Poll: Who are the greatest South Carolina men’s basketball players of all time?
The State is publishing a “Mount Rushmore of South Carolina Athletics” series this summer. Each week we’ll determine the best of the best for various Gamecock sports program. Last week we unveiled the Mount Rushmore of USC women’s basketball.
Up next: South Carolina men’s basketball.
After sorting through stats, records books and crowd sourcing on social media, The State compiled a list of 14 players across program history as the best to ever suit up for the Gamecocks.
Choose four players you think deserve to be on the Mount Rushmore of South Carolina men’s basketball. Make your voice heard and cast your votes below the bios. Vote as often as you like — and use the comments feature on this story to “write in” another one of your favorites.
We’ll unveil our own picks Monday for the Mount Rushmore of USC men’s basketball.
Player Bios
Devan Downey (2007-10): The Chester product started his career at Cincinnati before transferring back home to play for the Gamecocks. Downey was a three-time All-SEC player, two-time All-SEC Defensive Team member and two-time AP All-American honorable mention. He led the Gamecocks in scoring during his three seasons with the team, is No. 5 in the program record book for career points scored and is in the top five for various other program records. Downey was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
Mike Dunleavy (1972-76): Dunleavy played for legendary coach Frank McGuire during his tenure at South Carolina. He scored 1,586 points in his career, which ranks No. 7 in the all-time program record book. He was described by USC as a “deadly long-range shooter before the three-point shot was instituted” and is a member of the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.
Alex English (1972-76): English is one of, if not the, best players to ever put on a Gamecock jersey. He started all 111 games of his career and was an All-American during his time at South Carolina. English scored 1,972 total points in his career, the second-most of any other Gamecock in program history. To this day you’ll see his name peppered throughout the program record book. His No. 22 jersey was retired after his senior season in 1976, was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1988 and the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1997.
Jimmy Foster (1980-84): Foster nearly averaged a double-double (16.5 ppg/9.4 rpg) during his four years at South Carolina. He led the team in scoring during his final three seasons with the Gamecocks and led in rebounding the entirety of his career. Foster was an All-Metro player in 1984 and is No. 7 in program history with 1,745 total points.
Zam Fredrick Sr. (1977-81): During his senior year, Fredrick Sr. led the nation in scoring during the 1980-81 season when he averaged 28.9 points per game. He’s part of the 1,000 point club, was an All-American and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2002.
Kevin Joyce (1970-73): Joyce’s No. 43 jersey is retired and hanging in the rafters of Colonial Life Arena. He scored 1,400 points during his three seasons with the Gamecocks and averaged 17.3 points per game during his career. Joyce was an All-American who played on the US Olympic team in 1972 and helped South Carolina win an ACC Tournament title in 1971. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998.
BJ McKie (1996-99): The Columbia native finished his career with the Gamecocks as the program’s all-time leading scorer with 2,119 points. McKie was a member of the SEC All-Freshman team, a three-time All-SEC player and an All-American during his time at South Carolina. His No. 5 jersey is retired and he’s a member of the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame. McKie helped South Carolina win its only SEC regular-season championship in 1997.
Tom Owens (1968-71): Owens averaged 15.8 points and 13.3 points per game during his three seasons with the Gamecocks. He led the ACC in rebounding during each of those years. Owens was a three-time All-ACC player and earned All-ACC Tournament honors twice. He is a member of the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2004.
Tom Riker (1969-72): Riker scored 1,343 points during his three seasons with South Carolina. He averaged 15.8 points and 9.8 rebounds in his career and was a consensus All-American during his senior season. He was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009.
John Roche (1968-71): Roche’s No. 11 jersey was retired after an extremely successful three seasons with the Gamecocks. He was named the ACC Player of the Year in 1969 and 1970, was a three-time All-ACC First Team selection and two-time consensus All-American. Roche is No. 4 in total career points (1910), No. 3 in career points per game (22.5) and holds the program record for points in a game (56). He is a member of the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame.
Sindarius Thornwell (2013-17): Thornwell’s career is arguably the highlight of the last decade of South Carolina men’s basketball. The Lancaster product was the first, and only, player in program history to win SEC Player of the Year when he did so in 2017. He also earned All-SEC First Team honors that season as well as his second All-SEC Defensivee Team nod. Thornwell guided South Carolina to the Final Four in 2017 and is No. 3 on the program’s all-time scoring list with 1,941 points.
Grady Wallace (1955-57): Wallace’s No. 42 jersey was the first to be retired in program history. He averaged 28 points per game during his two seasons with the Gamecocks, which is still a program record to this day. He was a two-time All-ACC player, a consensus All-American and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 1968.
Melvin Watson (1994-98): Watson earned All-SEC Freshman honors in 1994 and ultimately finished his career with three All-SEC nods. He leads the program with 543 career assists and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2011.
Art Whisnant (1959-1962): The 6-foot-4 center nearly averaged 10 rebounds per game during his three seasons with the Gamecocks. Whisnant was a three-time All-ACC player for South Carolina and earned All-ACC Tournament honors twice. He holds the program record for all-time free throw attempts with 882 and was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
This story was originally published June 26, 2025 at 2:14 PM.
