South-Carolina
How a Dawn Staley tweet turned into road game vs Coppin State for South Carolina
Darrell Mosley was an assistant coach at Arizona State with no clue that a social media post from Dawn Staley would ultimately impact him two years later.
On Aug. 9, 2024, Staley used social media to schedule a home-and-home series, expressing a need for one more non-conference game for South Carolina women’s basketball’s 2024-25 schedule.
Three days later, she gave an update, writing “We gotta game yall. Paperwork is not complete but we are good for it! I love my HBCUs!”
According to records obtained by The Greenville News, the game contract for a home-and-home series with Coppin State was signed Aug. 24, 2024, agreeing to a home game in Columbia on Nov. 14, 2024 followed by a trip to Baltimore in the 2025-26 season.
But that was under former coach Jermaine Woods who is now the coach of Norfolk State women’s basketball.
Mosley was hired as Coppin State’s new head coach on April 14, 2025, inheriting the final game of the contract that features a rare January non-conference road game on Jan. 18 (noon ET, ESPN+).
In some ways, it’s a full circle moment for Mosley.
“I wouldn’t say we’re besties, but I definitely know coach Staley. We text from time to time,” Mosley told The Greenville News. “She’s been somebody that when I was a Division II head coach I reached out to, called a couple of times just for some advice in the business … she’s great people.”
Mosley spent 2015-21 at Lincoln University, and sought out Staley’s advice for when he was trying to navigate making the jump to the next level. Staley coached at Temple from 2000-08 which is Division I but she had a decision to make too when taking a big leap to coach at a program like South Carolina.
Even after Mosley adjusted, he remained in touch with Staley.
“I would text her, ‘hey great pick up on that recruit, happy birthday, happy holidays’ and she will always respond,” Mosley said. “Someone that busy, such a big name, she’s definitely always humble and open to responding, as we got closer that way I was like, let me just pick up the phone to try to get some advice from one of the top coaches in the country.”
How big matchups impact HBCUs
Beyond the cool moment that will be shaking hands with Staley before and after the game, South Carolina’s visit gives Coppin State more than just a Staley appearance.
“It’s a big revenue (draw) for HBCUs” Mosley said. “We’re not well funded so drawing ticket sales at the door. A regular game we have 200 people in the building, just (Staley) coming to play it’s going to probably be roughly 4,000 people. The university is able to capitalize on that revenue.”
It’s not just ticket sales but concessions and parking, all lucrative benefits in the era of NIL and revenue sharing where school’s can directly impact their programs with money drawn from games like this one.
“It’s great advertisement, good sense for recruits on our level that these are the type of teams we’re playing against,” Mosley said. “The biggest thing is what better weekend to do it than MLK weekend. It’s great competition but also giving back to the HBCUs.”
Staley is from Philadelphia so the proximity to Baltimore will bring some love from her devoted fan base in the northeast in addition to the crowd from Coppin State who doesn’t want to miss the three-time national champions trip to campus.
“I like to go on the road and I like to go into an environment like an HBCU,” Staley said on the radio Jan. 12. “It can give our players a different experience of playing in their arena, they’re going to pack their gym I’m sure … it’s a cool environment, cool to have us come up there.”
Staley said she hopes she’s asked to talk to donors to inspire financial support to the women’s basketball team.
“It’s usually (smaller conference teams) having to come to us, why not return the favor, it’s for the greater good of the game,” Staley said. “When I was at Temple, not all the top teams would play us so I try to grow the game in ways most people don’t grow it.”
Lulu Kesin covers South Carolina athletics for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email her at LKesin@usatodayco.com. Follow her on X@Lulukesin and Bluesky@bylulukesin.bsky.social
South-Carolina
ICYMI: South Carolina Adds Several 2027 Targets During Huge Recruiting Week
Shane Beamer and the Gamecocks had a nice last seven days on the recruiting ground as they have landed three players and in the top five of some elite talent. Here’s everything you missed recruiting wise from last week and an updated look at the Gamecocks’ 2027 class.
Judah Lancaster, the team’s most recent commit, is a 6-foot-5 and 230+ pound tight end from Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, Tennessee. His weight and frame are the type of build power four teams covet. Having a great tight end can create mismatches for modern college football offenses. Should Lancaster become that level of player, future Gamecock quarterbacks should be excited for the weapon at their disposal.
