South Carolina’s 2021 basketball class could begin a series of great recruitments for Gamecocks.
Veteran Jacobi Wright attends the Legacy Charter School in Greenville, SC, and may be one of many recruits to choose Columbia as the next stop on their basketball careers.
Wright, a 6’2 point guard, averaged 17 points and five assists per game in his junior season. Recruited from four stars according to ESPN, he committed to Gamecocks in June, choosing to play for the state’s top university with offers from College of Charleston, DePaul, South Florida, and a handful of others.
Wright loves Frank Martin and his coaching staff and stated the following in an interview with The State:
“They just fit what I was looking for. A great technical team, great atmosphere. I know some of the players there. Great arena and great conference. I get the exhibition I’m looking for. It’s just a place where I feel comfortable. “
Gamecocks also got a promise from Devin Carter, a three-star recruit from Florida who averaged 28 points and eight boards per game last year. Carter is the son of Anthony Carter, a 15-year-old NBA veteran and current assistant coach at Sioux Falls Skyforce.
In an interview with TheBigSpur, Carter expressed why he loves the coaching staff, noting the similarities between Frank Martin and his current high school coach.
“My high school coach doesn’t miss a thing. You have to work for everything, nothing is given to you. They manage things the right way; everything is organized. You work hard, do your own thing, take care of your business and just play. He is honest and exudes great character. “
Wright and Carter are very talented players, both of whom have a chance to raise their recruiting rankings over the final high school seasons, but Gamecocks’ success on the recruiting trail may not stop there.
Wright and Carter could start a series of highly rated recruits by choosing the South Carolina basketball program.
Frank Martin and Gamecocks were in the top ten for pivot John Butler, although he chose Florida State. South Carolina quickly replaced Butler with the commitment of striker Carlous Williams, a great talented man from the state of Magnolia with offers from Baylor, Houston, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
The previously mentioned Devin Carter will play for the Brewster Academy in his senior season alongside his hometown friend Zaire Wade, son of NBA legend Dwayne Wade.
According to this tweet from Anthony Yero, Wade and Carter were trying to unite in Florida.
It is interesting to see that the program has attracted the interest of the children of big names in the NBA, something that we have seen happen on the football team in recent years. Currently, the Gamecock list includes the children of Deion Sanders and Duce Staley. It would be fun to see the trend reach basketball.
The Gamecock football team has also received promises from five-star candidates in each of the last two recruiting classes, and recently received a commitment to the 2021 class from five-star quarterback Gunner Stockton. We could see that recruiting momentum carry over into the South Carolina basketball program in the coming cycles, as Gamecocks continue to target talented players across the country.