Coach Horn made a couple of pickups today on the recruiting trail: four-star center Damontre Harris and three-star swingman Brian Richardson. Per Seth Emerson:
The commitments have been coming fast and furious to the South Carolina men's basketball program lately. The latest two - and possibly the last two - came Monday from center Damontre Harris and swingman Brian Richardson.
Harris' commitment is big because he was a sought-after big man, and with R.J. Slawson should give the team frontcourt depth both in the 2010 class and on next year's team. Harris is 6-9 and regarded as a true center, and rated the No. 56 player in the country by Rivals.com. That's a pretty high ranking for an out-of-state player committing to the Gamecocks in basketball. A very good get for the program.
Richardson, who is listed at 6-5, is the bigger wing player that USC needed in this class, as their other two guard commitments are under 6 feet tall. It's also become likely that Stacey Poole is going to get gobbled up by Kentucky or possibly another powerhouse. Obviously coach Darrin Horn won't turn down Poole if he wants to come, but taking Richardson is an indication that the Gamecocks know they now trail for his services.
Obviously, Harris is a big pickup. He's the big man we've been waiting for. On the other hand, we may be out of the running for Stacy Poole, which isn't such good news. However, Richardson looks like a quality player that should fit in well with the rest of the team. Overall, you have to be impressed with the recruiting job Horn is doing in only his second year on the job. Another good season will give him even more ammo to bring these sorts of players in.