Arden Conyers talks senior season, what he's seen from South Carolina
South Carolina knew what it was getting when it signed Arden Conyers in November, but earlier this week he gave them a glimpse of what that looks like again.
Conyers went off for 28 points and four rebounds while shooting 10-for-15 from the field and 7-for-9 from three. Gamecocks assistant Eddie Shannon was on hand to watch him do it, too.
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“I hope he liked it,” Conyers said, smiling.
For Conyers, it’s the latest game in what his coach, John Combs, said has been a “fantastic” senior season for the Gamecocks signee.
The 6-foot-6 wing recently became just the second player in Westwood (S.C.) history to eclipse 1,000 career points and Conyers entered Monday’s game shooting over 40 percent from three.
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Combs says Conyers is doing it now with more of a spotlight on him given the fact he is signed to play at South Carolina.
“He’s done a much better job of driving to the basket, making plays,” Combs said. “He can still shoot the ball. Everybody in the gym knows he can shoot the ball but he’s still able get his shots off contested.”
Through his senior season, he’s still been in almost constant contact with South Carolina’s coaching staff, talking to them a couple of times a week.
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Conyers mentions how excited he is to make the 30-minute drive to campus and officially enroll, and has started recruiting as well. He plays grassroots basketball with 2024 target KJ Greene and has started rolling out the pitch.
“I hit them just to come to a game to get the environment about how USC really is. I’m recruiting now, so I’ve been talking to them.”
Conyers said he’ll be on campus Saturday while South Carolina hosts Auburn at 3:30 p.m. He’s been to a few games already this year and likes what he’s seen from Lamont Paris’s demeanor.
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“I like how coach Paris keeps his composure and how he talks to his players,” Conyers said. “He’s down to earth I really like that. I like that in a coach. That means I can learn from him and he’ll really help me.”
Conyers still isn’t a finished product but he’s working on getting his body ready for the next level. He’ll still need to get stronger and faster, but Combs thinks his shooting will help him adjust to SEC basketball.
“Right away he can shoot the ball. He’s not hitting just wide-open shots, he’s hitting contested shots. He’s going to have to work on his defense. That’s one thing,” he said. “Dudes at the SEC level are a little bigger, a little stronger and fast. I know that’s something he needs to work on. But he’s a great, humble kid who’s going to work.”
