Observations From Garnet And Black Madness

The new-look South Carolina men's basketball team took the floor for the first time this fall, giving the fanbase glimpses of what to expect this season.

Excitement for men's basketball is at a fever pitch, as the Gamecocks' revamped roster is now under the tutelage of an entirely new coaching staff led by headman Lamont Paris. With many new faces, it's easy to see why there's such intrigue with their ability to compete with the rest of the SEC this upcoming season.

On Wednesday night, Gamecock supporters, for the first time, got a taste of what the season could hold as the team played a 20-minute-long intra-squad scrimmage followed by a three-point and dunk contest, won by Chico Carter Jr. and GG Jackson, respectively. 

I attended the scrimmage in person, and while expectations can't be made in full due to the controlled environment the team was in, I still left with multiple thoughts on some of the roster's talent.

The Debut You've All Been Waiting For...

The biggest storyline coming into this scrimmage was the debut of highly-touted freshman GG Jackson, who had many friends and family in attendance to watch him on the hardwood. Jackson understandably tried to put on a show for his hometown, taking shots deep and near the baseline. 

While he didn't make too much noise in terms of made baskets, Jackson had a couple of thunderous dunks, which got the crowd on their feet and showed that he's not afraid to embrace the hefty expectations he'll be carrying this season.

Front Court Pieces Show Promise

While GG Jackson and Josh Gray should serve as a complimentary duo in the Gamecocks front court, the group of players behind them is coming into this season unproven either in terms of experience or overall production at the collegiate level. 

Despite that, however, many of these players showed the potential to be meaningful contributors to this year's squad, with Daniel Hankins-Sanford and Ja'Von Benson repeatedly putting the ball in the basket while Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk and Tre-Vaughn Minott remained unphased when constantly being challenged in the paint.

Meechie Johnson Possesses Leadership Intangibles

With Hayden Brown not dressing for the scrimmage, Ohio State transfer guard Meechie Johnson completely took over as the vocal leader of his squad throughout the scrimmage.

 Paris told the media afterward that Johnson wants to embody the point guard position by being both a shooter, playmaker, and leader. We saw Wednesday night that he'd have no issues executing this vital role.

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