Gamecocks 2025-2026 Season | Page 29 | The Boneyard

Gamecocks 2025-2026 Season

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WBBTakeover said:
Chloe is a better rebounder (at least per the numbers), but she never started alongside a rebounding machine like Madina Okot. Kamilla was not the rebounder that Madina is. She's not a scorer, which Joyce clearly is.

No matter how many bigs South Carolina has next season, only one of them will be a scoring big (Chloe has played two full seasons and isn't close to 1000 points while Joyce has 1100 points in nearly two full seasons).


Joyce is likely to be named an All-American. With Ta'Niya gone, she's the only returning scorer. She will start. Chloe will either come off the bench in a sixth woman role or start in a big line-up scenario. She's going to have to get in where she fits in and do so while coming off a significant injury.


Dawn has chosen this path, so she's got to make it work. The game is changing (with NIL and the transfer portal), so I'm less convinced that it will work. The truth is that if a player misses significant time and isn't a JuJu-level player, that player will find herself fighting for minutes once she's healthy enough to return.
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These are my thoughts as well. I expect Kitts to be the first off the bench while she is recovering and then the coaches will determine who gets the more minutes between all the bigs based on who are performing better for that particular game. I also halfway wonder if Tournabize will start over Watkins. I think it'll just depend on how much practice/conditioning Watkins did on her own this past year. Plus, we'll have Tac and the two freshmen backing up those four, though I kind of expect both freshmen bigs to redshirt if they're still recovering from their high school injuries.

This is how I see things playing out...

5) Tournabize/Watkins, Tac, Andrews
4) Edwards, Kitts, Watkins, Wynn
 
GamecockFam said:
These are my thoughts as well. I expect Kitts to be the first off the bench while she is recovering and then the coaches will determine who gets the more minutes between all the bigs based on who are performing better for that particular game. I also halfway wonder if Tournabize will start over Watkins. I think it'll just depend on how much practice/conditioning Watkins did on her own this past year. Plus, we'll have Tac and the two freshmen backing up those four, though I kind of expect both freshmen bigs to redshirt if they're still recovering from their high school injuries.

This is how I see things playing out...

5) Tournabize/Watkins, Tac, Andrews
4) Edwards, Kitts, Watkins, Wynn
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If Okot moves on to the WNBA, I would start Tournebize. I would want Dawn to take advantage of her upside (and height). We all have an idea of what Ashlyn can do.
 
When we lost Watkins, and then Kitts, to injury, my immediate concern was that this would be a rebuilding year. Yet here we are, ranked in the top 5 all year long, SEC regular season champs (again), looking to be a 1 seed in the Big Dance.
Even losing three starters from this year’s squad going into next year, I’m not as concerned this time. Adjustments were made, and will be made. I chalk this up to great coaching and recruiting players from both the portal and high school who have talent without entitlement. Latson is the textbook example.
 
USMC(ret) said:
When we lost Watkins, and then Kitts, to injury, my immediate concern was that this would be a rebuilding year. Yet here we are, ranked in the top 5 all year long, SEC regular season champs (again), looking to be a 1 seed in the Big Dance.
Even losing three starters from this year’s squad going into next year, I’m not as concerned this time. Adjustments were made, and will be made. I chalk this up to great coaching and recruiting players from both the portal and high school who have talent without entitlement. Latson is the textbook example.
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My only concern (and it's getting slighter the more that I think about it) would be backcourt/perimeter production, but I would imagine that Tessa will ascend to All-America status (playing alongside a pass-first guard like Mouse) and that Joyce will spend a healthy amount of her minutes on the perimeter as part of a big line-up.
 
WBBTakeover said:
If Okot moves on to the WNBA, I would start Tournebize. I would want Dawn to take advantage of her upside (and height). We all have an idea of what Ashlyn can do.
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She should play the best player and comparing Watkins' last season and Tournebize so far isn't remotely close.

If Tournebize has a massive offseason or Watkins isn't the same, then it might be close.

