Frank Martin, Gamecocks offer hometown forward from championship program
Brandon Gardner, one of the top basketball players in South Carolina for the Class of 2023, picked up an offer from Frank Martin and the Gamecocks on Monday.
247Sports ranks the 6-foot-7 Gardner is ranked as No. 2 prospect in South Carolina for 2023 and is ranked 39th nationally. Gardner’s recruiting has picked up after the past month or so with an offer from LSU last week to go with previous ones from Clemson, Wake Forest Illinois, DePaul, Mississippi, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
“It means a lot to receive an offer from the hometown school. Their message is they love the way I play, would like to establish a relationship with me and my family, and they want to get me on campus as soon as possible,” Gardner said Monday. “I plan to visit as many schools as possible. A few blue bloods have reached out about getting me on campus this summer, so I’m looking forward to that. Hopefully they like my game enough to offer as well.”
The rising junior told The State in February what he is looking for in a school.
“I’m looking for a good school with good academics that I can get a degree at in case basketball doesn’t work out,” Gardner said. “I look for a school with great guards, a coaching staff that is like a family.”
Gardner and other high school prospects will be getting back to normal this summer as Division I sports can hosts recruits on visits and in camps starting June 1.
Gardner averaged 9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.6 blocks this season for the War Eagles, who advanced to the Class 2A Upper State championship. He is playing for Team Thad 17U AAU program this summer and had a strong showing in the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions.
Gardner is part of a talented group in the Midlands and state for the 2022-23 classes. Blythewood’s Julian Phillips and Keenan’s Jazian Gortman are ranked in the top-50 nationally in Class of 2022. Gardner and Ridge View’s GG Jackson are in the top-50 for Class of 2023. All four players now have Gamecocks offers.
This story was originally published May 24, 2021 at 10:17 AM with the headline "Frank Martin, Gamecocks offer hometown forward from championship program."