South Carolina found its highest rated recruit of the 2027 class so far in the form of big 314 pound defensive lineman John Archer. The top ten player in the state of North Carolina is a “disruptive” interior force on a defensive line. Archer has the potential to be a star at the next level given the right situation. Should he reach his potential in Columbia, the Gamecocks would have a force along the interior of their defense that could help them with a playoff push.
DJ Huggins is a 5-foot-10 and 165 pound wide out from Kennesaw, Georgia. The Harrison High School star held offers from Alabama, Arkansas, Boston College, Georgia, and others before ultimately choosing South Carolina.
South Carolina’s 2027 Class
Archer, Huggins, and Lancaster join a class that features safety Jernard Albright, quarterback Jerry Meyer III, and offensive lineman Will Endicott. A class that was ranked outside the top 60 just a few days ago, is now squarely inside the top 40. Shane Beamer and his team aren’t nearly finished with this class and will be looking to find themselves once again inside the top 25 recruiting rankings when this cycle finishes.
The South Carolina coaching staff has their eyes set on a few key targets as the summer recruiting period picks up. Four-star running backs David “Tre” Segarra and Brayden Tyson, four-star safety Jayden Aparicio-Bailey, and four-star edge rusher James Pace III all listed the Gamecocks among their final five schools for this cycle.
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South-Carolina
Former South Carolina wing, Lexington native, lands at new program via transfer portal
Former Gamecock basketball wing Cam Scott has found a new home. Following a second offseason in which the Lexington, South Carolina native entered the transfer portal, the Temple Owls have announced that Scott has signed with the program.
A former five-star prospect (though he was a four-star by the time he signed), Scott’s South Carolina basketball career did not go the way many envisioned when he flipped from the Texas Longhorns in the class of 2024.
During his high school days, Scott was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in the Palmetto State. He also set numerous records at Lexington High School. He signed with Texas before eventually winding up with the Gamecocks.
Scott then spent two years in garnet and black. As a freshman, he struggled mightily, averaging 2.5 points while shooting 27.8% from the field and 17.8% from 3-point range. After entering and withdrawing from the transfer portal, he returned to USC for a second season. However, Scott never played again, choosing to redshirt the 2025-2026 campaign.
Because of the redshirt, Scott will have three years left to play at Temple.
The Insiders Forum: Discuss South Carolina basketball!
Scott joins six former teammates in finding new homes via the transfer portal. All seven of South Carolina’s transfers this cycle have dropped down to mid-major programs.
Forward EJ Walker (Western Kentucky), forward Jordan Butler (Furman), forward Elijah Strong (St. Louis), post player Christ Essandoko (Bowling Green), guard Eli Ellis (Charlotte), and wing Abu Yarmah (Longwood) have all revealed commitments this transfer cycle.
Following another tough season in Columbia, South Carolina will have a very different roster next year. With five graduates and seven transfer portal defections (plus multiple staff changes), the Gamecocks nearly experienced complete turnover.
So far, six players have pledged their services to Lamont Paris’ team out of the transfer portal. Kory Mincy (George Mason), Camden Heide (Texas), Aleksas Bieliauskas (Wisconsin), Shane Blakeney (Drexel), Jakub Necas (Duquesne), and Davion Hannah (Alabama) have committed as of the time of this writing.
South-Carolina
LSU completes sweep of South Carolina, 7-0
BATON ROUGE, LA (USC SID) – The University of South Carolina baseball team fell to LSU, 7-0, Sunday afternoon (May 3) at Alex Box Stadium.
Omar Serna gave LSU a 2-0 lead in the third with a home run to left. Cade Arrambide’s sacrifice fly put the Tigers up 3-0 in the fifth. Tanner Reaves’ RBI single gave LSU a 4-0 lead but Ethan Lizama’s throw to the plate was called interference by Derek Curiel, holding the Tigers to one run.
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LSU scored a pair of runs in the sixth and added on in the seventh to make it 7-0.
KJ Scobey had two of Carolina’s five hits in the contest. Alex Valentin took the loss, allowing three runs on four hits in four innings with six strikeouts.
POSTGAME NOTES
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Josh Gregoire came in to pitch in his hometown of Baton Rouge. He pitched 1.1 innings and allowed a hit with no runs.
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Carolina had three errors on the day.
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Carolina played in Baton Rouge for the first time since 2011.
UP NEXT
Carolina will take the midweek off for final exams and return to action on Friday afternoon (May 8) against Alabama. The game will start at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.
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