South Carolina was one of the 2 SEC teams that didn’t find their way into the NCAA Tournament this season. But the Gamecocks are already better off for next season, on paper at least, after adding Providence transfer center Christ Essandoko, who told On3 on Saturday that he was committing to South Carolina for the 2025-26 season.
The 7-0, 290-pound sophomore is a foreign-born talent from Clichy, France, who averaged 4.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this past season for the Friars. The Gamecocks could use the help everywhere after struggling to a last-place finish in the SEC this season, going 12-20 overall and just 2-16 in conference play.
Essandoko has a long-standing connection to the state of South Carolina. In 2021, he attended a camp under then-head coach Frank Martin, and Essandoko was hoping to earn an offer from the Gamecocks. Though he ultimately committed to Providence, Essandoko later transferred to Saint Joseph’s before he returned to Providence for the 2023-24 season.
He’s a huge young man with great 3-point shooting ability. Essandoko also averaged 0.8 assists per game last season while shooting 50.7% from the field. With his size and skill set, Essandoko should provide some nice depth and upside to Lamont Paris’s roster as the Gamecocks look to catch up to the rest of the rugged SEC.
