The early signing period officially got underway today and South Carolina quickly became among the early winners after receiving a commitment from highly touted shooting guard P.J. Dozier. The 6-6 Columbia, SC, native opted to stay home after also considering Georgetown, Michigan, Louisville and UNC.
Frank Martin has always stressed that his team is a family.
The latest addition represents the old and the new.
National Top-40 recruit P.J. Dozier decided to continue the tradition on Wednesday when he committed to South Carolina on the first day of the early signing period. Dozier, a 6-foot-6 four-star guard rated the No. 34 player in the nation by Rivals.com, pledged to Martin and became the latest member of his family to don garnet and black.
“It’s good to say that I’m able to do that,” Dozier said. “It’s just a blessing that my family has been through there and set their mark there, for me to come along and try to continue that.”
Dozier’s dad, Perry Sr., played at USC from 1986-88 and uncle Terry was there from 1986-89. Sister Asia is a junior guard for the No. 2 USC women’s team. Son, nephew and brother committed 30 years to the day from when his father and uncle committed to USC.
P.J. chose the Gamecocks over Georgetown, Louisville, Michigan and North Carolina. USC confirmed his signing Wednesday afternoon. He fills the one open scholarship the Gamecocks had for next year (USC also has a commitment from three-star forward Chris Silva of New Jersey).
The latest Dozier to pick USC had USC at the top of his list from the beginning, but father and coach Perry Sr. wanted him to look around. “I was kind of, a little bothered by it, because I said, ‘You didn’t give these other schools chances,’ ” Perry Sr. said. “When he took these five visits, he really loved them. At the end, he really was confused, he just wasn’t sure, because everybody had something to offer him.”
P.J. kept thinking of how much Martin had impressed him. The Gamecocks haven’t won many games recently, but Martin told Dozier he could be the player that helped change that.
Plus, there was something P.J. felt that he didn’t feel as strongly when he was wearing maize, baby blue, red or navy blue.
“I think it’s just the trust issue – not issue, but I trust that staff a whole lot and I feel like I can reach my goals at the University of South Carolina,” P.J. said. “I think it was just the feel. I could see myself there next year, and I think that was the main thing.”
