The rebuilding of the USC men’s basketball roster by Lamont Paris has a first piece. 6-5 Troy Boynton of Fort Lauderdale announced Saturday night he will transfer from Evansville to the Gamecocks. Boynton was a freshman with the Aces at the start of last season but returned home for wrist surgery in December and did not return.
Boynton entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in December, and it was then he reconnected with Paris at UT Chattanooga. Paris had originally recruited him while he was playing at The Baylor School in Chattanooga. When Paris came to USC, he got back in touch with Boynton, and he decided to follow him to Columbia without having visited the school.
“I committed without even seeing the campus. I’ve heard a lot of great things about it. I know the guys that Lamont hired, and I know a of great things about South Carolina. I will be coming up soon,” Boynton said. “Out of high school, I was recruited by them, and in the portal, I was recruited by them. I’ve built a great relationship with those guys, went up to Chattanooga a couple of times. That’s how our relationship got started.”
Boynton said from day one he’s been impressed with Paris and the way he runs his program.
“He’s an intelligent guy. He’s a smart guy, and he wins, and he wants to win,” Boynton said. “He gets a lot of good-cultured kids. The culture at Chattanooga was great. All those guys wanted to be with him, wanted to learn from him. I wanted to be with those guys. He’s really a great guy. I just feel like this is the best opportunity. I know what I can do and I’m going to go do it.”
Boynton said he can bring an offensive game to USC, but he’s also a player with a defensive mindset.
“I’m a big playmaker,” Boynton said. Biggest thing I am is a defender. I’ve always guarded the best guy on the court. I’m a 6-5 athletic guard, super athletic. I’m able to finish above the rim. I’m a combo-guard, can play the point, two or three. I’m a team player and can do whatever they need me to do.”
Boynton added that he won’t be going on scholarship immediately with the Gamecocks when he arrives this summer.
“I’m going to come in as a walk-on at the beginning,” Boynton said. “That’s what he did at Chattanooga. Guys transferring out of the portal, he wanted them to prove their spot. I like that he does that. It will probably be a matter of time until I do my part to show that I’m healthy and good. My wrist is feeling good and I’m pretty confident in myself.”
Boynton said some of the other schools to contact him while he was in the portal were Colgate, Mercer, High Point and Loyola of Chicago.
