After coming off an underwhelming 2024-25 season, the South Carolina men’s basketball team looks to flip the script from last season with an almost completely new roster. Out of the fifteen players on the roster, only three of the players were a part of last season’s team.
South Carolina was picked to finish last in the SEC in preseason media polls. The Gamecocks finished dead last in the conference last season after posting a 12-20 overall record and a 2-16 record in the SEC. Despite the polls, Paris and his staff are still looking forward to the opportunities ahead.
“Very excited to be back,” Paris said. “An exciting group that we have. Much more experienced group than what we had. There are a lot of similarities in this year's group to the 2024 group that was referenced that made the NCAA tournament in terms of experience.”
One major component of the success that 2024 team had was guard Meechie Johnson. After transferring to South Carolina in 2022 from Ohio State and then transferring back to the Buckeyes for the 2024-2025 season, Johnson makes his return to the Gamecocks in 2025 as a redshirt senior.
"My coaches ... my teammates, they just all welcomed me back,” Johnson said. “South Carolina was a place that I had success at, we won a lot of games, so just to be able to come back and be with these guys, it meant everything.”
During his time at South Carolina, Johnson averaged 13.4 points per game, 3.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game over the two seasons. He was the team’s leading scorer in the 2023-2024 season and helped lead the Gamecocks to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2017. Johnson was also a Second Team All-SEC selection in 2024.
In addition to Johnson’s return, the Gamecocks return another veteran guard in redshirt senior Myles Stute. Stute was granted another year of eligibility after missing most of last season with an injury.
“When you have, as you’re starting to try to teach all these guys, you have older guys that know terminology, they know what your expectations are, they know some of the plays, I think that’s really helpful,” Paris said. “These guys have both been in the league for a long time.”
Stute, who was also a member of the 2024 tournament team, made 14 starts last season as a senior and averaged 5.4 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists before the injury.
“It means everything to me (to be back),” Stute said. “Last year, wanting to be out there with my guys and not having the opportunity to do so just because of my health, (I’m) just thanking God that I’m 100% healthy again and also to be able to have that year back just means the world to me.”
Sophomore guard Cam Scott returned this year after making 26 appearances last year. Scott averaged 2.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game as a freshman.
In a new age of college athletics, South Carolina was one of the many teams who utilized the transfer portal.
“As everyone knows, we’re in different times,” head coach Lamont Paris said. “You got more new faces, I’m sure every team does, particularly in our conference, which had grown accustomed to not only a tremendous level of talent, but a lot of familiar faces.”
Senior guard Mike Sharavjamts, who spent last season at Utah, helps lead the incoming transfer class. He averaged 7.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists last season for the Utes. Sharavjamts has spent all four years of his collegiate career at different schools, making stops at Dayton and San Francisco in addition to Utah and South Carolina.
“I was trying to play at the highest level I can play possible,” Sharavjamts said. “It’s been different every year in the new system and new people … Now it’s my last year, my last season with this team, so I feel like it’s going to be great.”
The Gamecocks lost three forwards after last season in Colin Murray-Boyles (16.8 PPG), Nick Pringle (9.5 PPG) and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (1.1 PPG) and looked to replace the experience that was there. Junior forward Elijah Strong and senior forward Nordin Kapic both bring that experience to the new roster.
Strong played his first two seasons at Boston College where he averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds last season. Kapic spent two seasons at Division II Lynn and last season at UC San Diego, where he made 34 appearances, averaging 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds as a junior.
Five freshmen join the roster this season for Paris’ staff. Three-star guard EJ Walker was the No. 2 prospect in Kentucky and has already earned praise from Paris.
“EJ Walker is an extremely intelligent player,” Paris said. “Then he’s also an extremely intelligent basketball guy ... He’s a versatile guy.”
Four-star guard Eli Ellis enters his freshman year as one of the Gamecocks top recruits. Ellis played at Moravian Prep and the YNG Dreamerz in Overtime Elite (OTE).
Freshman guard Abu Yarmah and freshman forward Hayden Assemian also join Ellis at South Carolina from OTE. Three-star guard Grant Polk rounds out the freshman class for the Gamecocks, averaging 22.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a senior at St. Albans.
"I'm ready to get this group playing," Paris said. "They're ready to play somebody else. They're tired of hearing my voice without playing someone else. The games can't get here quick enough. Really excited."
What's next?
South Carolina opens its season on Nov. 4 against North Carolina A&T at Colonial Life Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be streaming on SEC Network+.