SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS BASKETBALL RECRUITING

Columbia (S.C.) A.C. Flora class of 2020 power forward Patrick Iriel landed the scholarship offer he had been waiting for and didn't wait to accept it.

“I’m five minutes down the road from them. But our relationship started getting more serious sophomore and junior year and this summer we started going to the office to talk with Frank personally," Iriel told GamecockCentral. "I feel most comfortable with them. I know them the best and I think they give me the best opportunity to reach my goals.”

Offered this week by South Carolina head coach Frank Martin and staff, the 6-foot-10, 230-pounder announced a commitment to the Gamecocks on Tuesday.

It's been a big year for Iriel who has seen his stock rise along with a big AAU season with the Upward Stars.

Georgia Tech and Southern Cal offered after watching him play in April to go along with offers from Butler, Cincinnati and Boston College, among others.

He said the staff really likes his energy and motor and the "potential to become a really skilled offensive player."

“Frank was telling me he thinks I can be really good with my work ethic," he said. "I just want to be the best player on the court I can be.”

He commits to South Carolina just a few weeks before his senior year, getting the biggest decision of his high school career out of the way.

“I just really think it felt right. I felt really comfortable with them," he said. "They told me, ‘if you bust your tail for us, we’re going to bust our tail for you.’ I just really feel comfortable with them.”

A three-star prospect on Rivals, Iriel is considered the No. 40 power forward in his class. Rivals.com's Dan McDonald calls him "a good athlete, [who] has a high motor, and is improving his skill level."

Iriel is the Gamecocks first commit for the class of 2020.

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