South Carolina basketball: two commits make significant jump in rankings
By Jacob Elsey
South Carolina basketball commits made huge jumps in the latest prospect rankings.
Frank Martin was able to assemble one of the best classes of his tenure in Columbia with the 2021 cycle, landing pledges from four notable prospects in the high school ranks. That class had been viewed as one of college basketball’s top 50 groups by 24/7 Sports prior to their final player rating adjustments, which came out this week.
Expect that ranking to move up as the Gamecocks saw two of their four commits mentioned as the class’s top risers. The site revealed players that made notable jumps in the latest ratings, a group that includes signees Devin Carter and Jacobi Wright.
Carter is the best of the bunch, earning a top 100 ranking and four-star evaluation. The shooter moved up 29 spots to land at No. 80 on the list. Carter is the most highly rated player to join the program since PJ Dozier back in 2015, and is now considered to be the seventh-best combo guard in the class.
"Why he rose: An extra year to add strength, become more consistent with his jumper and just grow overall as a player has done him wonders. For whatever reason, sons of NBA players have been proving to be guys that come on late in high school and early in college of late and Carter looks to be right in line to do the same. He should be able to play important minutes as a freshman and it is notable that future backcourt running mate Jacobi Wright rose 20 spots himself in this last update."
Carter wasn’t the only mover, though, as fellow classmate Jacobi Wright also jumped 20 spots in the latest rankings. A true point guard, he’s considered by 24/7 Sports to be the fifth-best player in the Palmetto State, and the 129th-best prospect in the cycle. The three-star ball handler is expected to land significant minutes early in his career, and should find himself in the rotation by season’s end.
Carter and Wright will be joined by class of 2021 bigs TaQuan Woodley and Carlous Williams, as well as transfers Erik Stevenson, James Reese, Chico Carter, and AJ Wilson. With the latest adjustments, 24/7 Sports now ranks South Carolina’s class No. 30 in the nation.