You are risking something when you have a whole roster making sacrifices and you play players because of upside.

Dawn has literally never done that. Veterans get treated with deference unless they're just beaten out. Granted her veterans generally are predictable about doing their job.
 
donalddoowop said:
I remember reading how displeased SC fans were with Raven. They complained about her defense and lack of offense. It surprised me because I saw her play in high school and thought she was going to be super in college. After watching her play I thought the complaints were valid. However, she is now playing as well as thought she would. As far as holding her own against Fudd, did she do that last season?
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Bad take--Raven barely guarded Fudd last season in both games. I hope Dawn would make the change this year since I don't think Tessa is quick enough to guard her and I don't think Latson is long enough. Raven's only 5-9 but has a 6-2 wing span and is a lockdown defender. I'm not sure if she'll shut down Fudd but she's the best option on South Carolina's roster and has shutdown great players throughout her career. I've also never heard anyone complain about her defense. That's always been her calling card.

I haven't heard an inkling of South Carolina fans being disappointed with her during her career. I feel like if anything, it's the complete opposite and she's one of the most beloved players in school history. She came back from injury her freshman year and consistently played well in big games (great showings against LSU, Iowa and UCONN as a freshman). I think a lot of the fan base has a soft spot for her after the Caitlin Clark wave off since she was the punching bag for South Carolina's lack of 3pt shooting, but most fans recognized that Raven shot quite well that game (3-6 from 3). Her sophomore year she was a fan favorite and instrumental to their undefeated run. She struggled last year but there was no question she gave it her all. This year she's been terrific. Dawn's always spoken highly of her.
 
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I was curious. Raven had Fudd for about the first five minutes of the game and Fudd scored on one extended switch. Through the mid 3Q in not sure anyone who Raven was the established defender scored.

Raven kept us in the game in first half on the boards, seemed run down in second half. Did not convert a lot offensively so hopefully that changes.

Raven and Kitts played well but Kitts wasn't near big enough to defend strong. Feagin was pretty decent.

Fulwiley was awful. Pao was ineffective. Edwards and Tessa were on roller skates. N

Really could not defend the double screen on the curl.

Overall thoughts: we were the smaller team. We were sloppy. Offensively just not much going on.

I am pretty excited about replacing some of this season's bench minutes with Kitts and Watkins. Chloe just has nice offensive game.
General though: Raven, Tessa, and Joyce are better versions of themselves. We did not have Okot and I still hold hope that Latson can have some big moments.

Take Bueckers away and give SC I think a more realistic chance to keep pace and could be fun. Her whoops shows the gap haven't narrowed quite a bit, but matchups make fights so we will see. Maybe. We might not get there.
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Gamecockfan77 said:
She should play the best player and comparing Watkins' last season and Tournebize so far isn't remotely close.

If Tournebize has a massive offseason or Watkins isn't the same, then it might be close.

You are risking something when you have a whole roster making sacrifices and you play players because of upside.

Dawn has literally never done that. Veterans get treated with deference unless they're just beaten out. Granted her veterans generally are predictable about doing their job.
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It's 2026, not 2024. Move forward. Don't live in the past.

Players coming off of serious knee injuries don't just return as if nothing happened. They struggle, both physically and mentally. There's an adjustment period that takes place to get the player back to where she was prior to the injury. That can take up to two years post-injury.

If Alicia proves that she's better for the spot in 2026-27, then the spot should be hers. I don't care what Ashlyn was in the past. I care about what she is now. And if it's not better than Tournebize after a postseason and offseason in the system, then she should be the one coming off the bench. I do not give a damn about seniority.
 
bballnut90 said:
I haven't heard an inkling of South Carolina fans being disappointed with her during her career. I feel like if anything, it's the complete opposite and she's one of the most beloved players in school history. She came back from injury her freshman year and consistently played well in big games (great showings against LSU, Iowa and UCONN as a freshman). I think a lot of the fan base has a soft spot for her after the Caitlin Clark wave off since she was the punching bag for South Carolina's lack of 3pt shooting, but most fans recognized that Raven shot quite well that game (3-6 from 3). Her sophomore year she was a fan favorite and instrumental to their undefeated run. She struggled last year but there was no question she gave it her all. This year she's been terrific. Dawn's always spoken highly of her.
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This is the truth. Raven is beloved by the fanbase because we've had to shield her from excessive and unnecessary criticism due to a dismissive hand wave. Imagine a freshman being subjected to that kind of abuse. She was catching hell from rival fans and the media alike. This is the first year that they've realized their error and have course corrected.
 
