When South Carolina opens its season against North Florida in Columbia, S.C., on Monday, a trio of transfers will be looking to make an immediate impact for the Gamecocks.
Forward Nick Pringle (Alabama) and guard Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State) are competing for starting spots, while Jordan Butler (Missouri) is projected to be a key reserve.
“It’s been good ever since we got here,” Thomas said. “Everybody gets along. Everybody meshes well.”
That’s encouraging for a Gamecocks program aiming to reload. South Carolina advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time in seven years but lost three of its top four scorers from that team.
Pringle, who started 16 games for an Alabama team that made the Final Four last season, brings know-how from that run, but he’s also primed to contribute more than just the intangibles after averaging 6.8 points per game in 2023-24.
“My goal is really to average a double-double this year,” Pringle said. “Once I set that goal, that’s what’s gonna happen. It’s gonna be really good just to see a different facet of my game, especially with coach (Lamont) Paris allowing me to do more things on the court.”
After opening its season at South Carolina, North Florida is set to visit Georgia Tech, Georgia, Nebraska and Florida in the first seven weeks of the campaign. To coach Matthew Driscoll, such challenges will help the Ospreys stay strong and dependable.
“Every single year, it’s always about the same thing for us, and that’s what’s beautiful,” Driscoll said. “Our discipline, our commitment, but our consistency is so critical to who we are, the way in which we do things and the standard that is set by our program by these players.”
Transfer-laden North Florida was seventh in the Atlantic Sun Conference preseason poll following a 16-16 showing in 2023-24 that included a 9-7 mark in league play. The Ospreys lost their top scorer, Chaz Lanier, but Ametri Moss (10.8 points per game last season) is back.