Lamont Paris continues to aggressively reshape the South Carolina men’s basketball roster heading into the 2025-26 season.
The Gamecocks added yet another piece through the transfer portal as Elijah Strong, formerly of Boston College, officially committed to the program on Sunday via Instagram. The 6-foot-8 forward becomes the fifth portal addition for Paris since the end of the season and has two years of eligibility remaining.
Strong, a Charlotte, North Carolina native, made a weekend visit to Columbia before making his decision. He has deep ties to the Carolinas—most notably leading Myers Park High School to a state title in his senior year. In that championship game, he was named Most Outstanding Player after scoring 22 points and collecting seven rebounds.
Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, Strong played 46 games across two seasons at Boston College. During the 2024-25 campaign, he averaged 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds, and delivered a breakout performance with 25 points and 13 rebounds against Temple—a personal best.
His arrival adds more firepower to a Gamecocks squad in the middle of a major transition. A total of eight players have entered the transfer portal, while two more graduated. The team is also awaiting a crucial decision from standout forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who is weighing his options for the NBA Draft.
There’s cautious optimism about the return of Myles Stute, the former Vanderbilt transfer who missed most of the season due to a blood clot. South Carolina is hoping for a medical clearance that would make him eligible next year.
South Carolina Basketball 2025-26 Scholarship Roster Snapshot
Out of eligibility (3):
- G Jacobi Wright
- F Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk
- F Myles Stute (waiver pending for next season)
Entered Transfer Portal (8):
- G Austin Herro
- G Zach Davis
- G Arden Conyers (committed to Charlotte)
- G Jamarii Thomas
- G Cam Scott
- F Nick Pringle
- G Morris Ugusuk
- F Okku Federiko
NBA Draft Decision Pending (1):
- F Collin Murray-Boyles
Incoming Transfers (5):
- C Christ Essandoko (Providence)
- G Treysen Eaglestaff (North Dakota)
- G Meechie Johnson (Ohio State)
- F Elijah Strong (Boston College)
- (1 unlisted transfer also reportedly incoming)
Returning Player (1):
- C Jordan Butler
Incoming Freshmen (4):
- G Eli Ellis
- G Grant Polk
- F EJ Walker
- F Hayden Assemian
With Elijah Strong on board and several new faces in the mix, Lamont Paris is working overtime to retool a roster that’s undergone one of the most dramatic overhauls in the SEC. All eyes now shift to Murray-Boyles’ draft decision and the health status of Stute, which could heavily influence the Gamecocks’ ceiling next season.
Let me know if you’d like a headline, social caption, or visual summary to pair with this!
