Carolina players.
This is the time for head coach Lamont Paris to truly make an imprint on USC’s roster after his Gamecocks finished 11-21 (4-14 SEC) in his first year at the helm.
Paris got a late start diving into the portal last year with the Gamecocks hiring him at the end of March, but the 48-year-old coach should be active this offseason. Paris has said he plans to heavily tap the transfer portal, which is a similar strategy he employed in building up Chattanooga in his five years coaching the Mocs.
Here’s an overlook of the roster and the kinds of players USC could be targeting.
Who’s staying?
First, the good news: The Gamecocks have at least three starters returning next season.
Guards Meechie Johnson and Jacobi Wright and big man Josh Gray all said after the team’s season-ending loss at the SEC tournament that they planned to return to next year’s team. All three players grew throughout the course of the season and should serve as foundational pieces for next year.
Johnson, an Ohio State transfer, started at point guard and finished second on the team with 12.7 points per game while wowing fans with his trademark deep 3-pointers. Wright and Gray were both holdovers from the previous year’s team. Both started on the bench and played their way into the starting lineup.
Gray became USC’s best big man, using his 7-foot frame to lead the Gamecocks with 6.3 rebounds per game. Wright started in place of guard Chico Carter Jr. after knee tendinitis effectively ended his season. Thought not the 3-point shooter Carter is, Wright grew as a scorer (7.3 PPG) and was a steady defender for Paris’ team.
The transfer portal always carries a degree of unpredictably, but as of now, Carter seems like to return for his final year of eligibility. Freshmen Zachary Davis and Daniel Hankins-Sanford — both raw but athletic — could be foundational pieces, as well — if they stay in Columbia. Both freshmen initially signed with Frank Martin’s staff but decided to stay with Paris and the Gamecocks.
Who’s leaving?
Gamecock fans wait with bated breath for star freshman GG Jackson to announce a decision for his future. Jackson hasn’t yet tipped his hand for what route he’ll take after leading the Gamecocks with 15.4 points per game. Declaring for the NBA Draft seems like the most likely outcome based on his professional projections. But in this new world of name, image and likeness deals and transfer portal flexibility, anything is possible.
Without a doubt, the Gamecocks will miss 24-year-old forward Hayden Brown, who exhausted his eligibility after transferring to USC from The Citadel. Brown finished third on the team with 11.4 points per game but might be missed most for his leadership and grittiness on the court.
Big men Ja’Von Benson and Tre-Vaughn Minott are the only two Gamecocks to enter their names in the transfer portal at this point. Neither player factored into USC’s plans this season, with Benson playing 17 minutes all season and Minott playing 18.
What does USC need?
A lot — especially after an 11-21 season. Most pressingly, the Gamecocks have to fortify their frontcourt.
Outside of Gray’s late-season emergence, USC got very little production out of its big men this season. Former Illinois player Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk opened the year as USC’s starting center but struggled to make an impact, averaging just 1.9 points and 3.1 rebounds per game. Though Gray proved an adept rebounder, his offensive game needs improvement, and the Gamecocks could use big men who have a few post moves in their arsenal. Wofford 6-foot-8 forward B.J. Mack is reportedly on Paris’ radar and averaged 16.6 points per game last year for the Terriers.
Otherwise, the Gamecocks need to add shooters — especially if Jackson does indeed go pro. While both Johnson and Carter had big games from beyond the arc, the Gamecocks as a whole were a poor shooting team, ranking 327th in the country with a 46.9 effective field-goal percentage, according to Kenpom.com.
This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 7:00 AM.
