South Carolina Basketball: Transfer portal commitment fills position of need for Gamecocks

For the second offseason in a row, the South Carolina basketball team is dealing with heavy amounts of attrition to its roster. Hayden Brown’s graduation, GG Jackson’s NFL decision, and five players entering the transfer portal will have Lamont Paris’ squad looking very different in 2023 than it did in 2022.

Incoming freshmen Collin Murray-Boyles and Arden Conyers have already had one transfer portal addition join their ranks as newcomers to the program. Ta’Lon Cooper, a South Carolina native who transferred in from Minnesota, will compete for the starting point guard spot as the Gamecocks look to put a more competitive team on the court next season.

On Monday, a second transfer portal player announced his intention to join the South Carolina basketball program. The Citadel transfer Stephen Clark told on3 that he will be a Gamecock.

Clark is a power forward who averaged 16.3 points per game last season and was an All-Conference performer in the SoCon. He also brought down 6.5 rebounds and blocked almost 2 shots per contest. At 6’8″ and 200 pounds, Clark is thin, but he helps make up for it with long arms and a crafty game. Clark is a capable low-post scorer, a decent mid-range shooter, and has the passing ability to make plays for his teammates.

Clark was teammates at The Citadel with 2022-2023 Gamecock grad transfer Hayden Brown. Despite possessing different builds, both players handled a substantial scoring load and played hard on defense. Clark will fill the role vacated by Brown’s graduation. Brown offered more in terms of outside shooting, but Clark will provide the Gamecocks with another shot blocker down low to pair with big man Josh Gray, something last year’s team did not have. Clark will have one year of eligibility remaining.

The Gamecocks are likely not finished in the transfer portal. After the season, seven scholarships were open, and two incoming freshmen and two transfer portal additions mean that three more roster spots are available. The team desperately needs to add an outside shooter with size (the only shooters on the team are all 6’2″ or shorter), and the roster is still in need of another forward, preferably one that can play both on the perimeter and down low, a role now empty with both GG Jackson and Hayden Brown no longer with the program.