South Carolina Basketball: Former Gamecock announces transfer portal commitment

Last week, South Carolina basketball fans were disappointed to learn that guard Meechie Johnson was leaving the program via the transfer portal.

Johnson, who transferred in from Ohio State two years ago, was an All-SEC 2nd team producer this season, and he seemingly had become ingrained in the Columbia community during his time in garnet and black.

It didn't take long before rumblings indicated that the Ohio native likely was headed back to Columbus, marking potentially the first time an Ohioan moved to South Carolina and then elected to move back to Ohio (if you know, you know).

That news was confirmed on Tuesday as Johnson unsurprisingly announced on social media that he, indeed, was committing to the Ohio State Buckeyes, saying that he "can be a leader and role model in communities elsewhere", but that "it doesn't have the same impact as it does" in his hometown.

In his long message to Ohio State fans, Johnson also revealed that he was signing an NIL deal with the Buckeyes (one that is rumored behind the scenes to be quite large).

Johnson will be difficult to replace for the Gamecocks because he did multiple things for Lamont Paris' team. He could score (albeit, not efficiently), he could pass as a secondary playmaker and distributor, and he was a solid perimeter defender. South Carolina basketball has to replace him and graduating point guard Ta'Lon Cooper on the perimeter.

Players like JP Pegues (Furman) and Jordan Sears (UT-Martin) are among the guards Coach Paris and his staff are in on in the transfer portal as they search for Johnson and Cooper replacements.

Johnson is not the only Gamecock to enter the transfer portal so far this offseason as reserve Ebrima Dibba is in the portal after failing to find a place in the USC rotation since his Achilles injury last year.