An offseason of rebuilding is complete for head coach Lamont Paris and the South Carolina men’s basketball team. 

The Gamecocks will look extremely different next season as the coach completely retooled his roster following another disappointing season.  In total, the team will welcome 12 new faces to pair with three returners. 

These new players include a mix of college transfers, high school seniors and international pro prospects. 

Read a bit about each new addition below. 

Shane Blakeney (Drexel)

A rising grad student, Shane Blakeney played three seasons at Drexel, appearing in 88 games. 

He had a breakout campaign last season, averaging 14 points and five rebounds per game. His play earned him a spot on the Philadelphia Area’s All-Big 5 First Team and the Coastal Athletic Association Second Team. 

Aleksas Bieliauskas (Wisconsin)

Aleksas Bieliauskas transferred to South Carolina with three years of eligibility remaining. 

He was a consistent starter last season at Wisconsin, averaging five points and four rebounds, while shooting 35% from three-point land. The Lithuanian native also has pro experience playing in his home country before coming to college. 

Davion Hannah (Alabama)

Davion Hannah’s freshman campaign at Alabama was shortened due to injury. In 10 appearances, the guard averaged three points and two rebounds, shooting 46% from the floor. 

It was a small sample size, but Hannah came to Alabama as a highly touted prospect. 

Camden Heide (Texas)

South Carolina will be the third stop in redshirt senior Camden Heide’s college career. 

He previously appeared in 110 games across three seasons at Purdue and Texas. Heide has picked up a wealth of postseason experience in that span, playing in 12 NCAA tournament games, including the 2024 National Championship. 

Kory Mincy (George Mason)

George Mason transfer Kory Mincy is also making his third collegiate stop. 

In three seasons at Presbyterian and George Mason, Mincy averaged 12 points, three rebounds and three assists. He earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 last season. 

Jakub Nečas (Duquesne) 

Jakub Nečas spent three seasons at Duquesne before transferring to South Carolina this offseason. 

Nečas played in 95 games there and also has international experience playing for his home country, Czechia.

Nasir Hines (Palm Beach State College)

Juco transfer Nasir Hines made the jump to SEC ball and joined the Gamecocks this offseason. 

Hines filled a limited role on a solid Palm Beach State team that finished the year (33-3) overall. He averaged two points per game while shooting 58% from the floor. 

Juan Fernández (Santa Fe, Argentina)

Juan Fernández is an international prospect with five years of professional basketball experience overseas in the world’s top Spanish league. 

He spent the past two seasons playing for Bàsquet Girona, averaging eight points and four rebounds in 20 minutes per game. He also has international experience, representing Argentina in the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup in Nicaragua. Fernández helped lead the team to the silver medal after scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds per contest. 

Hugo López (Madrid, Spain)

Hugo López is another international prospect from the Spanish leagues. 

He played in Spain’s second league for four seasons before coming to South Carolina. In 2025-26, he averaged three points and four rebounds while shooting 56% from the floor.

Mathias Alessanco (Joinville, Brazil)

One of the top Brazilian prospects in the world, Mathias Alessanco, comes to South Carolina after a season playing in the Overtime Elite League. 

Alessanco is the youngest player to ever suit up for Brazil’s senior national team, doing so at 16-years-old. He will redshirt this upcoming season after tearing his ACL in May. 

Marcus Johnson (Garfield Heights High School)

Cousin of former Gamecock Meechie Johnson, Marcus Johnson comes to the Gamecocks after an outstanding senior year of high school ball that saw him average 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists. 

Johnson is a two-time Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year and two-time Ohio Mr. Basketball. He was a consensus four-star athlete and one of the top point guard recruits in the country. 

Ford Wilder (Wilson Hall Prep School) 

Sumter native Ford Wilder played four years of varsity ball at Wilson Hall Prep School. 

He finished his career there with over 1,300 career points and averaged 23 points and six rebounds as a senior. Wilder played AAU ball for Upward Stars Pee Dee.