The Daily Gamecock

Martin trims roster, dismisses Doby

When rising sophomore forward Raymond Doby joined Eric Cobb and Jamall Gregory as Gamecocks to receive criminal charges for marijuana possession, it seemed inevitable that Doby would be joining the pair on another list: Players to be dismissed from the South Carolina men's basketball team. Doby's time in Columbia came to an unceremonious end Wednesday, as coach Frank Martin announced the 6-foot-6 forward is no longer a part of the team's future.

“Unfortunately, as our end-of-year meetings continue to happen, Raymond Doby and I agreed that a change of scenery would be good for him,” Martin said Wednesday. “Ray is a fine young man, and we wish him nothing but success.”

Doby appeared in 16 games for South Carolina last season, averaging 6.8 minutes, 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds. He never scored more than eight points in a game, nor did he record more than four rebounds.

Doby's dismissal allows the Gamecocks to bring in six scholarship players for the 2016-17 season without exceeding the NCAA's limit of 13. Freshmen Rakym Felder, Khadim Gueye, Maik Kalev-Kotsar and Sedee Keita will be joined by sophomore Hassani Gravett, a junior college transfer. Kory Holden, who averaged 17.7 points per game in 2015-16, will sit out the upcoming season due to the NCAA transfer rules before using the final two years of his eligibility.

Doby was not one of the five players suspended prior to South Carolina's NIT opener, nor was he involved in the property damage involving a BB gun, but his marijuana charge was filed on March 26, the same day as those of Cobb and Gregory. Chris Silva, Marcus Stroman and TeMarcus Blanton, the other players linked to the property damage, are still suspended indefinitely, Martin told boosters on May 5.

The dismissals of Doby and Cobb, coupled with the departures of seniors Laimonas Chatkevicius, Michael Carrera and Mindaugas Kacinas, could give South Carolina a depth issue in the frontcourt next season. Silva is the only returning big man who has cracked the starting lineup in garnet and black, starting six games last season. Keita, a four-star power forward according to 247 Sports, and Gueye, a 7-foot-1 center, may see considerable playing time as freshmen for the guard-heavy Gamecocks.


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