Positional versatility sets South Carolina basketball up to "attack mismatches"

The 2024-2025 South Carolina basketball season begins officially in less than two weeks. Last year’s groups tied the program record for single-season wins and finished second in the SEC. Even so, there is optimism around the program that this year’s team could be even better. Because of that, the Gamecock fanbase is as excited this preseason as they have been in years.

Head coach Lamont Paris is a believer in players being able to do multiple things on the court. Everyone has to defend—that is a non-negotiable for Paris—but players have to contribute in multiple other ways, too. He has spoken in the past about how he believes rebounding is a team effort, not an individual one. He also loves it when he has floor-stretching big men or guards who don’t mind mixing it up in the paint.

But this year’s South Carolina basketball team has even more versatility than during Paris’ first two years at the helm. At South Carolina Basketball Media Day, the Gamecocks spoke about their team’s ability to do it all.

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Having transferred back home to South Carolina from Missouri, Jordan Butler is one of the newest Gamecocks. His blend of size (listed at 7’0″ and 240 pounds) and shooting ability from outside will provide a lot of different possibilities when he is on the court. He believes the Gamecocks have the potential to be impossible to guard for other teams. Butler told GamecockCentral, “I think the most dangerous thing [about USC] is we have mismatch problems…big mismatch problems all over the court.”

Nick Pringle and Collin Murray-Boyles are expected to start down low this year, and both players are extremely athletic. That athleticism and defensive flexibility will allow either to play well next to Butler.

Junior wing Zach Davis told GamecockCentral that this year’s team is made up of a lot of players who provide value in a multitude of ways. “I see a bunch of guys who can do a bunch of different things,” Davis said. “The roles, I’ll leave that up to the coaches, but…[this team] has players who can play a lot of different positions and roles on the team that can help us.”

Davis is one of the top perimeter defenders on the team—he said he prides himself in trying to be the best—but he offers Coach Paris some diversity on both ends of the floor. Davis is an athletic driver and a good passer, and he spent much of the offseason improving his jumper. He will partner with fellow veteran wing Myles Stute for a large portion of the minutes at small forward. However, both players could see time at multiple positions.

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Joining them on the wing is redshirt freshman Arden Conyers. The 6’7″ athlete has taken a step up this offseason, and he is optimistic about his own role as one of these mismatch problems. He also spoke to GamecockCentral, saying, “I can help the team most by me playing my game…I can shoot the ball, but I have a bigger frame…it helps us a lot [that we are] versatile. We can see the game, we can see mismatches, and we’re going to attack mismatches. It doesn’t matter who has the mismatch on them, we’re going to attack it.”

True freshman Cam Scott also will get wing minutes, but his versatility could manifest in minutes at every perimeter spot. This offseason, Coach Paris has said on multiple occasions that he’d like Scott to play some point guard for USC. Scott believes he can handle the multi-positional workload. “I feel like putting me in a ball-screen position or somewhere I can read the defense, make an adjustment, make a play, that’s where I’m at my best…playing with lob threats like Nick (Pringle) or pop threats like Jordan (Butler)…if you mess up, you’re gonna pay for it.”

Another first-year player, redshirt freshman Austin Herro, argues that being versatile makes a player a better teammate. In a conversation with GamecockCentral’s Jack Veltri, the guard said, “I’ll do whatever Coach needs me to do. If that’s on the court…or waving the towel on the bench.”

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Resident Gamecock veteran Jacobi Wright (the only player on the roster in his fourth year with the program) leans on his experience when evaluating this year’s team. He knows different games will lend themselves to different players’ strengths. Wright understands that accepting one’s role(s) is extremely important. “Some games, you might need to go smaller and put three guys my height out there. Some games, might not be for me, and you might need three 6’6″ and up guys…when you have a lot of guys who you can interchange at different spots, it’s hard for a defense…a team that doesn’t have this has more limits.”

Wright will be an important piece this year, and his steady presence at both guard spots creates its own versatility. Depending on which players are on the court with him, Wright can operate as a facilitator, an on-ball scorer, or an off-ball shooter.

The versatility doesn’t stop there.

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Perimeter players Jamarii Thomas and Morris Ugusuk could get playing time at both guard spots. Thomas was the MEAC Player of the Year last year and a First-Team All-Defense selection. Ugusuk entered college basketball with a defensive reputation but showed some signs as a shooter as a freshman.

Big man Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk also added a lot of muscle this offseason. Deployed typically as a power forward, the additional weight will help him as a rebounder and allow him to hold up against opposing centers if his number is called.

Though already mentioned previously, Collin Murray-Boyles could prove to be among the most versatile players on both ends of the court if his jumper has come along. A sure-fire NBA Draft pick, CMB has the potential to challenge for First-Team All-SEC and All-Defensive teams this year.

Simply put, the 2024-2025 version of Lamont Paris’ South Carolina basketball team has more weapons and more interchangeable pieces than last year. Does that mean the Gamecocks will challenge their record-setting win total from a season ago? Not necessarily. Does it mean Carolina fans will have plenty of reason for legitimate basketball optimism? Absolutely.

The Gamecocks will open their campaign on Monday, November 4th against North Florida at Colonial Life Arena.

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