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South Carolina Basketball – Projecting Next Season’s Starting Lineup

By Jacob Elsey

AUBURN, AL - JANUARY 22: Jermaine Couisnard #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives around Allen Flanigan #22 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half of the game at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL - JANUARY 22: Jermaine Couisnard #5 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives around Allen Flanigan #22 of the Auburn Tigers during the second half of the game at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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AUBURN, AL – JANUARY 22: A.J. Lawson #00 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives down the court as Samir Doughty #10 of the Auburn Tigers defends during the second half at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
AUBURN, AL – JANUARY 22: A.J. Lawson #00 of the South Carolina Gamecocks drives down the court as Samir Doughty #10 of the Auburn Tigers defends during the second half at Auburn Arena on January 22, 2020 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

SHOOTING GUARD

STARTER – AJ Lawson (13.4 PPG)

RESERVE – Jair Bolden (8.5 PPG)

RESERVE – TJ Moss (2 PPG)

Shooting guard is a place where we could potentially see some movement.  AJ Lawson has two years of eligibility remaining but could opt to leave school early to enter the NBA Draft.  If he does choose to go pro, you could see Woods and Jair Bolden team up to fill the void.  That being said, I am expecting Lawson to come back for his junior season.

Lawson was the Gamecocks’ leading scorer last year, averaging 13.4 PPG.  He also finished 2nd in steals and 3rd in assists.  He scored double figures in 23 of South Carolina’s 31 games, eclipsing 20 points six times.  He has been a starter since the day he stepped foot on campus, and that won’t change in the 2020-21 season.

Jair Bolden saw his first action as a Gamecock last year after transferring from George Washington.  He played in 30 games, averaging around 21 minutes per game.  Bolden is probably the team’s best jump shooter, and he put his skills on display, shooting over 41% from beyond the arc in 2019.  The junior led the Gamecocks in 3-pt shooting percentage and finished second in 3-pt makes.

Based on production from last year, Moss will most likely be behind Lawson and Bolden.  He played in 30 games but did not make a start.  Moss finished 5th on the team in assists, but shot only 27% from the field.  He’ll need to improve that number and cut down on turnovers if he wants to see more time on the court, but he has shown the potential to be productive.  His best game of the season came against Kentucky when he scored 10 points off the bench to help the Gamecocks upset the Wildcats.

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