South Carolina Basketball: What to expect from the newcomers in the 2023-2024 season
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina Basketball’s 2023-2024 Transfer Portal Class
BJ Mack: BJ Mack is the biggest (literally) transfer of the four-man class for the Gamecocks. Standing at 6’8″ and weighing in at almost 250 pounds, Mack has enough girth and strength to bang down low with anyone in college basketball. However, the Wofford transfer is skilled enough to score at all three levels of the floor with a soft touch down low and a very good jumper.
Mack has shot 36% from 3-point range in his career and 58% from inside the arc. In post-up opportunities, he scored 1.06 points per possession last season which put him in the 87th percentile in college basketball. In spot-up, catch-and-shoot scenarios, he also scored 1.06 points per possession which ranked him in the 76th percentile in college basketball.
That offensive versatility mixed in with his size allows Mack to play alongside any other type of forward.
Lamont Paris can play a defensive big like Josh Gray next to Mack, and Mack can stretch the floor. He can also play a shooting forward like Myles Stute next to Mack, and Mack can bang down low. He can even play the skinny, post-scoring shot blocker Stephen Clark, and Mack can play outside on offense and against a bigger body down low on defense.
You can watch some of his film here.
Myles Stute: Vanderbilt transfer Myles Stute is an interesting player. He shot 36% and 43% from deep the last two seasons but struggled some inside the arc. However, according to Stute himself, the combo forward was miscast at Vandy as a stretch-4 only instead of being allowed to play both forward spots depending on the matchup.
At 6’7″ and 215 pounds, Stute is physically strong enough to finish strong at the basket if he can get a defender on his back after a pump fake. He is also a willing rebounder when playing down low. If the Gamecocks employ a larger lineup with Stute at the small forward spot, his size could create mismatch issues. As a stretch-4, he can “out-athlete” many college bigs, as well.
Stute has shown some big-time potential on the defensive end of the floor, utilizing his long arms and athletic feet to stifle opposing ballhandlers and surprise drivers with steals and blocks from the backside. The production has not been consistent on that end of the floor, but if the South Carolina basketball staff can unlock him, they will have found a good and versatile defender.
With “3-and-D” potential and some positional versatility, Stute will see the floor early and often for the Gamecocks.
You can watch some of his film here.
Ta’Lon Cooper: A South Carolina native, Ta’Lon Cooper showed lots of playmaking ability on offense and disruption potential on defense while playing at Morehead State and Minnesota. With the Gamecocks, he provides a more traditional point guard archetype for Lamont Paris to utilize as Meechie Johnson and Jacobi Wright are off-ball guards who can dribble, not true point guards.
On offense, Cooper can be a floor general in the right situation as he has averaged 5.9 and 6.3 assists per game the last two seasons as a starter. He was in the top-20 nationally both seasons in distributions, and adds a little bit of scoring as a 37% 3-point shooter for his career. He did not have very many catch-and-shoot opportunities but was very efficient in those situations.
Cooper has averaged a steal per game for his career and has enough size defensively to shut down smaller guards at 6’4″ and almost 200 pounds. He also is an adept shot blocker for the position, reminiscent of former Gamecock guards Sindarius Thornwell and PJ Dozier. His strength is similar to a Final Four teammate of Thornwell and Dozier, defensive guard Duane Notice.
Cooper has a good chance to be the starting point guard for South Carolina basketball, and his size and defensive ability will make building a lineup around him that much easier.
You can watch some of his film here.
Stephen Clark: The first thing that stands out about Clark is that he is gangly. Entering his fifth year of college basketball, The Citadel transfer is still very thin to be a post player, but he has had a very productive college career playing down low in the Southern Conference.
As a scorer who averaged over 16 points per game in the 2022-2023 season, Clark is limited in what he can do, but he is very good at getting to his spots and converting. He took 72% of his shots at the rim last season at The Citadel, but he is crafty in the different ways he gets to the basket and shoots a pretty good percentage on those looks.
A gifted driver for a post player, Clark is extremely slithery and is able to slip by defenders and use his long arms to get off clean shot attempts. He also has a pretty good post-up game and can finish with either hand around the basket. He often utilizes a spin and a half spin, but they are effective moves for him despite the high volume.
Clark is a very good facilitator from the forward spot, especially excelling as a passer from the baseline and the high post. On defense, Clark gets pushed around, but he helps make up for it by being a very good shot blocker who averaged almost 2 blocks per game for his career.
Clark’s role will be tough to discern until the Gamecocks’ find their identity. Last year, there were times when there were multiple large garnet and black jerseys on the court together, and there were other times when the team “went small” with just one post player. Clark’s shot blocking and scoring ability at the rim will allow him to fit next to any of the other Carolina bigs, but it remains to be seen how coach Paris wants to utilize his forwards next year.
You can watch some of his film here.