How South Carolina MBB’s transfer trio will impact the Gamecocks in 2024-25 season
The biggest X-factor for South Carolina men’s basketball this season will be the transfers.
Head coach Lamont Paris didn’t just bring in new talent — he brought in experience, leadership and a sense of humor with Nick Pringle (Alabama), Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State) and Jordan Butler (Missouri). These three aren’t just filling spots on the roster: They’re projected to be key pieces for the Gamecocks’ success this year.
Pringle and Thomas are likely starters, while Jordan Butler is set to play a pivotal role off the bench. Each transfer is acclimating differently: Butler, the quiet one, lets his game do the talking, while Pringle and Thomas have already earned reputations as the team jokesters.
“It’s been good ever since we got here,” Thomas said. “Everybody gets along. Everybody meshes well.”
Nick Pringle
Paris has praised Pringle throughout the preseason, emphasizing his leadership on and off the court. As a veteran transfer from Alabama, where he played in 36 games a year ago (starting 16) for a Crimson Tide squad that made the Final Four, Pringle’s experience is invaluable.
This is his fourth stop in his career, and it has set the stage for him as a vocal leader with the Gamecocks.
At a recent practice, Pringle’s voice was the loudest of the players — talking just as much as the coaches at times — as he directed players to open up the offense and stay sharp on defense.
But his impact won’t just come from leadership. The 6-foot-10 forward will also have to embrace a new role generating offense for South Carolina. Pringle averaged less than seven points per game last season, but this year, Paris has higher expectations. Pairing with sophomore Colin Murray-Boyles, Pringle will be key to USC’s offense in the paint.
“My goal is really to average a double-double this year,” Pringle said. “Once I set that goal, that’s what’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be really good just to see a different facet of my game, especially with Coach Paris allowing me to do more things on the court. Even if I make a mistake, I know it’s not in the back of my head, because he’s pushing me to go out and do those things, and he just wants me to be better.”
Jamarii Thomas
Thomas, last season’s MEAC Player of the Year, is competing for a starting guard spot. The Norfolk State transfer brings proven scoring ability, having averaged 17 points per game while shooting nearly 40% from 3-point range.
But for Thomas, the challenge will be finding a balance between scoring and distributing. He’s shown playmaking ability, averaging four assists a game last year, which is crucial for a USC squad without a clear-cut floor general.
“I didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes coming in here, but (Coach Paris) told me to step on the gas more,” Thomas said. “So lately, I’ve been stepping on the gas and playing my game.”
His dual-threat ability as a scorer and facilitator could make him a game-changer for the Gamecocks.
“I can get one (a score) when I want to,” Thomas said. “I’m not about to sit here and say I’m just about to score every time, but I want to get my teammates involved for real.”
Jordan Butler
Butler, a South Carolina product like Pringle, transferred from Missouri and will likely start his sophomore season coming off the bench. However, his shooting ability has already turned heads in practice. Paris and company have compared him to last year’s starter, BJ Mack, as a big who can stretch the floor.
“With him coming in, he’s gonna be like BJ, pretty much a stretch big,” Pringle said. “He can shoot the lights out. Jordan Butler, in my opinion, is one of our best shooters on the team. And he’s gonna surprise a lot of people this year.”
Standing at 7 feet, Butler fits perfectly into Paris’ system, which values tall players who can shoot. It’s no surprise the Gamecocks recruited him out of high school, even though he initially went elsewhere.
