South Carolina basketball: Carlous Williams commits to the Gamecocks

The South Carolina basketball program picked up a commitment last night from a 2021 forward prospect.

Carlous Williams didn’t wait long after his birthday to make his college commitment official. Soon after the clock struck midnight Wednesday morning, the Gulfport, Mississippi native pulled the trigger by picking the Gamecocks over offers from Baylor, Houston, Mississippi State, and Ole Miss.

A wing player, Williams is rated by 247Sports as a three-star prospect, and the 54th best small forward in the high school ranks. He’s viewed as the second-best player in the Magnolia State. He becomes the third commitment in the current South Carolina recruiting class, joining shooting guard Devin Carter and combo guard Jacobi Wright.

Williams, who plans to sign with the Gamecocks in April, noted the coaching staff as the reason for his commitment, in particular his recruiter Bruce Shingler. He offered the forward back in July.

"“I like Coach Shingler a lot. He’s a real cool guy. He’s real energetic and happy all the time. I like that about him; he brings a good, positive energy.”"

He also seems to be attracted to coach Frank Martin’s tough teaching style, and has built a strong relationship with the staff as a whole.

"“My coach said coach Frank is a hard guy. He’s going to coach hard and he’s going to motivate his players hard. I need a coach like that who is going to be 100 percent real with me and not going to hold anything back and let me know how it is. I feel like South Carolina is the best spot for me.”"

Last year, Williams averaged 13.9 points and 7.9 rebounds a contest. He’s now looking to translate his game to the college level, joining a program attempting to take the next step in the SEC.

The South Carolina class currently sits at 33rd nationally, sandwiched in between Penn State and the University of Richmond. It is seen as the 4th best class in the Southeastern Conference, behind just Arkansas, LSU, and Vanderbilt.