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South Carolina basketball player Jamarii Thomas entered the transfer portal this week after wrapping up his senior year with the Gamecocks. There’s one interesting caveat to his decision.
Thomas is out of NCAA eligibility. He’s already competed in four full seasons of college ball.
The point guard began his career at UNC Wilmington where he signed as a recruit in 2021. He spent two seasons with the Seahawks before moving onto Norfolk State.
With the Spartans he blossomed into a star, leading the MEAC in scoring (16.9 ppg) and steals (2.1 spg). He buoyed that production into a starting role with the Gamecocks.
Jamarii Thomas transferred to South Carolina last offseason. He started 26 games in Columbia, averaging 13.2 points a night to become one of the team’s top scoring options.
That senior season was believed to be his last at the college level. Thomas is hoping to play one more.
The guard hopped in the transfer portal this week. South Carolina was under the impression that his basketball eligibility had run out. They’ve already landed a replacement in Ohio State transfer Meechie Johnson.
He is in the portal, but I have no idea how he has remaining eligibility. He played four full years of college without a redshirt or an injury, and wasn’t affected by COVID.
Sources at USC have also confirmed that they thought he was out of eligibility as well. https://t.co/jMr1Bvi4Rk
— David Cloninger (@DCPandC) April 1, 2025
According to Jordan Kaye of The State Newspaper, Thomas is seeking NCAA approval for a fifth season. The grounds on which his request stands are still unclear.
He’s played in at least 26 games in each of his four collegiate campaigns. He does not have the benefit of a COVID year.
Last season was his fourth in college and, while he’s out of eligibility, he’s seeking a waiver for a fifth season, per a team source.
-Jordan Kaye
Jamarii Thomas’s future now rests in the hands of the NCAA. If approved, the guard can stay in college for one final season. If denied, his transfer portal entry will be for naught.
He’s proven to be an offensive threat at the SEC level. Should his request be honored, he’ll garner notable attention on the transfer market.