South Carolina Men's Basketball Sees Major Roster Turnover in 2026 Transfer Portal

Gamecocks lose several key contributors as head coach LaMont Paris enters fourth season

Apr. 8, 2026 at 10:18pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the fragmented forms of college basketball players in motion, with their bodies and the court broken down into overlapping planes of garnet, black, and white colors.The South Carolina Gamecocks face a roster overhaul after several key transfers, forcing the program to quickly rebuild through the portal and recruiting.Columbia Today

The 2026 NCAA transfer portal opened on April 5, and the South Carolina Gamecocks men's basketball team has already seen a significant number of players enter the portal. Several key contributors, including Cam Scott, Christ Essandoko, EJ Walker, Elijah Strong, Eli Ellis, and Jordan Butler, have all announced plans to transfer out of the program. As head coach LaMont Paris enters his fourth season, the Gamecocks will need to rebuild their roster through the portal in the coming weeks.

Why it matters

South Carolina finished just 13-19 overall and 4-14 in SEC play last season, missing the NCAA Tournament. The departures of several rotation players will make it challenging for the Gamecocks to improve on that record in 2026-27, as they'll need to find replacements through the transfer portal. The ability to reload through transfers will be crucial for Paris as he looks to turn the program around.

The details

Among the players leaving South Carolina are shooting guard Cam Scott, who averaged 2.5 points per game as a redshirt junior, and forward Christ Essandoko, who played in 21 games last season. Power forwards EJ Walker and Elijah Strong, who both saw significant minutes, are also transferring, as is point guard Eli Ellis, who started 28 games as a freshman. Center Jordan Butler, a four-star recruit who transferred in from Missouri, is also departing after two seasons in Columbia.

  • The 2026 NCAA transfer portal opened on Monday, April 5.
  • Several South Carolina players have already entered the portal as of Wednesday, April 8.

The players

Cam Scott

A shooting guard who played in 26 games as a true freshman in 2024-25, averaging 2.5 points per game. He took a redshirt in 2025-26.

Christ Essandoko

A redshirt junior forward who played in 21 games last season, averaging 2 points and 1.6 rebounds per contest. He began his career at Saint Joseph's and also spent a year at Providence.

EJ Walker

A power forward who played in 22 games as a true freshman, averaging 2.9 points per game. He also took a redshirt in 2025-26.

Elijah Strong

A junior power forward who was a key contributor, averaging 10 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. He transferred to South Carolina after two seasons at Boston College.

Eli Ellis

A freshman point guard who started 28 games, averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per contest.

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What they’re saying

“The transfer portal has become a big part of college basketball, and we're seeing that play out with our roster this offseason. We wish all of our departing players the best of luck in their future endeavors.”

— LaMont Paris, Head Coach, South Carolina Men's Basketball

What’s next

South Carolina will need to be active in the transfer portal over the next few weeks to rebuild its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. The portal remains open until April 20, giving the Gamecocks a limited window to find replacements for the players who have already entered.

The takeaway

The significant roster turnover South Carolina is experiencing highlights the challenges mid-major programs face in the modern college basketball landscape. Retaining top talent has become increasingly difficult, putting pressure on coaches like LaMont Paris to constantly rebuild through the transfer portal. The Gamecocks' ability to quickly reload will be crucial to their hopes of improving on last season's disappointing 13-19 record.