Former Coastal Carolina, USC basketball player killed in a car accident

Former Coastal Carolina University standout basketball player Chad Gray was killed in a car accident on Wednesday in Charlotte, N.C.

Gray, 32, was a two-time First Team All-Big South Conference honoree during his two seasons in Conway in 2009-10 and 2010-11.

“It’s a sad day for Coastal Carolina and its men’s basketball program,” CCU head coach Cliff Ellis said. “Chad loved his team and helped Coastal Carolina make the transition onto the national scene, playing a significant role in wins over LSU and Clemson during his tenure. We loved Chad with all of our heart and soul, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

Gray was a member of two most successful teams in the history of the basketball program as both the 2009-10 and 2010-11 teams won 28 games.

He is still among individual school leaders with 42 blocked shots during the 2010-11 season, which is the sixth best single-season total, and his 69 career blocks are eighth all time. He averaged 14.4 points per game, which is ninth in program history, and his .505 career shooting percentage is seventh best.

According to the Concord Tribune (NC), the accident occured around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday when Gray was driving on Highway 49. According to police, his vehicle struck a median and guardrail before flipping several times.

The Kingstree native was a highly-touted recruit coming out of high school. He finished up his high school career at IMG Academy and then played one season at Florida Prep before transfering to South Carolina.

Gray played the 2007-08 season with the Gamecocks, averaging 2.4 points per game for coach Dave Odom with a career-high 10 points against Georgia.

He then transfered to CCU for his final two years of eligibility.

This story was originally published October 19, 2017 at 3:46 PM with the headline "Former Coastal Carolina, USC basketball player killed in a car accident."