It’s no secret that South Carolina athletics, particularly the men’s sports, have been a bit frustrating in the past year. But for Lamont Paris and the men’s basketball team, this roster rebuild has been anything but subtle. In fact, it’s shaping up to be a full-scale reset with postseason intent written all over it. Or we all hope.
After a frustrating 2025–26 campaign, the Gamecocks have attacked the transfer portal aggressively, stacking size, shooting, and perimeter transfers in hopes of flipping the trajectory under Paris.
The real question now isn’t who they have added, but more so, who can actually change the ceiling for the season.
Mincy brings instant offense to the backcourt
Former George Mason guard Kory Mincy, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound lead guard out of East Point, Georgia, arrives with production already on his resume. With 14.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game last season for a 23–10 Patriots team, he’s not a developmental piece. He’s a plug-and-play scorer, and South Carolina desperately needs one.
If there’s an immediate offensive stabilizer in this group, it’s him.
Heide adds spacing South Carolina didn’t have
Next comes Texas transfer Camden Heide, a 6-foot-7 forward who brings something the Gamecocks were completely missing last season when it comes to consistent perimeter shooting.
Heide hit 45.4% from three last year for the Longhorns. Just to put that into perspective, the South Carolina offense didn’t feature a single player in rotation above 37.5% from deep.
Even if he doesn’t start, he changes how defenses have to guard them the second he checks in.
Bieliauskas adds frontcourt versatility
Wisconsin transfer Aleksas Bieliauskas brings another layer to the rotation with his size, rebounding ability, and his quiet efficiency.
At 6-foot-10, he appeared in 35 games for the Badgers, averaging 4.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in just over 20 minutes per game. Bieliauskas isn’t flashy, but his is functional. And in a system that needs more reliable frontcourt production, functional might be enough to earn minutes early for him.
Blakeney looks like the swing piece
If there is one breakout candidate in this transfer group, it’s Shane Blakeney. At Drexel, he averaged 14.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while playing nearly 34 minutes per night. Blakeney also was shooting 41.6% from the floor and 35.9% from three.
The key question: does that style of play translate easily if he’s no longer the focal point? If it does, South Carolina just found a major piece to the puzzle.
Nečas brings size and upside
The latest addition, Duquesne transfer Jakub Nečas, adds more frontcourt depth at 6-foot-10 and 240 pounds.
Out of the Czech Republic, he posted 6.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season while shooting 39.4% from the field. Not a headline-grabber quite yet, but his frame and production suggest a rotation big who can develop into more.
The bigger picture: depth or identity shift?
If you look at the bigger picture, you’ll start to see that South Carolina didn’t just shop for talent; they rebuilt balance on the roster. There’s more shooting, more size, more ball handling, and less reliance on isolation survival basketball.
The only issue now is integration into the team. Portal success is important when it comes to compressing five new individual roles into one functioning system. Paris has the pieces now; the next step is making them fit. Because on paper, this roster looks deeper. On the floor, the new roster still has to prove it can actually win together.
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: South Carolina basketball adds impact players in roster overhaul