Gamecocks Men’s Basketball Welcomes Six Transfers for 2025–26 Season
Head coach Lamont Paris announced Thursday that six transfer players have officially joined the South Carolina men’s basketball program for the upcoming 2025–26 season. The new additions include guard Meechie Johnson (Ohio State), forward Christ Essandoko (Providence), guard Kobe Knox (USF), forward Elijah Strong (Boston College), guard Mike Sharavjamts (Utah), and forward Nordin Kapic (UC San Diego). All six have signed financial aid agreements to join the Gamecocks.
Meechie Johnson Returns to Columbia
Johnson is back at South Carolina after a season at Ohio State, where he played 10 games, averaging 9.1 points, 2.7 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals. He stepped away from the team in December due to personal matters. Notably, he passed the 1,000-point career mark in a game against Texas A&M.
Previously, Johnson was a key player for the Gamecocks in the 2022–23 and 2023–24 seasons. He totaled 845 points over 63 games, highlighted by a standout 2023–24 campaign where he earned Second Team All-SEC honors and helped lead the team to a 26-8 season, their best in recent history. He led the team in double-digit scoring games (22) and had ten 20+ point outings, including a career-best 29 points against Notre Dame.
Christ Essandoko Brings Size and Versatility
Essandoko brings experience from stints at Saint Joseph’s and Providence, appearing in 47 games (22 starts) across two seasons. Last year at Providence, he averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. His previous season with Saint Joseph’s saw more production, including a 21-point, 12-rebound performance against Duquesne.
Coach Paris praised his physical presence and noted his developing perimeter shooting as a promising asset.
Kobe Knox Adds Sharpshooting and Winning Pedigree
Knox arrives from USF, where he started 71 games across two seasons. He averaged 10.8 points and 3.1 rebounds last season, contributing to USF’s historic 25-8 season and their first AAC regular season title. Known for his three-point shooting, Knox previously played at Grand Canyon, where he helped the team to an NCAA Tournament berth.
Coming from an athletic family, Knox’s experience and basketball IQ stood out to Coach Paris, who emphasized his playmaking and leadership.
Elijah Strong Shows Continued Growth
Strong joins from Boston College, where he had a breakout 2024–25 season with averages of 9.6 points and 4.1 rebounds. He scored in double figures 11 times, including a career-high 25-point game against Temple.
A standout prep player at Myers Park (NC), Strong has grown into a confident offensive threat with the ability to stretch the floor, according to Paris.
Mike Sharavjamts Adds Experience and IQ
Sharavjamts brings a wealth of experience, having played at Dayton, San Francisco, and most recently Utah. Over his college career, he’s played in 99 games (83 starts), averaging 6.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. At Utah, he posted a season-best 19 points against Queens and regularly contributed across the stat sheet.
Hailing from Mongolia, he made history as the first Mongolian citizen to earn a Division I basketball scholarship. Paris praised his unselfish play and high basketball IQ, calling him a true “big guard” with offensive versatility.
Nordin Kapic Rounds Out the Class
Kapic helped lead UC San Diego to a 30-5 record and an NCAA Tournament berth last season, averaging 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds. Prior to that, he played at Division II Lynn University, where he earned multiple honors and averaged over 19 points per game in both seasons.
Paris highlighted Kapic’s smooth transition from D-II to D-I and his proven ability to shoot from deep and compete at a high level.
