South Carolina basketball: AJ Lawson’s stock rising ahead of NBA Draft

AJ Lawson could be South Carolina basketball’s next NBA star.

South Carolina basketball star AJ Lawson entered the NBA Draft process for the third and final time this offseason, meaning his career in Columbia has come to an end. While he’ll no longer don the garnet and black, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Gamecock fans will have to stop watching him.

Lawson has been preparing for the next level all Spring, and it appears that his hard work could be turning into a late round selection in next month’s draft. The guard’s stock is skyrocketing this week following an invite to the G-League Elite Camp and a stellar performance in the NBA Combine.

Lawson began turning the heads of NBA scouts with his sharpshooting abilities, at one point in his Pro Day performance draining more than 20 consecutive three-point attempts. He also posted a game line of 17 points, seven boards, seven assists, and four steals during one of the combine’s five-on-five sessions.

Lawson spent three seasons with the Gamecocks, leading the team in scoring his final two campaigns. As a freshman, he averaged 13.4 points a contest, and started receiving some NBA buzz heading into his sophomore season. The year, unfortunately, didn’t take off quite like the guard wanted, though he still kept that 13.4-point average.

Last year, though, Lawson saw a jump in his scoring output by pacing the team at 16.6 points per game. He posted career highs in scoring, made three’s, and steals.

Now, he’s looking to make an NBA roster, and it seems that’s becoming more and more of a possibility. Here’s what Sports Illustrated’s Jeremy Woo had to say about Lawson ahead of the draft.

AJ Lawson, G/F South Carolina
Height: 6′ 6″ | Weight: 180 | Age: 21 | Junior

"Give Lawson a lot of credit… (h)e was one of the more active, driven players in Chicago this week and has revitalized his draft stock, with a strong chance of being drafted in the second round… He’s trending in a good direction with a month to go until the draft.Once viewed as a ball-dominant, playmaking wing, Lawson has reinvented himself as a high-energy complementary player, earning positive reviews for his defense and activity level, and looking extremely explosive in game situations… (H)e’s working himself into the 31–45 range."

The review seems positive for Lawson, who could now hear his name being called on draft night. If so, he’ll be the first Gamecock selected since Sindarius Thornwell back in 2017, and he’ll have a chance to join Thornwell, PJ Dozier, and Chris Silva at the next level. The NBA Draft is set to take place on July 29th.