Meechie Johnson Declares For NBA Draft While Maintaining Eligibility
South Carolina's Basketball program is currently dealing with the ebbs of flows of the always hectic beginning phase of the offseason. Lamont Paris and his staff have already dove into the transfer portal's deep waters, as they're in pursuit of multiple players to try and fill in the spots left by five different Gamecocks who've announced their intentions to play elsewhere next season.
Another component that isn't being discussed as much with the team is the impending NBA Draft process, given that GG Jackson is the only player from this year's squad that stands a highly realistic chance of being drafted in May. There's another player, however, that could give himself a real shot at making it in the NBA due to his elite athleticism and ability to score the basketball in multiple ways, and that player is Meechie Johnson. While the news surrounding Chico Carter Jr.'s entry into the portal dominated the headlines late Monday afternoon, it was first reported by the media company Highlevel on Instagram that Meechie Johnson is declaring for the draft but maintaining his collegiate eligibility, allowing him the chance to return after the combine.
Despite this new development, it's believed that there's little reason to worry about Johnson leaving South Carolina, as he indicated right after the Gamecocks' SEC tournament loss to the Ole Miss Rebels that he would be returning for next season. The ongoing thought here is that this is purely a business decision by Meechie to gather information from scouts on how he's currently projected in the eyes of the NBA and where he needs to improve his game.
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