South Carolina basketball preseason profiles: Morris Ugusuk
Lamont Paris’ South Carolina basketball team begins their season in less than two weeks. On November 4th, the North Florida Ospreys will travel to Colonial Life Arena for the opener, and the 2024-2025 Gamecock season officially will be underway. In the weeks leading up to the first game, GamecockCentral will profile each member of the team. Today we will look at redshirt freshman wing Arden Conyers.
Morris Ugusuk (Sophomore, Point Guard/Shooting Guard), 6’4”, 170 pounds)
Last Season: 30 games (0 starts), 2.2 points, 0.5 assists, 0.7 rebounds, 0.2 steals, 0.1 blocks, 33.8%/29.2%/77.8%
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After originally planning to redshirt the 2023-2024 season, Morris Ugusuk played in 30 games for the Gamecocks last year. The Finnish guard arrived at USC weighing about 145 pounds, and his lack of strength showed on the court. Entering his sophomore year, though, Ugusuk is up to 6’4″ and 170 pounds.
Despite being behind physically, Ugusuk showed some flashes of promise in his first year in the ‘States. He competed hard on both ends, and he spent part of the year operating as a primary backup. Even as his minutes dwindled and his numbers slipped, Ugusuk had a few nice showings. Against Missouri, he scored 10 points in 11 minutes and made all three of his shots from the field and both of his free throws.
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As an offensive player, Ugusuk has some intriguing upside because of his athleticism. He showed off solid passing chops in high school, and he isn’t afraid of taking open jumpers. If he can make shots with any consistency and limit his turnovers (traps and double-teams often overwhelmed him last season), Ugusuk will be able to take advantage of his length and athleticism in the dribble-drive game. It was well-documented how much time the freshman version of Morris Ugusuk spent with 2023-2024 point guard Ta’Lon Cooper, so that relationship could pay dividends down the line.
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On defense, though, the sophomore already has shown a ton of potential. Ugusuk is still thin, but he is long and possesses quick feet. With his wingspan and ability to move laterally, there is a possible future in which Ugusuk is a really good perimeter defender in the SEC. He won’t be able to body up with bigger players until he adds more weight, but once he does, opposing guards won’t be too thrilled when he is across from them.
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Development will be key for Ugusuk this season. He won’t start, and he might be in and out of the rotation again as a sophomore. Jamarii Thomas, Cam Scott, and Jacobi Wright all will be ahead of him in the pecking order. He will play, though, and if he can get his smooth shot to translate into a better shooting percentage, Ugusuk has a chance to be an important player this season.
Ugusuk and the Gamecocks hope to follow up a record-tying 26-win season and 2nd-place SEC finish with another strong year. Another trip to the NCAA Tournament would mark South Carolina’s first back-to-back berths in the Big Dance since the 1990s.
