Paris Announces First Top-20 Signing Class at South Carolina

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Head coach Lamont Paris announced the addition of four signees for the fall of 2025 on Sunday. Hayden Assemian (Greenville, S.C.), Eli Ellis (Hickory, N.C.), Grant Polk (Gainesville, Va.) and EJ Walker (Erlanger, Ky.) all signed financial aid agreements to join the Gamecock family.

The four signees are the largest signing day haul in the Paris era at South Carolina. The Gamecocks’ 2025 class is currently No. 17 in the country via 247Sports, the first top-20 class in the Paris era.

Hayden Assemian – 6-8, 220-pound forward – Greenville, S.C.

• Son of Elvis and Abby – has a younger sister Makayla
• Chose South Carolina because of the family oriented program culture
• Currently teammates with fellow signee Eli Ellis at Moravian Prep, one of the top-ranked high school programs in North Carolina that also competes in the Overtime Elite league
• In three OTE games this season, averaging 4.7 points, 7.7 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game
• Three-star product that averaged 15.2 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.7 assists per game as a junior at Powdersville High School (Greenville, S.C.) in 2023-24
• Helped lead Powdersville to the 2024 3A State Championship
• Played for Team Thad on the EYBL circuit
• Was the first commitment in the 2025 class in the fall of 2023

Eli Ellis – 6-1, 188-pound guard – Hickory, N.C.  

• Son of Jeremy and Jenny Ellis – has three younger brothers: Isaac, Abraham and Ari
• Chose South Carolina because of his relationship with the coaching staff, the style of play and it felt like home away from home
• Currently teammates with fellow signee Hayden Assemian at Moravian Prep, one of the top-ranked high school programs in North Carolina that also competes in the Overtime Elite league ; dad, Jeremy, is the team’s head coach
• In three OTE games so far this season, averaging 32.3 points, 7.7 assists and 6.0 rebounds per game
• OTE all-time leading scorer with multiple 50-point games on his resume
• Won 2023-24 OTE MVP after averaging 33.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game
• Four-star prospect ranked inside the top-100 nationally and the No. 3 ranked player in the state of North Carolina via 247Sports ; joins Gregory “GG” Jackson II (2022), Collin-Murray Boyles (2023) and Cam Scott (2024) as four-star signees under Paris at South Carolina

Grant Polk – 6-7, 195-pound guard – Gainesville, Va.   

• Son of Shane and Colette Polk
• Chose South Carolina because of the family atmosphere and coach Paris’ ability to allow players to play to their strengths
• Currently attends St. Albans School (Washington, D.C.)
• As a junior in 2023-24, averaged 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game
• Was an All-Interstate Athletic Conference (IAC) pick and first team all-state selection for the Bulldogs after setting school records with 95 3s made and 527 points scored
• Three-star prospect ranked No. 170 nationally by 247Sports

EJ Walker – 6-8, 220-pound forward – Florence, Ky.  

• Son of Michael and Brittany Walker – has two younger brothers, Justus and Russell, and an older sister Peyton
• Chose South Carolina because the people around the program and the strong player development aspect
• Attends Lloyd Memorial High School just outside of Cincinnati where he’s scored 1,322 points in his career and also been an honor roll student every year
• Averaged a double-double in 2023-24 with 16.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game in helping the Juggernauts to a 25-9 record and a district championship
• Was a first team all-conference selection and also earned all-region and all-state recognition
• A three-star prospect and the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Kentucky via 247Sports

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