Rising Columbia-area basketball recruit reacts to offer from South Carolina

Arden Conyers has been on the South Carolina basketball staff’s radar this summer.

On Tuesday, the Gamecocks offered the 6-foot-6 Westwood High School forward after an unofficial visit to USC’s campus.

“What I like about USC is the opportunity it does for me and my family,” Conyers said. “I’ve grown up here my whole life and always watched USC since I was little.”

South Carolina is Conyers’ first Power 5 offer. Some of his other offers include Georgia Southern, Winthrop, Wofford, Radford, North Carolina A&T and USC Upstate.

Conyers, a senior, has an official visit with Winthrop that starts Wednesday but plans to visit South Carolina again. He also took official visits to Furman and Georgia Southern.

USC assistant coach Eddie Shannon was in California last month to watch Conyers and his Upward Stars SE team play in the Adidas finale. USC coaches also saw him play at the S.C. Basketball Coaches Association live period event. Conyers and his Westwood squad also played at USC’s team camp.

Conyers said he really likes Lamont Paris and the new USC coaching staff.

“I like the way coach Paris plays and teaches his players,” Conyers said. “I also like the way he runs his offense. I feel I fit in with it. One thing that they really love about me is that I can shoot the ball, plus I’m very versatile offensively and defensively.”

Conyers was an all-region selection and averaged 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists a game last season for the Redhawks. He also shot 38.5% from 3-point range.

Conyers becomes the fourth in-state Class of 2023 player with an offer from the Gamecocks. Others are Jordan Butler, Coen Carr and Collin Murray-Boyles. USC also extended an offer to Class of 2024 guard Kyle Greene, who began his career at Blythewood High and is now at Pace Academy in Georgia.

USC just landed five-star in-state prospect G.G. Jackson last month. Jackson was the No. 1 prospect in Class of 2023 but reclassified to be in the 2022 class.