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Sahnya Jah brings lessons learned with South Carolina women’s basketball to Arizona

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Sahnya Jah brings lessons learned with South Carolina women’s basketball to Arizona


Sometimes it’s worse to keep something quiet than to air it publicly. Such was the case with Arizona forward Sahnya Jah and her suspension while at South Carolina.

Dawn Staley suspended Jah on Feb. 8, 2024, citing “conduct detrimental to the team.” Nothing further was reported in the media about the reason for the suspension, although Staley said that Jah could work herself back onto the team.

As it turns out, it was a relatively inconsequential matter. Jah missed several classes. Staley held her accountable. Both have moved on, but Jah learned some valuable lessons from the legendary head coach that she brings with her to Arizona.

“Everything is not a joke,” Jah said. “She taught me a lot of things, not just on the court, but also off the court—like time management, be on time to things, how you carry yourself—and I really, really do appreciate that.”

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She’s drawing on those lessons while she writes a new chapter, but she’s not ruminating on them.

“Don’t let your mistakes define you,” Jah told the fans who joined for the Wildcats’ open practice earlier this month.

Barnes was not concerned about the issues at South Carolina because she has a longstanding relationship with Staley and Arizona assistant coach Bett Shelby has known Jah for years.

“I knew Jah before from recruiting,” Barnes said in June. “I had a really, really good relationship with Dawn, so I talked to Dawn about it, and I just knew it was the right thing to do. And you have to remember even before that, Bett Shelby goes back with Jah like four years. Jah was committed to West Virginia before Bett left. So there is a really longstanding relationship with her, her family, everything, so we’ve known Jah.”

Barnes recruited Jah when she was in high school, but Arizona was a long way to go for the No. 40 player in the 2023 class. Jah is originally from Alexandria, Virginia. She earned WBCA All-American honorable mention her senior season while playing for Montverde Academy in Florida.

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“It takes our freshman to go away somewhere and then kind of spread their wings and they’re like, ‘Oh, okay,’” Barnes said.

In addition to the sophomore being more adventurous now, Shelby being on staff was definitely an advantage when recruiting Jah this time around. It wasn’t just about that, though. Jah came back to academics when she talked about her reasons for choosing the Wildcats. It’s a reason that several transfers have given in recent years.

“Honestly, it was the academics and the academic support,” Jah said. “When I came on a visit here and I seen the support system of how they really care about their students, student-athletes, academic wise, it was very trustworthy.”

On the court, Jah gives the Wildcats more depth in the frontcourt. It was a huge issue last year when the team suffered defections and injuries that whittled the roster to three post players and eight players overall. Guards Helena Pueyo and Skylar Jones were often called into frontcourt duties when foul trouble became a problem for the bigs. The loss of Esmery Martinez after last season also needed to be addressed.

Barnes believes Jah’s addition will allow the coaches to be more creative in how they use Montaya Dew.

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“She’s gonna really do well here,” Barnes said. “I’m just watching her workouts and we haven’t had an athlete like her and Montaya in that position for a while. The four is a very important position for us. It’s what all of our offense goes through. It’s the top of our press. It’s the person that’s on 90 percent of on-balls. And we lost a good player in Esmery. So getting these young players that we can develop, that can be very special, it’s fun. I think you guys are gonna see that. And I think the size of Jah and Montaya, they can be a three, four, they can switch, they can do a lot of things defensively, I think it’s gonna be a really good combination.”

Jah averaged just over nine minutes per game in the 16 games she played for South Carolina last season. She went for 3.1 points per game on 36.2 percent shooting. She had 2.0 rebounds and 0.6 steals.

The sophomore played mostly with the returning starters during the team’s open practice. She hit several shots from the elbow during the halfcourt scrimmage.

Jah and her teammates will begin their season with an exhibition against West Texas A&M on Friday, Oct. 25. The game will tip off in McKale Center at 6 p.m. MST. Unlike in previous years, both exhibitions will be streamed this season. Steve Quis and Joan Bonvicini will have the call on ESPN+.



