The Paris name carries a lot of weight in France and clearly has a little pull in the basketball world as well. On Saturday, South Carolina’s (Lamont) Paris got a commitment from Providence transfer big man Christ Essandoko.
The 7-foot, 290-pound Essandoko announced his pledge via X and appears ready to join the Gamecocks.
A native of Clichy, France, Essandoko began his career at Saint Joseph’s but played this past season at Providence, where he averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in around 15 minutes per game with 22 games played and seven starts.
USC appeared to be a prime landing spot for Essandoko, who actually attended Frank Martin’s basketball camp back in 2021, hoping to earn an offer from the Gamecocks at that time. Though he ultimately committed to Providence, he later transferred to Saint Joseph’s before returning to Providence for the 2024-25 season.
As a freshman at Saint Joseph’s, he averaged 8.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game while hitting 36.8 percent from 3-point land.
In addition to Essandoko, South Carolina has hosted at least three other official visitors this weekend, with another set to arrive on Sunday. He is the first portal pledge for the Carolina this cycle and has two years of eligibility remaining.
USC incoming players:
- HAYDEN ASSEMIAN 6-8 POWDERSVILLE
- ELI ELLIS 6-1 HICKORY, NC
- EJ WALKER 6-8 ERLANGER, KY
- GRANT POLK 6-7 WASHINGTON, DC
- CHRIST ESSANDOKO 7-0 TRANSFER PROVIDENCE