South-Carolina
JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina highlight women’s games to watch this week
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Sports Seriously
Technically, Feast Week is still three days away, but given some of the star-powered matchups this week in women’s college hoops, those who are craving good basketball are going to get their fill — and then some.
The two biggest games of the week are both taking place in L.A., more proof that Hollywood really does attract the biggest and best stars. While USC-Notre Dame and UCLA-South Carolina will command plenty of attention, don’t discount some of the unranked and/or mid-major schools listed below. November is a great time to get familiar with non-brand names that could make a run come March.
And with that, here are five women’s college games to watch this week.
Belmont at No. 14 Duke
Thursday, 7 p.m. on ACC Network
Don’t be fooled by Belmont’s 2-2 record — the Bruins took No. 11 Ohio State to the wire last week, and Bart Brooks is one of the best coaches in the country, period. Belmont boasts a balanced scoring attack, with five players averaging 8.0 points or more, but in order to pull an upset in historic Cameron Indoor Stadium, they’re going to need Kendall Holmes (12.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and Emily La Chapell (11.5 ppg, 3.0 apg) to step up. Duke, which also has a balanced attack, won’t make it easy, especially if Ashlon Jackson (13.2 ppg, 40% 3FG) and Reigan Richardson (11.4 ppg, 41.2% 3FG) are hitting from outside.
No. 9 Oklahoma at UNLV
Friday, 3:30 ET on Mountain West Network
This could be interesting. UNLV has ruled the Mountain West for a few years, and is often ranked at the end of the regular season. But the Rebels have yet to make major noise in the NCAA tournament, even though they’re often a popular upset pick. Could a win at home over a top 10 team help build the confidence they need to do some damage in March? To upset the Sooners they’ll have to figure out how to handle junior center Raegan Beers (21.2 ppg, 11.8 rpg), arguably the top transfer in the country.
Harvard at Northwestern
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET on Big Ten Network+
Harvard’s already picked up one win against a Big Ten team, knocking off then-ranked Indiana in Bloomington in the second game of the season. And given that the Crimson feature one of the best players in the country you haven’t heard of — senior guard Harmoni Turner is averaging 23.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and shooting 45.1% from the field — the chances of notching another big road win look good.
No. 5 Notre Dame at No. 3 USC
Saturday, 4 p.m. ET on NBC/Peacock
The two best sophomores in the country, USC’s JuJu Watkins and Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo take centerstage in a game that could very well break scoring records based on how much these two guards love to push pace. Watkins (21.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 4.8 spg) is pro-ready in just her second year of college hoops and Hidalgo (25.0 ppg, 5.2 spg) is maybe the best on-ball defender in the country, a pest who knows how to steal the ball and turn it into points on the other end. But these two are hardly one-woman shows. USC got a gem out of the transfer portal in Kiki Iriafen (17.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and the Irish’s other star guard, Olivia Miles (18.3 ppg, 6.8), is healthy after missing last season. You’re going to want popcorn handy when you tune into this game.
No. 1 South Carolina at No. 6 UCLA
Sunday, 4 p.m. ET on FS1
UCLA junior center Lauren Betts (21.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) is an early favorite to contend for national player of the year honors. One thing that would help make a case for her: a stellar performance against the defending champs. That’s a tall task though, even for the 6-foot-7 Betts. She’ll be going up against Gamecocks like Joyce Edwards (10.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg), a freshman who plays like a veteran, and Ashlyn Watkins (5.7 ppg, 1.3 bpg), who proved last year she’s one of the best defenders in the country. Will UCLA and Betts be able to slow Chloe Kitts (17.3 ppg, 10.3 rpg) and Te-Hina Paopao (13.5 ppg, 44% 3FG)? They’ll have to in order to beat South Carolina. A big game from transfer Timea Gardiner (14.5 ppg, 57.7% 3FG) would also help.
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South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer is probably popping bottles of champagne to celebrate his new QB addition.
Former Ohio State QB Air Noland announced Monday night that he’s taking his talents from Columbus to the Gamecocks in Columbia.
He has four years of eligibility remaining after redshirting in 2024. You can check out his official announcement below, and let me know your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
Air Noland transfers from Ohio State to South Carolina.