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South Carolina Graduation Success Rate Figures Announced

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South Carolina Graduation Success Rate Figures Announced


The University of South Carolina athletic program tied for third in the Southeastern Conference in the latest Graduation Success Rate, released Wednesday by the NCAA.

The Graduation Success Rate (GSR) measures the number of scholarship student-athletes that graduate within a six-year period of their initial full-time enrollment. For this report, the GSR is based on student-athletes who entered college in the fall of 2017.

South Carolina’s athletic teams had a 94 percent score, which tied with Auburn University and the University of Mississippi in the SEC behind Vanderbilt (96) and Alabama (96). South Carolina’s Football GSR score (95) ranked second among SEC schools and South Carolina schools. It tied for ninth among all Power 5 schools.

“I am so proud of the academic achievements of our student-athletes,” said Athletics Director Ray Tanner.  “Our student-athletes work hard in practice and in games, and they also put in the time with their academics.  We have the staff and resources to help our student-athletes reach their goal of graduation.

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An outstanding nine teams scored a perfect GSR (100): Men’s Soccer, Men’s Tennis, Women’s Basketball, Beach Volleyball, Softball, Women’s Soccer, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Track & Field, and Volleyball.

Thirteen of South Carolina’s NCAA-sponsored teams met or exceeded the Division I national average for their sport.

“Once again our student-athletes have demonstrated a strong tradition of academic dedication and tenacity”, said Charlie Ball, Associate AD. “Student-athletes at the University of South Carolina have a competitive edge in the classroom and in their respective sports. We are excited to have the ability to offer notable academic support and provide a one-of-a-kind SEC academic experience.”

A Record of Academic Success

Gamecock Athletics has developed a proud tradition of academic success, achieving numerous honors and reaching high levels of achievement during the 2023-24 academic year.

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  • Student-athletes at USC ended the Spring 2024 semester with a departmental grade point average (GPA) of 3.37. It was the 35th consecutive semester with a departmental GPA above 3.0.  The cumulative GPA for all student-athletes in each sport since they arrived at Carolina is 3.41, which is the third highest cumulative grade point average ever for Gamecock student-athletes.
  • 133 Gamecock student-athletes earned their degrees during the 2023-24 academic year.
  • South Carolina had 430 members on the SEC Academic Honor Roll (fall, winter, spring, first-year), which was third in the SEC. Since 2015-16, South Carolina leads all schools with 3,748 members of the SEC Academic Honor Roll.  South Carolina led all schools in SEC Academic Honor Roll in seven of the last nine years (2nd – 2017-18; 3rd – 2023-24).
  • Six Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors. It is the first time since 2021 that Gamecocks have had multiple first-team and six overall Academic All-Americans.  The list includes Dylan Taggart, Men’s Track & Field (1st Team / CSC Academic All-America Track & Field Team Member of the Year), Sarah Hamner, Women’s Tennis (1st Team), Anass Essayi , Men’s Track & Field (2ndTeam), Cole Messina, Baseball (3rd Team), Skylar Allen, Beach Volleyball (3rd Team) and Louise Rydqvist, Women’s Golf (3rd Team).
  • 43 Gamecocks earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors and four earned conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors in their respective sports – Dylan Taggart (SEC Indoor & Outdoor Track Scholar-Athlete of the Year), Louis Rvdqvist (SEC women’s golf), Ayana Akli (SEC women’s tennis) and Skylar Allen (CCSA Beach Volleyball Scholar-Athlete of the Year).





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JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina highlight women’s games to watch this week

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JuJu Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, South Carolina highlight women’s games to watch this week


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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. 

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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 

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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

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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. 

USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll: Defending national champions remain at No. 1

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Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell





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Updated NFL Draft projections for South Carolina football standouts

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Updated NFL Draft projections for South Carolina football standouts


The South Carolina football record for single-year NFL Draft selections in the modern era is seven. Both the 2009 draft and 2013 draft saw seven Gamecocks selected. (Back in 1954, nine USC alums went in a much longer draft.)

The 2025 NFL Draft could challenge those numbers.

