On Thursday, South Carolina basketball fans learned that they can get a sneak preview of some future Gamecocks this December.
The Bash, a big-time tournament and showcase held every year in Columbia, will play host to a number of elite teams and players, including USC pledges Eli Ellis and Hayden Assemian who play for Moravian Prep and the YNG Dreamerz Overtime Elite squad. The rest of the field will be made up of a combination of local schools such as Ridge View High School, Keenan High School, and Wilson High School and national powerhouse programs like Prolific Prep, Huntington Prep, and IMG Academy.
Hayden Assemian was the first commitment for the Gamecocks in the 2025 class. He played his first three years of high school ball at Powdersville High School, setting school records for rebounds and blocked shots while leading the program to its first state championship earlier this year. Listed between 6'6" and 6'8", Assemian is an athletic power forward who is improving as a shooter and ballhandler to increase his positional versatility. He transferred this summer to join Eli Ellis with the Moravian Prep and Overtime Elite programs.
Eli Ellis joined Assemian as a South Carolina basketball commitment last fall and is one of the most dynamic scorers in the entire country. An elite shooter, ballhandler, and layup finisher, Ellis overcomes a lack of size and athleticism to be a well-rounded offensive player who can put the ball in the basket from just about anywhere on the court. Ellis' point guard acumen has been improving as he has become a better passer, especially on drive-and-dish opportunities, and he can play off the ball as a shooting guard, as well.
Both Assemian and Ellis will join Lamont Paris' South Carolina basketball program next year and could be instant-impact freshmen. Versatile forward EJ Walker is also in the class, and big-bodied forward Zymicah Wilkins is still a major recruiting target for the Gamecocks.
Ellis is a consensus 4-star player, Wilkins and Walker are rated as 4-star prospects by at least one major recruiting outlet, and Assemian is a former 4-star recruit who has an extremely high upside as an athlete. All four players are ranked inside the top-150 national prospects by at least one outlet.