South Carolina basketball commit listed among "most explosive players" in 2025 cycle

South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris has a really nice recruiting class coming to Columbia next offseason. The Gamecocks currently have the 5th-ranked class in the country according to 247Sports, and USC has three players who are ranked as 4-star prospects or were ranked as 4-star players earlier in the recruiting process.

One of those 2025 commitments, Greenville native Hayden Assemian, is an extremely athletic power forward who has the potential to be a very good college player as he rounds out his game.

This week, national basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw of On3 released his top-10 list of the most explosive players in the class of 2025, and Assemian made the cut.

It's no wonder the 6'8" power forward was included on Shaw's list. His bounce pops off the screen when watching his film, and he has a quick "second jump" that allows him to pair his explosiveness with some hustle to earn extra rebounds and points around the basket for his team.

Next season, Assemian will spend his senior year with a new team. After winning a state championship and setting all-time rebounding and shot-blocking records for his Powdersville High School squad, he will take on a new challenge as he is transferring to be part of the Overtime Elite YNG Dreamerz squad, the same group that is led by fellow South Carolina basketball commitment Eli Ellis.

Both players have one more year before they join the Gamecocks, and the fact that they get to spend it together is nothing but good news for Lamont Paris' program. They should develop chemistry together, and Assemian will get a chance to play against tougher competition.

Assemian and Ellis are joined in the 2025 recruiting class by versatile forward EJ Walker, a player who has played virtually every position on the floor during his prep career.