Four-star center picks Frank Martin, Gamecocks

Frank Martin continues to scour the recruiting trail for high-level yield.

Sedee Keita, a 6-foot-10 four-star center who just enrolled at Greenville’s 22 Feet Academy, verbally committed to South Carolina on Monday. Keita is the No. 82 prospect nationwide according to Rivals.com and is the Gamecocks’ first pledge for the class of 2016.

The first day of the early signing period for basketball is Nov. 11. Keita is expected to sign his national letter-of-intent then. USC will have two scholarships remaining after Keita’s pledge.

“It does feel good being a Gamecock and relieving all this stress,” Keita said. “Coach Martin has a lot posts that he’s coached and the program is on the up and coming. It’s a fast-paced offense and that’s a style I could play in. It’s a great fit. I feel like it let’s me run up and down and that’s what I like to do.”

Keita had offers from a multitude of schools. He chose the Gamecocks over Tennessee, Syracuse, Mississippi State, LSU, Iowa State, Georgetown, Clemson, Baylor, Auburn and Arkansas, among others. The Gamecocks felt they had a strong chance after Keita recently visited campus and Keita announced his commitment with a picture of him wearing a USC uniform.

“He was going to pick the school he felt most comfortable with,” said 22 Feet coach Matt Schmidt. “He liked the fact that Frank teaches and utilizes big guys, and they really don’t have a big guy like Sedee with a face-up game. He sees himself as kind of a different post player for them, and that gives him a chance to earn some minutes.”

USC is still in the mix for five-star forward Dewan Huell of Miami, the No. 23 overall prospect in the class, and Columbia’s Seventh Woods. The Hammond School four-star guard, rated the No. 35 prospect in the nation, is thought to be between USC and North Carolina and will announce his decision on Nov. 11.

This story was originally published November 2, 2015 at 9:13 PM with the headline "Four-star center picks Frank Martin, Gamecocks."