February 5, 2020; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; The South Carolina Gamecocks guard Jermaine Couisnard (5) dribbling during the second half against Mississippi rebels at the Pavilion at Ole Miss. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports
South Carolina Football: Grayson Mains Commits to Gamecocks
A second South Carolina basketball player declared for the NBA Draft.
During the last week of the South Carolina basketball team’s off-season, a total of four players chose to enter the transfer portal or declare themselves for the NBA Draft. These four, TJ Moss (transfer), Trae Hannibal (transfer), Jalyn McCreary (transfer) and Keyshawn Bryant (draft) may have the Gamecocks squad very different from what we saw last winter.
Now, a fifth name can be added to that list, as second-year guard Jermaine Couisnard also decided to declare for the NBA Draft. He made his decision public through an Instagram post on Thursday night. Like Bryant, Couisnard will not hire an agent, leaving him with the option of returning to Columbia if he doesn’t get the feedback he wants from professional scouts.
The third-year guard experienced a slight drop in production last season, after posting a year of stellar freshman who saw him win all the honors of the conference. Still, the scorer averaged more than 10 points per contest, enough to make him the team’s third-highest scorer. Couisnard also led the team in assists and finished second in three-point attempts.
If all these players leave the program, it could mean trouble for Frank Martin in what will be his tenth season. A team already thin in the post position lost one of their best goal options in McCreary’s low. Gamecocks are likely to lose at least three guards, too, with the announcements by Hannibal and Moss, and the grading of the Seventh Woods transfer. The best scorer, AJ Lawson, has not yet made his announcement for the future, but he can also choose to take a leap to the next level.
If things continue this way, a rebuild may be in store for Gamecocks in the not-too-distant future.