South Carolina basketball: 2017-18 preview for the Gamecocks

Starters

JR Kory Holden

Sitting out last season after transferring in from Delaware, Holden will be on double duty when it comes to both scoring and distributing. He averaged 17.7 ppg and 4.2 apg two years ago and already had success against a power five opponent. Granted it was Boston College, but 35 points should never be diminished.

SR Wesley Myers

The 6’1 guard will share the backcourt with Holden after graduating and transferring from Maine. His previous numbers of 16.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg are likely to go down in the SEC, but, considering that the coaching staff missed on a number of grad transfers, Myers is a welcomed late addition.

FR David Beatty

Out of the five freshmen coming in, the 6’2 guard is the likeliest to get decent minutes. There’s also a lack of true wings on the roster (which was their strength just a year ago) and the guards overall are smaller. The four-star recruit Beatty is ranked No. 151 by 247 Sports and is considered to be a solid combo option on the perimeter.

JR Chris Silva

The breakout player in the Final Four run last year, Silva’s offense seems to be catching up with his already sound defense. In the upset win against Duke, he had a career-high 17 points to go along with ten rebounds. He shined in the Final Four affair against the Zags, with a 13 and 13 double-double. Silva led the team in blocks, but constant foul trouble limited him to just 21 mpg. If he can stay on the court, he can have a huge year.

SO Maik Kotsar

The 6’10, 260-pound bruiser started every game last season as a freshman. He’s Martin’s kind of player; tough and defensive minded. He averaged 5.8 ppg and 4.8 rpg in 24 minutes, and, like Silva, came into his own on offense at the end of the year. If it continues the Gamecocks could have one of the better frontcourts in the league.