Minnesota transfer becomes Lamont Paris’ first portal add for Gamecocks this cycle

The South Carolina men’s basketball team will add former Minnesota guard Ta’Lon Cooper through the transfer portal. Cooper announced a commitment Wednesday to the Gamecocks.

He’s the first portal addition for second-year coach Lamont Paris this offseason after the Gamecocks lost seven players either to the portal, the NBA Draft and due to eligibility.

“I’m coming home,” he said Wednesday in posting his decision to social media.

Cooper has connections to the state of South Carolina. Though originally from the Detroit area, he played basketball at Dorman High in Spartanburg County, leading Dorman to state titles in 2017-18 and 2018-19.

A 6-foot-4 point guard who finished second in the Big Ten last year with 6.3 assists per game, Cooper played just one season with the Gophers after three seasons at Morehead State. He averaged 9.9 points and shot 40% from the field at Minnesota, giving USC an offensive piece that can help make up for the losses of leading scorer GG Jackson (NBA Draft), veteran Hayden Brown (eligibility) and fellow guard Chico Carter Jr. (transfer portal).

Cooper is yet another Big Ten transfer for Paris — a former Wisconsin assistant and an Ohio Native. Meechie Johnson (Ohio State) and Benjamin Bosmans-Verdonk (Illinois) both joined South Carolina from Big Ten schools last offseason.

South Carolina basketball roster moves

——Coming——

• Ta’Lon Cooper (Minnesota, transfer)

• Collin Murray-Boyles (HS signee)

• Arden Conyers (HS signee)

——Going——

• GG Jackson (NBA Draft)

• Ja’Von Benson (transfer portal)

• Tre-Vaughn Minott (transfer portal)

• Chico Carter Jr. (transfer portal)

• Daniel Hankins-Sanford (transfer portal)

• Ford Cooper (transfer portal)

• Hayden Brown (out of eligibility)