South Carolina Basketball – Jair Bolden to Transfer
By Jacob Elsey
Guard Jair Bolden has decided to transfer from South Carolina ahead of the 2020 basketball season.
First reported by Jeff Goodman, Bolden will be leaving as a graduate transfer and has one more year of eligibility before finishing out his career. The move opens up a spot for another transfer on Carolina’s roster, Seventh Woods, who sat out last season after leaving Chapel Hill for Columbia. The Gamecocks are now at the NCAA limit of 13 scholarship players, after having been one player over heading into the summer.
Bolden played only one season under head coach Frank Martin, where he averaged 8.5 ppg, good for fourth on the team. He also led the Gamecocks in 3-pt shooting, and was second in 3-pt makes. The Brooklyn native saw action in 30 of Carolina’s 31 games, shooting 41% from the field.
Bolden reached double figures in 15 of his 30 games played. His best moment as a Gamecock came in the non-conference slate when South Carolina took on defending national champion Virginia. The sharp-shooter scored 22 pts going 8-of-13 from the field as the ‘Cocks were able to secure the upset in Charlottesville.
Prior to arriving in Columbia, Bolden spent two seasons at George Washington University. He played 67 games for the Colonials, where he averaged just under 8 ppg. As a sophomore, Bolden started 24 games and scored 11.2 ppg, both career-highs.
Even with Bolden moving on, Frank Martin’s team is still deep at the guard position. They return Jermaine Couisnard, Trae Hannibal, AJ Lawson, and TJ Moss, while also adding the aforementioned Woods. Bolden has not yet chosen where he will spend his final season.