The Gamecocks will be well-represented in April’s draft, especially on defense. You can check out some recent draft projections below. (The only underclassmen included are TJ Sanders and Nick Emmanwori because of their expected early-round selections.)

[GamecockCentral: $1 for 7 days and 50% off first year]

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TJ Sanders

The player most consistently mocked in the 1st round among the draft-eligible Gamecocks is big TJ Sanders. The athletic defensive tackle has gotten top-30 love from CBS Sports’ Chris Trapasso and Mike Renner. Other outlets predict a 2nd or 3rd-round selection, but Sanders appears to be a lock in the top 100.

Nick Emmanwori

Nick Emmanwori has been one of several standouts on this year’s defense at South Carolina. Because of that, the talented safety has become one of the top players at his position in the 2025 draft. Some even consider him this cycle’s best overall safety. Emmanwori is big, fast, and great on the back end. CBS’ Ryan Wilson views the freaky athlete as a 1st-rounder. Most outlets seem to position him in the 2nd round.

Kyle Kennard

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Coming into 2024 as a late-round guy, Kyle Kennard has played himself into a new future. Now, following an All-American showing this fall, he has been mocked as high as the late 1st round but seems settled into somewhere in the top 100 according to most sources. That is exactly where The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez projects Kennard. Sanchez calls him a “Day 2” pick, meaning he believes Kennard will go in the 2nd or 3rd round.

Rocket Sanders

Running backs aren’t nearly as highly coveted in the draft as they used to be, but Rocket Sanders is among the names garnering consideration. The 33rd Team’s Kyle Crabbs projects Sanders to be a 5th-round pick. That also tracks with other NFL Draft big boards and mocks. Most outlets seem to think Sanders will be off the board between the fourth and seventh rounds.

DeAndre Jules

An under-the-radar Gamecock in draft circles in DeAndre Jules. The big defensive tackle has missed some time this fall, but the NFL is still intrigued by the big fella. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell projects Jules to go in the 3rd or 4th round in April. That is higher than most other mocks, though. When Jules is included on other NFL Draft boards, it is as a potential late-round pick.

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Josh Simon

As part of a strong season, Josh Simon tied USC’s single-season touchdown record for tight ends (6) against Missouri. Because of his production, the NFL is taking notice. AtoZSports NFL Draft analyst Ryan Roberts called Simon “a better pro than college player,” which is significant because he’s a really good college tight end. NFL Draft pundits are late to the party, but he’s starting to get late-round buzz as a possible 5th-round to 7th-round selection. The offseason should be kind to Simon’s draft stock.

O’Donnell Fortune

O’Donnell Fortune could be the next South Carolina cornerback to make his way into the draft. In fact, earlier this fall, NFL Draft analyst Tony Pauline gave the Palmetto State native a 6th-round grade. Several other outlets have followed suit recently. Fortune has had a strong senior season in Columbia and should find himself in professional football next year, whether via draft selection or free agent contract. He is a “stock up” candidate.

Demetrius Knight

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Demetrius Knight is an NFL linebacker. Because he didn’t play until last year (with Charlotte) and has just one season in the SEC, his stock isn’t high. As things stand, Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell lists Knight as a 6th or 7th-round pick. However, Knight’s size and speed should see him be an offseason riser. His physical testing numbers and pop on film should impress scouts.

Tonka Hemingway

Heading into the season, Tonka Hemingway was viewed as a potential major riser for the 2025 NFL Draft. With other players also stepping up around the country at the position, a solid year for Hemingway hasn’t seen that draft stock bump come to fruition. Walter Football’s Charlie Campbell calls Hemingway a 6th or 7th-round pick.

[Win two tickets to the South Carolina-Wofford football game]

Other Late-Round/Undrafted Free Agent Hopefuls

*The players listed below have received 7th-round or undrafted free agent grades from various outlets*

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LB Debo Williams
G/C Torricelli Simpkins
C/G Vershon Lee
LB Bam Martin-Scott
DT Boogie Huntley
WR Gage Larvadain
P Kai Kroeger
LS Hunter Rogers



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