South Carolina men's basketball head coach Lamont Paris has been hitting the recruiting trail hard in recent days. Most notably, the Gamecocks head coach has been dipping his toe into the international recruiting market.
On Friday, the Gamecocks picked up their third overseas recruit in Brazilian power forward Mathias Vazquez. First reported by Draft Express' Jonathan Givony Vazquez is 18 years old. Givony added that unfortunately Vazquez tore his ACL in May, so he will likely redshirt in 2026-27, adding he is one of the top international prospects this cycle:
Vazquez brings plenty of international experience for such a young player. He played most recently for Esporte Clube Pinheiros, and was also on Brazil's national team for the 2025-26 World Cup. He has also played for Real Betis Baloncesto B of the Tercera FEB, part of a Spanish basketball league. During the 2023-24 season, he averaged 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.2 assists in 23 games played according to his Wikipedia page.
This is South Carolina's third international signee in recent weeks. Paris signed Juan Fernández from Argentina earlier this week, and also added Hugo López from Spain. It appears that the Gamecocks are going to continue on with their international exposure and experience, too. Earlier this week, South Carolina announced that it would be playing in a tournament in the Bahamas in August before the 2026-27 regular season formally tips off.
Although Vazquez will not be able to suit up until likely next season during his injury, he will be one of several new faces to the Gamecocks' roster. The Gamecocks also added incoming transfers this offseason in Aleksas Bieliauskas from Wisconsin, former Drexel guard Shane Blakeney, former Texas forward Camden Heide and Alabama addition Davion Hannah.
During a season in which South Carolina finished 13-19, the Gamecocks will need all the help they can get, even if it comes overseas. Welcome to Columbia, Vazquez!
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