Prediction: South Carolina's leading scorer Jermaine Couisnard to choose Oregon Ducks

South Carolina junior Jermaine Couisnard is nearing a decision.

The 6-foot-4, 211-pound playmaker, who entered the transfer portal in March, has previously trimmed his list to a top seven of DePaul, Gonzaga, Houston, Maryland, Ohio State, Oregon and UMass, and taken visits to Maryland and Ohio State.

But last weekend's trip to Eugene to check out the University of Oregon may have been a game-changer.

Couisnard has a close relationship with new Oregon assistant coach Chuck Martin, his primary recruiter coming out of Montverde Academy in the class of 2018.

And the Ducks are in need of a veteran guard/wing.

Last season, Couisnard averaged 12 points, 3.2 assists and 2.5 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game and he has averaged 24-plus minutes per game for three straight seasons for the Gamecocks.

Prediction: Couisnard to Oregon

The close recruiting ties and the needs all fit.

An added bonus? The East Chicago athlete has two years of eligibility remaining and played some of his best basketball late last season, finishing the year with scoring outputs of 33, 22, 13, 17, 22 and 9 - an average of 19.3 points per game over his final six contests.

Expect the key nucleus for Oregon to return - Will Richardson, Quincy Guerrier, N'Faly Dante, Nathan Bittle, Rivaldo Soares - and for Oregon's combination of key transfers and the recruiting class to solidify the lineup for a potential NCAA tournament run.

If Couisnard does, in fact, commit to Oregon, he will join Colorado guard Keeshawn Barthelemy as transfer additions to the roster this offseason.

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