March Madness is here: Get to know the South Carolina men’s basketball roster

South Carolina’s 15 players are experiencing March Madness for the first time. Much of the college basketball world is learning about the Gamecocks for the first time, as well.

USC faces Oregon at 4 p.m. Thursday (TNT) in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Here’s a crash course on the Gamecocks’ roster and each of their roles throughout this season.

Meechie Johnson, No. 5

Looking for a star player on South Carolina’s roster? Meechie Johnson probably comes the closest to having that title. This season is his second year with the Gamecocks, transferring from Ohio State, and has been the leading scorer for USC with 14.4 points per game.

Johnson has the skills to score in the paint and from downtown. He’s grown up surrounded by the sport and considers LeBron James an uncle, with the NBA star playing with Johnson’s father years ago.

BJ Mack, No. 2

BJ Mack is one of three one-year transfers head coach Lamont Paris added this season. He’s been a starting forward from Day 1. He can be a threat from the 3-point line but is mainly a physical force in the paint.

Mack is a Wofford College transfer, where he was the leading scorer before joining USC last season. He averages 13.5 points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game.

Ta’Lon Cooper, No. 55

Another one-year transfer, Ta’Lon Cooper is the Gamecocks’ starting point guard, coming from Morehead State and Minnesota. He’s often called the coach on the court, and leads USC in minutes per game.

Cooper is one of only three players with March Madness experience on USC’s roster, competing in the Big Dance with Morehead State three years ago.

Zach Davis, No. 12

Sophomore Zachary Davis became a starter halfway through conference play after teammate Myles Stute suffered a shoulder strain in January. Since then, Paris has kept Davis as a starter because of his defensive efforts.

Davis is one of the key cogs to the Gamecocks’ 1-3-1 defensive scheme, and has improved his offense in the back half of the season. He averages 5.7 points per game and hasn’t scored lower than eight points in the last three games.

Collin Murray-Boyles, No. 30

The final member of the starting lineup, SEC All-Freshman team forward Collin Murray-Boyles has been thrust into the spotlight for his physical paint presence this season. He missed the first month of 2023-24 with mono, but has become a double-digit scorer since making his debut.

Murray-Boyles is also a local star, playing at A.C. Flora High for three seasons. He was a four-star recruit and played against former Gamecock and now-NBA rookie GG Jackson in high school.

Myles Stute, No. 10

Myles Stute joined USC after spending two seasons in Vanderbilt and has been one of South Carolina’s 3-point threats. He’s been a mature, lengthy guard who has played in three-guard and three-forward lineups, depending on what Paris sees.

Stute didn’t play during USC’s quarterfinal SEC Tournament game with a hip pointer, but Paris expects him to be available for the NCAA opener.

Jacobi Wright, No. 1

Another in-state product, Jacobi Wright has been with South Carolina throughout its three-year turnaround. Wright used to be a starter but this season has come off the bench regularly.

Wright averages 6.1 points per game.

Josh Gray, No. 33

As the lone 7-footer with the Gamecocks, Josh Gray has come off the bench the entire season. He’s another cog in the 1-3-1 scheme, and he relies heavily on his physicality deep in the paint on offense and defense.

He’s known for having a good horse neighing impression, prompting a neigh sound effect to be played for every block and free throw Gray made at Colonial Life Arena this year.

Stephen Clark, No. 4

The final member of Paris’ one-year transfer class, Stephen Clark joined South Carolina after spending four years at The Citadel. He took on a starting role while Murray-Boyles was out at the beginning of the season, and has been coming off the bench in limited action since the beginning of SEC play.

Morris Ugusuk, No. 15

Morris Ugusuk is the only other freshman who’s played this year, earning minutes both in nonconference play and during SEC action. He’s originally from Finland, and has a former teammate joining USC next season.

Ebrima Dibba, No. 0

Redshirt senior Ebrima Dibba has slowly made his USC debut after an Achilles injury in fall 2022. He just began making appearances two weeks before the end of the regular season, coming off the bench for a handful of minutes at a time.

Dibba spent most of this season practicing with the team. He transferred from Coastal Carolina after spending four years in the Sun Belt.

Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk, No. 31

The final redshirt senior of this Gamecocks group is Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk. Also called BBV, Bosmas-Verdonk has been in law school throughout this season as well.

He’s mainly played during nonconference season, picking up crucial minutes while Murray-Boyles was unavailable.

The rest of the roster

Eli Sparkman and Danny Grajzl have made appearances in four games, with Arden Conyers and Austin Herro redshirting.