COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina senior forward Michael Carrera has been invited to participate in the 2016 Portsmouth Invitational, set for next week, April 13-16, in Portsmouth, Va., while fellow senior forward Laimonas Chatkevicius is set to participate in the 2016 Gotham Hoops Invitational, set for Saturday, April 9, at St. Francis College in Brooklyn, N.Y. The duo helped lead South Carolina to match a school record with 25 wins during the 2015-16 campaign.

“I’m very excited that two of our seniors, Laimonas and Mike, have received invitations for exposure camps for the beginning of their professional careers, and I feel confident that both will have great showings,” South Carolina head men’s basketball coach Frank Martin said.

The Portsmouth Invitational, one of the top professional showcase events in the country, is a four-day, 12-game tournament-style event, which features 64 college seniors who will play in front of representatives from every NBA team as well as scouts from numerous international professional leagues. The invitational is in its 64th year in 2016.

“I’m really happy for this opportunity that God has given me,” Carrera said. “Hard work is paying off and I’m also happy to keep representing Gamecock Nation.”

The Third Annual Gotham Hoops Invitational is a one-day tournament-style showcase, which features 36 top college seniors.

“I’m very excited to have the chance to play in the Gotham Invitational this weekend,” Chatkevicius said. “I’m really thankful to the Invitational coordinators for the opportunity.”

Carrera had a career year in 2015-16, averaging career highs in every major statistical category, including leading the Gamecocks with 14.5 points per game in overall games, while he finished the SEC campaign averaging 16.1 points per game, which was a team high and ranked eighth in the league. He hit multiple career milestones this season, scoring his 1,000th career point, while also collecting his 800th rebound, becoming just one of six Gamecocks all-time with 1,000 points and at least 800 boards. His eight double-doubles in SEC play tied for second-most in conference action this season, while his 11 double-doubles overall on the year ranked fourth in the league and marked the most by a Carolina player in a single season since 1993-94.

Chatkevicius also had a career year in 2015-16, posting career highs in every major statistical category, including his 10.2 points and a near career high with 4.8 rebounds per game. He started the season with a stretch of games in which he posted 15 or more points in four of the first six games, including a then-career high with 27 points in a home victory over Oral Roberts. Chatkevicius was steady throughout his senior season, collecting a pair of double-doubles, including a 17-point, 10-rebound effort in Carolina’s overtime victory at Ole Miss in SEC action. Chatkevicius tallied the first 30-point game of his career in the opening round of the NIT versus High Point, helping Carolina to the win with 30 points and five rebounds.