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South Carolina basketball: Gamecocks land fourth transfer

By Jacob Elsey

Mar 21, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; North Texas Mean Green guard James Reese (0) shoots against Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) in the second half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2021; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; North Texas Mean Green guard James Reese (0) shoots against Villanova Wildcats guard Justin Moore (5) in the second half in the second round of the 2021 NCAA Tournament at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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South Carolina basketball lands 4th transfer of the month.

Frank Martin has done it again, adding a fourth commitment from a player in the transfer portal this offseason. After securing the pledges of Erik Stevenson, Chico Carter, and AJ Wilson over the past few weeks, the Gamecocks will get some more help in the backcourt.

Palmetto State native, and 2020 NCAA Tournament participant James Reese has announced on social media that he’ll be joining the South Carolina basketball for his final season.

Reese has played at both Buffalo and North Texas, where he’s been a member of two March Madness teams. Last season was Reese’s best, as he averaged 10.9 points per contest to help lead the Mean Green to a No. 13 seed in postseason play. North Texas was able to take down the fourth-seeded Purdue Boilermakers in the opening round before falling to Villanova in game two.

In those two NCAA Tournament matchups, Reese notched 13 and 10 point performances, playing a combined 74 minutes.

For the season, the guard shot 42% from the field, including a 34% clip from three-point range. Reese finished the year as the team’s second leading scorer, tallying double figures in 18 of 28 contests, while also adding 4.3 boards, 1.5 steals, and 1.4 assists per game.

With the addition, Frank Martin further solidifies a roster that’s been in flux since the end of last season. Like the transfers before him, Reese should fit in nicely with his new head coach’s defensive philosophy after finishing among Conference USA’s top 10 leaders in steals. He brings a gutsy, gritty mindset to Columbia, and is sure to see a ton of minutes for the Gamecocks in 2021.

The additions of Reese, Stevenson, and Wilson will help shore up a unit that ranked dead last in the SEC in points allowed, while Carter will hope to bring some more offense to the guard position. The group is also experienced and proven at previous stops, which should allow for immediate contributions.

Like him or not, coach Martin has brought in a solid group of newcomers that should yield better results than what we saw last season.

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