Josh Gray, a 7’0 center, went through the transfer portal on Saturday, meaning that South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris and the Gamecocks lost a member of their rotation.This past season, the 26-8 USC team relied heavily on the former part-time starter as a substitute player.

In the 2023–2024 campaign, Gray averaged just 3.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game; however, his minimal use in games played outside of conferences somewhat skews those statistics. Gray’s size will be missed on the Columbia floor, though, far more than his stature. He was the only player on the team who could compete with big, athletic post players, standing 7’0″ and 260 pounds.

With Gray leaving, Coach Paris and his staff likely now need to bring in two bigs in the transfer portal this offseason.

Nick Pringle (Alabama Crimson Tide) has been a major target for Carolina since he entered the transfer portal last week. As a starter for ‘Bama this year, Pringle provided size, length, athleticism, and aggressiveness on both ends of the floor. The South Carolina native would be the perfect fit for the Gamecocks if starting power forward Collin Murray-Boyles starts knocking down some jumpers during his sophomore season.

7’0″ center Jordan Butler, a fellow Palmetto State product, decided to leave the Missouri Tigers program after just one season and entered the transfer portal on Friday. Butler’s father is the head coach of Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, and his mother was a player on the women’s basketball team for South Carolina. As a true freshman, Butler averaged almost a block per game in 11 minutes per game with Mizzou this season.

In spite of the fact that the Gamecocks have been in contact with a number of other transfer portal post players this offseason, Pringle and Butler appear to be the best fits for Carolina right now, particularly in light of Josh Gray’s transfer portal defection.