For those who might have forgotten, Air Noland was supposed to be the next big time player for the Buckeyes. Ryan Day’s staff convinced him to commit over offers from Alabama, Clemson, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon, Texas A&M, Utah and several other major programs.
The consensus top-10 QB recruit ultimately landed with the Buckeyes, and he didn’t last long. It’s not too different from Quinn Ewers also taking a redshirt and then dipping out.
Why is he leaving? There are likely many reasons, but the Buckeyes are also grooming former five-star recruit Julian Sayin to be QB1 and five-star recruit Tavien St. Clair is a member of the incoming class. There’s only so much room for QBs on the roster, and Air Noland must have thought he was about to be the odd man out.
Former Ohio State QB Air Noland transferred to South Carolina. (Photo by Ben Jackson/Getty Images)
As for South Carolina, Beamer just landed himself a legit QB prospect with plenty of potential. The young man had so many suitors coming out of high school because he’s ridiculously talented. Now, he’s stacking up talent in the QB room.
Starting LaNorris Sellers will remain the starter in 2025 and then could end up leaving for the NFL after his redshirt sophomore season. That would mean Noland would sit for another year developing and then could be the runaway favorite to be the starting QB for Shane Beamer’s program.
It’s best to have options, and that’s exactly what the South Carolina coach now has.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer added Air Noland to his QB room. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
What do you think of the transfer addition? Let me know at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.
The Kentucky Wildcats have the chance to land another cornerback out of the portal, this time via Ball State’s Myles Norwood.
In an interview with Jacob Polacheck of KSR, Norwood said that he is planning to commit on Christmas Day and that his visits are over. Norwood is down to the Cats and South Carolina.
“[I’m looking for] the best fit for me and where I see myself going in and making an immediate impact. I want to go somewhere that will change my life in 2025,” Norwood said.
Norwood visited Kentucky this past weekend and spoke about the culture that Mark Stoops is trying to rebuild after a disastrous 2024 season in Lexington:
“What stood out the most to me was the coaching staff, the defensive scheme, and the culture Coach Stoops is trying to bring back after this past season,” Norwood said. “They see me fitting in either playing as a nickel or a corner. I bring versatility and intelligence to play either. I have to come in and compete for a spot. Nothing is given.”
Norwood has one year of eligibility remaining after beginning his career at Iowa State before landing at Ball State.
With Maxwell Hairston off to the NFL Draft, Kentucky could use some more firepower at cornerback.
Will Norwood answer the call?
South-Carolina
Former Ohio State Quarterback Air Noland Commits to South Carolina From Transfer Portal
Ohio State’s highly-touted class of 2024 signee at quarterback has found a new home.
Air Noland committed to South Carolina out of the transfer portal on Monday, departing from the Buckeyes after one season, in which he redshirted.
BREAKING: Ohio State True Freshman transfer QB Air Noland has Committed to South Carolina, he tells @on3sports
The 62 220 QB will have all 4 years of eligibility remaining
Was ranked as the No. 5 QB in the 24 Class (On3 Industry)https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/MgOD3oUOYq
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) December 23, 2024
Noland never played a snap for Ohio State. The fifth-highest-rated member of the Buckeyes’ 2024 class, Noland came to Columbus as a four-star prospect ranked 56th overall in the 247Sports composite, considered the nation’s fourth-best quarterback and the No. 8 player out of Georgia.
Noland had an accomplished career at Langston Hughes High School, leading the Panthers to a Class 6A State Championship in 2022. Named a MaxPreps Junior All-American for his performance that year, Noland completed 73% of his passes for 4,095 yards and 55 touchdowns, one short of the most ever in a season for a Georgia high school quarterback.
Despite that pedigree, when the No. 1 quarterback and No. 6 player in Noland’s class, Julian Sayin, entered the transfer portal before the start of his freshman season at Alabama, Ryan Day and staff jumped on the opportunity to bring him in. Sayin climbed past Noland on Ohio State’s depth chart quickly, currently the team’s No. 3 quarterback behind Will Howard and Devin Brown, both of whom will be gone from the team next year. A five-star prospect also signed with the Buckeyes at quarterback in the recruiting class of 2025 in Tavien St. Clair.
Noland was not on the roster against Tennessee, which Ryan Day said was the player’s decision, not the team’s. He will have four years of eligibility left with the Gamecocks.
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