South-Carolina
What Dawn Staley said about South Carolina’s injuries before LSU game
COLUMBIA — South Carolina women’s basketball had two guards injured but still gave No. 17 Tennessee its worst loss in program history on Feb. 8.
The 93-50 defeat came just three days after an 88-45 victory over Mississippi State, which the No. 3 Gamecocks (24-2, 10-1 SEC) also did down two players.
Coach Dawn Staley returned Ta’Niya Latson against the Lady Vols (15-6, 7-2) but didn’t have Maddy McDaniel. She’s been without Agot Makeer since the first quarter against Auburn on Jan. 29.
“We don’t speak about the injured,” Staley said. “We don’t … we actually quite frankly consider them dead. It’s not part of the game plan. They’re unhealthy so we just go with who is available and that is the mentality we need to have.”
What are South Carolina’s injuries heading into LSU game?
In 17 games, Staley has started or finished a game without at least one player.
“We don’t need to sulk on who is here and what could happen,” Staley said. “Whoever is available, it’s the next woman up and that’s the way we practice … it might be shorter practices but that’s the way we handled it.”
McDaniel was wearing a boot on her left foot, sitting on the bench in sweatpants with Makeer and Chloe Kitts, who tore her ACL in September.
Staley said she doesn’t have an update on McDaniel, but she’ll be evaluated every day. Makeer’s injury hasn’t been specified beyond a lower leg issue.
South Carolina doesn’t play a Thursday game this week ahead of the biggest game of the regular season. The Gamecocks play at No. 5 LSU (22-3, 8-3) on Feb. 14 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) in Baton Rouge, facing former star guard MiLaysia Fulwiley, who transferred after two seasons in Columbia.
“It’s good we have somewhat of a bye week,” Staley said. “Maddy wants to play I know that, when you have the mindset you want to play it helps the body heal quicker.”
Latson returned in full force despite a substantial brace on her left knee, scoring a team-high 21 points to go with four steals. This was after she missed three games from Jan. 1-11 after spraining her ankle on Dec. 28.
“I felt good, I played with a knee brace before at Florida State so I wasn’t too foreign to that,” Latson said. “Just getting back in shape, getting reps in practice has helped me a lot.”
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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