South Carolina basketball scholarship update

South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris and his staff have been busy. The Gamecocks have secured four transfer portal commitments since the weekend, and the 2025-2026 version of the roster is starting to get a little fuller.

Here is a breakdown of the current scholarship situation for the Gamecocks as of April 4th:

*In the age of the transfer portal, this is subject to change at any time this spring*

Returners

South Carolina has six returners on the roster right now.

PF Collin Murray-Boyles: Murray-Boyles still has an NBA Draft decision in front of him. However, USC’s star forward hasn’t announced anything yet. If he elects to go pro, that will open up one additional scholarship spot. He has two years of eligibility remaining.

SF/PF Myles Stute: Stute applied for a medical redshirt after missing more than half of last season with a blood clot. Nothing is finalized with his status as of yet, but he has a great case for an extra year of eligibility. If granted, he will have one last year in college.

PF/C Jordan Butler: The tallest returner on the roster, Butler is a 7-footer who does most of his offensive work on the perimeter. He can play either post position on defense (pending matchups), but on offense, he is a stretch-4 more than a center. He has two years left to play.

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Freshman Newcomers

The Gamecocks are bringing in four freshmen from the class of 2025.

SG/PG Eli Ellis: Ellis is the most-hyped member of the 2025 recruiting class. The North Carolina native will bring instant scoring (both as a shooter and crafty off-the-dribble finisher) and competitiveness to the Gamecocks. He can play either guard spot but is probably best served as an off-ball scorer and secondary creator.

PF/SF Hayden Assemian: Ellis’ teammate in Overtime Elite, Assemian is a South Carolina native with real athleticism. He is working on improving his offensive game but might be an immediate contributor on defense and on the glass.

PF/SF EJ Walker: A skilled scorer, Walker can make shots at all three levels. If he can hang defensively, he could be an important piece in his first year on campus. The Kentucky product is also a high-level competitor and a gym rat.

SF/SG Grant Polk: Polk is the purest shooter in the class (not to take anything away from Ellis or Walker). The Washington DC native has been listed between 6-5 and 6-7, giving him the length to help out against bigger wings.

Transfer Portal Additions

So far, USC has four players committed from the transfer portal. That number will grow.

C Christ Essandoko: The first transfer portal commitment of the cycle, Essandoko is a huge human being. Listed at 7-0 and 290 pounds, he also has good hands and smooth feet down low. His touch is decent, and he has a history of making some outside shots. The former St. Joseph’s and Providence big has two years of college ball left in his career.

SG/SF Treysen Eaglestaff: Eaglestaff was one of the top transfer portal scorers available when he committed to South Carolina. The 6-6 wing can score in a variety of ways and dropped 40 points on Alabama while at North Dakota last season. He has one final year of eligibility remaining.

SG/PG Meechie Johnson: Johnson needs no introduction to USC fans. He is a shooting guard who can score with the best of them when he’s hot. And as a former point guard, he is a good secondary creator who is willing to defend hard on the perimeter. Johnson was an All-SEC selection two seasons ago. Pending final approval from the NCAA on his mental health medical redshirt, he has one year left to play.

SG/SF Kobe Knox: The Gamecocks’ fourth transfer commitment in five days, Knox brings veteran dependability and toughness on the wing to USC. He averaged over 10 points per game for his hometown Bulls. He will have one year left to play in college.

South Carolina basketball transfer portal resources:

South Carolina basketball transfer portal tracker

South Carolina basketball transfer portal headquarters

South Carolina basketball transfer portal target watch list

On3 National Transfer Portal Tracker

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What’s Left?

The NCAA is set to move to 15 scholarship spots in men’s basketball. If there is no more roster attrition, South Carolina basketball has four open scholarship spots. A late transfer portal entry, an unexpected NCAA eligibility decision, or a Collin Murray-Boyles NBA Draft declaration could change that number.

For now, the Gamecocks would like to add a true point guard with one of their remaining spots. The roster could use another big (especially if CMB goes pro), and if there are any other spots available, Paris and company will have other interested options.

South Carolina has been in conversations with several other transfer portal players. With multiple scholarships remaining, the Gamecocks are expected to continue being major portal players.

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