South Carolina Basketball: Former Gamecock starter finds himself back in the SEC

A former South Carolina basketball starter has made his way back to the Southeastern Conference. Wilden Leveque, who started 51 of his 80 games in garnet and black, was in Columbia for three seasons, playing under coach Frank Martin.

When Martin was dismissed following the 2021-2022 season, Leveque followed Martin to UMass where he was the Minutemen’s starting center. However, utilizing his extra year of eligibility granted by the “Covid redshirt,” Leveque is on the move again and will play against his old team.

A Monday transfer portal commitment announcement from the 6’10” big man indicated that he will finish his collegiate career at Texas A&M playing for coach Buzz Williams.

Leveque will battle for a rotation spot with the Aggies, but his long arms and solid defensive effort and offensive rebounding likely means he will be able to secure a role in College Station.

During his 4-year career, Leveque has only averaged 5.1 points per game but has brought down 4.1 rebounds and blocked a shot while playing just 17 minutes per game. Foul trouble has always been a issue for Leveque as indicated by his low output of minutes despite his role as a primary starter.

8 of Leveque’s 14 career double-digit scoring outputs while playing for the Gamecocks came against SEC competition, including one against Texas A&M during the 2020-2021 season. He also blocked 3 shots against the Aggies, good for his second-best output as a member of the South Carolina basketball program.

Leveque and the Texas A&M Aggies will host South Carolina basketball during SEC play of the 2023-2024 season. Last year’s matchup between the two squads was ugly as A&M blew out the Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena in Columbia.