South Carolina basketball coach Lamont Paris has maintained a strong relationship with the family of star guard Meechie Johnson, and it’s a good thing for him that he has.
Meechie’s younger cousin, 6-2 Marcus Johnson of Cleveland, recently came back on the market when he decommitted from Ohio State. Paris jumped back into the hunt for Marcus and Thursday he was rewarded with a commitment.
Johnson also drew interest from Arkansas, Florida and Michigan following his decommitment, but he did not take any visits. Paris and a couple of assistants visited him in Cleveland on Halloween, and that apparently set the stage for the ultimate decision.
Johnson is regarded as one of the top guards nationally in the 2026 class. He’s not a three-point shooting stalwart like his cousin, but the lefthander has plenty of offensive skills. He averaged 19 points and five rebounds per game during the EYBL season last summer.
Johnson joins 6-1 Isaac Ellis, the brother of Gamecock freshman guard Eli Ellis, as commitments to USC for the 2026 class.