South Carolina basketball fans experienced a bit of a shock on Monday as star guard Meechie Johnson announced his intention to leave the program via the transfer portal. Ohio State (where he played previously) seems to be the likely destination for the talented perimeter player.
On Tuesday, another Gamecock entered the portal, but this one was less surprising.
After two years with the program, Ebrima Dibba is entering the transfer portal to look for a new place to play, according to a report from On3's Jamie Shaw. Dibba originally played at Coastal Carolina before transferring to USC.
Dibba suffered an Achilles injury that made him a step slower than he was pre-injury, and because of that, he never found a footing with the Gamecocks. A versatile player who has played everywhere from point guard to power forward, Dibba will spend his final year of eligibility somewhere other than Columbia, South Carolina.
Dibba did not play during the 2022-2023 season as he rehabbed his injury, and he only saw action in the first game of the 2023-2024 season before a stretch of five appearances late in the year. He made one shot from the floor and one shot from the free throw line during his South Carolina basketball career and grabbed a handful of rebounds. He will be a 7th-year senior next year thanks to the "Covid redshirt" and two years missed due to injury.
With Johnson and Dibba departing the program and two freshmen (forward Okku Federiko and wing Trent Noah) coming into the program, the Gamecocks appear set to have three scholarships available to use in the transfer portal this offseason after the graduations of Ta'Lon Cooper, BJ Mack, and Stephen Clark.
Bringing in a guard or two (one who can play point guard) and a two-way big appear to be the top priorities for the team this offseason, but if the right player comes along, Coach Lamont Paris will be open to taking a talented player at any spot as he looks to rebuild his roster again heading into year 3 in Columbia.