South Carolina Basketball: Major transfer portal targets announces commitments

South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris has been working the transfer portal. After picking up a commitment from Palmetto State native Jordan Butler (a long 7-footer with shooting touch who spent his freshman season with the Missouri Tigers) last weekend, Paris had several other targets making visits and/or decisions this weekend.

Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers combo guard Dakota Leffew did not pick the Gamecocks when he announced his college decision (he elected to commit to his home state Georgia Bulldogs instead), but Alabama Crimson Tide transfer center Nick Pringle did, and his pledge to Paris and the Gamecocks left the South Carolina basketball program with one remaining scholarship.

With Pringle and Butler on board to shore up the center position and recent class of 2024 commitment Cam Scott in place to help out at shooting guard, the last spot on the roster seems destined to go to a transfer portal point guard. The top target seemed to be La Salle transfer Jhamir Brickus, and the Gamecocks had him on campus this weekend.

Another option at guard in the portal was Tulane transfer Kolby King, a player who had named the Gamecocks a finalist recently along with the Butler Bulldogs, Utah Utes, Dayton Flyers, and Michigan Wolverines. On Saturday, King announced his commitment to Butler.

South Carolina basketball fans had another disappointment Sunday night when Brickus announced his commitment to the Villanova Wildcats.

Bringing Brickus into the fold effectively would have sealed in place the 2024-2025 South Carolina basketball roster. However, missing on the talented point guard means that Coach Paris will go back to the portal to try to find another guard.

The transfer portal will be open for just a few more days, so any players who desire a change of scenery (even graduate transfers) will have to enter the portal soon. There is no "deadline" for players to commit after entering the portal other than academic deadlines for players' new schools.