South Carolina basketball adds late commit in high-scoring Miami guard Devin Carter
South Carolina basketball is no stranger to adding talent late in the recruiting process, and Frank Martin’s squad did it once more.
Miami guard Devin Carter committed to the Gamecocks on Friday afternoon, adding another backcourt option. He said in his commitment video that he’ll be part of USC’s 2021 class. He’ll attend Brewster Academy for prep school next season and join the Gamecocks after that.
“When I came here (to Miami), coach (Jorge) Fernandez, his coaching style represents a lot of what Frank Martin does,” Carter said in his announcement. “I played really well under coach Fernandez and the way he coached and everything. So I feel like it would be a great fit for me to go there.”
He had been a part of the 2020 class but opted to reclassify to 2021.
Carter’s top offers included Georgia Tech, Richmond and East Carolina. He stands at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds and played at Doral Academy.
Carter said Martin and assistant coach Chuck Martin recruited him very hard from the outset and that’s a big reason he decided to sign on with them.
“The relationship with coach Chuck Martin and coach Frank Martin,” Carter said. “Frank Martin came down to watch me work out privately, and then coach Chuck Martin came to watch the team practice not too long after that. They’ve always been in contact with me. And the style of play, their coaching style. I like they way they play the game, and I like how all their guards are lengthy and long, and it fits me.”
He’s ranked as the No. 217 player in the country by the 247Sports Composite rankings. That has him as the No. 41 shooting guard and 18th-best player in Florida.
Despite not playing the full season, according to his school’s MaxPreps, he averaged 28.8 points per game, 8.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals. He shot 38% from 3. He dealt with a shoulder injury last season.
“I think that everything that I have is what they are looking for,” Carter said. “(Scoring is) my number one trait, I’d say. Number two is probably my playmaking abilities. I know how to find teammates, find the open guys, get everybody involved. I can also score at all three levels ... get to the basket, mid-range, three pointer. I can really just score.”
The only guard who has departed this offseason was Jair Bolden, who left after one season (plus one year sitting out as a transfer) to go to Butler. USC is in line to return A.J. Lawson and Jermaine Couisnard, plus add Seventh Woods to the rotation after a transfer season.
Woods will exhaust eligibility after the coming season, and Lawson could be a candidate for the NBA draft.
Carter’s father, Anthony, played for more than a decade and works for the Miami Heat as a player development coach.
Brewster Academy has won back-to-back prep school national titles and seven total since 2010. Alums include NBA star Donovan Mitchell and Kansas All-American Devonte’ Graham. Carter will be playing with Zaire Wade, son of NBA star Dwyane Wade.
This story was originally published April 24, 2020 at 2:56 PM.
