South Carolina basketball: Seventh Woods to transfer, Frank Martin’s son joins team

South Carolina basketball lost one player, but added another.

It appears the final movement on the South Carolina basketball roster is coming to a close. Over the offseason, the Gamecocks saw Trae Hannibal, Jalyn McCreary, TJ Moss, Trey Anderson, and Justin Minaya opt to enter the transfer portal following the 2020 season. Leading scorer AJ Lawson is also gone after declaring for the NBA Draft in late April.

To make up for the departures, coach Frank Martin added transfers Chico Carter (Murray St), AJ Wilson (George Mason), Erik Stevenson (Washington), and James Reese (North Texas). All four are now on campus, and they’ll hope to restore a South Carolina defensive mindset that was lost in last year’s six-win season.

On Wednesday morning, it was announced that point guard Seventh Woods would also be leaving the program, choosing to join his third roster for his final season. Woods, a former four-star prospect and high school phenom, began his career at North Carolina. The point man played in 94 games for the Tar Heels, averaging 8.7 minutes, 1.8 points, and 1.5 assists per contest. He helped the program win a national title as a freshman, but left the team to come to South Carolina for what he thought would be his final campaign.

For the Gamecocks last year, Woods averaged 5.4 points and 1.9 assists over 18 games. The year would’ve been his fourth and final, but with the Coronavirus pandemic affecting the 2020-21 season, eligibility restrictions were lifted. That essentially gives Woods a free year to play. Rather than finish out his career in Columbia, the guard has opted to give it a go elsewhere.

The loss hurts the depth a bit in the backcourt, but it may be the right move for Woods. As a “super senior,” he’s likely focusing on a spot where he can maximize playing time. While he did start 13 games last season for the Gamecocks, Woods would’ve been buried down the depth chart with South Carolina adding three new guards over the offseason.

Frank Martin’s son to join the South Carolina basketball team.

Earlier in the week, it was announced that head coach Frank Martin’s son, Brandon, would be joining the South Carolina basketball roster following a three-year stint at USC Upstate.

https://twitter.com/Kvng_0/status/1399513143433388032

Martin, a 6-foot-5 forward, averaged 5.3 points per game with the Spartans over his three seasons, while shooting 50% from the field. He missed most of last season as he dealt with injuries, only appearing in seven contests. Martin joins a South Carolina frontcourt that’s expecting to have Alanzo Frink, AJ Wilson, Wildens Leveque, and Javon Benson back down low. He can likely fit into a role on the wing, filling the voids left by transfers Trey Anderson and Justin Minaya.

Martin will probably walk-on to the squad rather than taking up a scholarship. Now, South Carolina must await the final decisions of Jermaine Couisnard and Keyshawn Bryant, both of whom declared for the NBA Draft without signing an agent. Coach Frank Martin has said he expects both to be back in Gamecock uniforms next year.