Head coach Lamont Paris announced on Apr. 29 the addition of five transfer players to the South Carolina Gamecocks men’s basketball program for the 2026-27 season. The new additions are forward Aleksas Bieliauskas from Wisconsin, guard Shane Blakeney from Drexel, forward Camden Heide from Texas, guard Kory Mincy from George Mason, and forward Jakub Nečas from Duquesne.
The announcement highlights a significant roster update as Paris looks to strengthen the team with experienced players who have competed at high levels in college basketball. These transfers bring a mix of NCAA Tournament experience, defensive skills, and scoring ability to the Gamecocks lineup.
Bieliauskas played in 35 games at Wisconsin as a freshman and contributed significantly during key matchups, including helping his team reach the NCAA Tournament. Paris said about Bieliauskas: “Aleksas is another guy that brings invaluable NCAA Tournament experience to our program. He ultimately earned the starting role as a true freshman and made some critical plays that allowed his team to secure some of the biggest wins in all of college basketball last year. Aleksas is a very skilled player with real size and physicality, that can also open games up quickly with his ability to make shots from the 3-point line. I believe there is tremendous growth potential for Aleksas, and can’t wait to see how he responds to his role here in Columbia!”
Blakeney joins after three seasons at Drexel where he was named Second Team All-CAA and earned recognition for his defensive play. Paris said: “Shane is a player that has just continued to get better every single year and has blossomed into a complete player… He is so excited to be back in his home state of South Carolina, and we are equally excited about adding him to this talented group!”
Heide arrives after playing at both Purdue and Texas with notable performances in multiple NCAA Tournaments. “Cam is an elite 3-point shooter… Cam is a proven winner that has the knowledge of and expectation to do the things it takes to win games at the highest level,” Paris said.
Mincy brings experience as both scorer and playmaker following time at Presbyterian College and George Mason University. According to Paris: “Kory is a very versatile point guard that was asked to do a lot of things for his team last year… He can shoot the ball from behind the arc, attack and create for others…”
Nečas comes off three seasons with Duquesne along with international competition experience representing Czech Republic’s U20 national team. Paris said: “As a starter of all 32 games he played in this year, Jakub brings a lot of experience to our front court… He can shoot the ball from the 3-point line and has developed into a guy that is comfortable with his back to the basket…”
The arrival of these five transfers marks an effort by South Carolina’s coaching staff toward building depth through experienced collegiate athletes who have demonstrated versatility across various conferences.