South Carolina basketball has signed a nice ’21 class.
South Carolina head coach Frank Martin has constantly taken heat for his perceived lack of success on the recruiting trail. While he did bring in five-star point guard PJ Dozier and four-star forward Sindarius Thornwell, most point to his missing on in-state superstars Ja Morant and Zion Williamson when making their points. Many also believe that players in this era of basketball don’t want to play for a coach with his teaching style, which to some degree, can be true.
Fair or not, the truth is that the head coach has signed just one four-star player since the Gamecocks’ Final Four appearance (AJ Lawson), and the program has seen a dip in recruiting over the last three or four years. But coach Martin is bucking that trend in a big way with his latest class signing.
Rivals recruiting recently updated its top 150 rankings for the class of 2021, and the Gamecocks found two signees ranked within the nation’s top 115 prospects. Devin Carter of Brewster Academy in New Hampshire is rated as the country’s 88th best player, while Greenville’s Jacobi Wright is ranked 111th.
Carter, the son of former NBAer Anthony Carter, has seen his stock skyrocket over the last few months, cracking the top 100 in a number of recruiting rankings. He’s viewed as a potent scorer after being named Mr. Basketball in Miami, scoring nearly 30 points a game and leading the team in rebounding as a high schooler. He’s since transferred to Brewster for a season prep ball.
Wright is a member of Legacy Charter in Greenville, and falls just outside the top 100 in the Rivals rankings. He projects to be a point guard at the next level, and will likely see early playing time for a Gamecocks program that’s going to lose some experience in the backcourt next year.
Here’s what Jamie Shaw of Palmetto Preps had to say about Wright’s abilities.
"Perhaps the most underrated player in South Carolina from the national lens, Wright has complete control of his team as he takes care of possessions, defends the ball, makes his teammates better and knocks down shots. A winner."
These two additions will be key to the success of the team moving forward. South Carolina currently has Jermaine Couisnard, Keyshawn Bryant, and a handful of incoming transfers at the guard position, though there will be some turnover following the 2021 season. The Gamecocks will need quality replacements sooner rather than later, and these two talented prospects could be the answer.