Gamecocks offer fast-rising basketball prospect with SC connections

Four-star small forward Josh Reed of Pace Academy Atlanta is now on the radar of South Carolina and Clemson.

Gamecock assistant coach Will Bailey started to recruit the 6-foot-6 Reed at the end of last year. Clemson assistant coach Antonio Reynolds-Dean made contact with him about a month ago. Both programs offered him Friday.

“Coach (Frank) Martin called a month ago and introduced himself, and coach Bailey has been calling and texting a lot, recruiting me that way,” Reed said. “Also, my mom is from South Carolina (Rock Hill), so she was excited about that one. I know coach Martin is a really good coach. I like the program a lot. I like the facilities. It’s kind of close to home. And my grandma lives there (Rock Hill) right now, so if I go there she’ll be able to come and watch a lot of games.”

Reed puts the Gamecocks in a high spot in his recruiting at this point.

“I’m really interested in them, so they are probably towards the top,” Reed said. “They are probably towards the top. I really like the coaches and the program a lot.”

He has similar feelings for the Clemson program.

“I like Clemson a lot,” Reed said. “They’ve been recruiting me for the past month now. I’ve been talking to coach Dean a lot. He just called me the other day to say he’s going to offer me (which he did). I think I will fit in well. Coach Dean said the same thing. He said I am really versatile, and I’ll be able to fit in well with their program. I like them a lot.”

Iona offered Reed on Sunday. He also has offers from Arkansas, Oklahoma State, Georgia, Boston College, Xavier, Tulane, Rice, Georgia Mason, Penn, Florida Gulf Coast, Winthrop, High Point and Mercer.

Reed said there are no leaders at this point, and he will take visits in June, July, August and September. He plans to sign in November. Last season, Reed averaged 17 points and right rebounds per game. He’s ranked the No. 34 small forward nationally in the 247Sports Composite and the No. 7 prospect in Georgia.

Gamecocks make the cut with speedy receiver

Wide receiver CJ Smith (6-3 180) of Orlando is one of the top track performers in Florida, and he’s moving quickly with his recruiting process.

Sunday night he announced another shortening of his list, which is now down to a top five from a top 10. Surviving the cut were South Carolina, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida and Ole Miss.

Auburn was one of the big losers here because the Tigers had Smith scheduled for an official visit June 25. He now has officials set with Arkansas June 4, USC June 11 and Florida June 18.

Smith and Gamecock receivers coach Justin Stepp have a long history. Stepp first started to recruit Smith when he was at Arkansas and immediately transitioned that recruiting to the Gamecocks when he arrived in Columbia.

“He’s definitely a huge part of it,” Smith said about Stepp last month. “If he wasn’t there, I don’t think I would be having the conservation. He’s definitely one of the strongest relationships that I have. It’s because of honesty and our connection. He was also a receiver and he’s coached some really good receivers.”

Gamecock recruiting notes

• USC offered RB Anthony Hankerson (5-9, 190) of Fort Lauderdale. He’s rated a three-star prospect and ranked 32nd nationally among running backs. Arizona and Florida are also among his offers. He rushed for 1,178 yards and 14 touchdowns last season.
• USC offered 2023 safety Caleb Downs (5-11, 180) of Hoschton, Georgia. Per Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports, Downs will visit Clemson June 4.
• USC offered 2023 four-star tight end Luke Hasz (6-3, 220) of Bixby, Oklahoma. He’s rated the No. 1 TE nationally in his class in the 247Sports Composite. Last season he had 32 catches for 703 yards and nine touchdowns.
• USC offered 6-foot-6 basketball prospect Lewis Duarte of Charlotte. Rutgers and Creighton also recently offered.
• USC offered 6-foot-7 basketball prospect Christian Watson of Washington, DC.

South Carolina offers 9 from same Florida school

USC over the weekend offered numerous underclassmen from St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale:

• 2023 athlete Conrad Hussey (5-10, 170)
• 2023 wide receiverIsaiah Hardge (5-11, 160)
  
  
• 2023 safety King Mack (5-11, 180)
• 2024 wide receiverChance Robinson (6-1, 180)
  
  
• 2024 wide receiverEarl Kulp (6-2, 175)
  
  
• 2024 athleteJordan Lyle (6-0, 180)
  
  
• 2024 linebacker Nicholas Rodriguez (6-1, 180)
• 2024 safety Ryan Mack (5-11, 165)
• 2024 wide receiver James Maidson II (6-3, 170)

This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 8:34 AM.