South Carolina leaning on transfers for meeting with North Florida

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.”

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