WBBTakeover said:
It's 2026, not 2024. Move forward. Don't live in the past.

Players coming off of serious knee injuries don't just return as if nothing happened. They struggle, both physically and mentally. There's an adjustment period that takes place to get the player back to where she was prior to the injury. That can take up to two years post-injury.

If Alicia proves that she's better for the spot in 2026-27, then the spot should be hers. I don't care what Ashlyn was in the past. I care about what she is now. And if it's not better than Tournebize after a postseason and offseason in the system, then she should be the one coming off the bench. I do not give a damn about seniority.
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Well I said play the best player. You said play the upside. Seems like you probably agree with play the best player.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
Well I said play the best player. You said play the upside. Seems like you probably agree with play the best player.
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The best player can also be the one with the most upside. Those traits are not mutually exclusive.
 
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Does anyone know if only ex-gamecock players are playing in Israel right now and stuck there? Are there other Americans who are there as well? Hope Dawn would be trying to bring them back too even if they never flew into her little birdie nest.
 
Pretty sure the State Department is working hard to extract any and all American citizens from the war zone.
 
ABCDFE said:
Does anyone know if only ex-gamecock players are playing in Israel right now and stuck there? Are there other Americans who are there as well? Hope Dawn would be trying to bring them back too even if they never flew into her little birdie nest.
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I assume that would be the case -- she isn't heartless and knows she is in a place of privilege for the "movers and shakers" to hear her voice. I think it just makes political sense for CDS to talk about getting her players home through the news and on X.
 
BRS24 said:
Can Kentucky beat SC today?
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They're more than capable.

Will they? I doubt it. Kenny Brooks isn't the most brilliant coach down the stretch of games.
 
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Gamecocks hang on for lackluster 4 point win.

Okot dominated most of the first half. Dawn pulled her at the end of the half and Kentucky roared back. Stack, in particular, found new life when Okot left the game. She kept the pedal down even after Okot returned.

Tessa’s shooting woes continue after her LSU heroics

Joyce got a little bit wild as she can do against bugs like Stack and Key
 
visitingcock said:
Gamecocks hang on for lackluster 4 point win.

Okot dominated most of the first half. Dawn pulled her at the end of the half and Kentucky roared back. Stack, in particular, found new life when Okot left the game. She kept the pedal down even after Okot returned.

Tessa’s shooting woes continue after her LSU heroics

Joyce got a little bit wild as she can do against bugs like Stack and Key
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Strange game… Gamecocks shot only 7 free throws, and all by Joyce. Kentucky had only 8 free throws. Kentucky played only seven today… we played all ten, but only Maddie had significant minutes. Gamecocks scored a whopping 6 points in the 4th qtr.

Felt bad for the Kentucky seniors. Had to be Senior Day, and only 6,000+ showed up. That’s half a crowd at CLA.
 
USMC(ret) said:
Felt bad for the Kentucky seniors. Had to be Senior Day, and only 6,000+ showed up. That’s half a crowd at CLA.
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He HAD bigger crowds at Virginia Tech.
 
SEC tournament brackets are set.

On our side, Kentucky will play Arkansas in the first round and the winner will play Georgia. That winner will then play us.

It's kind of crazy that Kentucky doesn't get a bye. If not for Teonni Key's injury, I think they would be somewhere between #4-6 in the conference. But anyways here they stand at #9. My instincts tell me there will be a rematch with Kentucky on Friday.
 
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USMC(ret) said:
Strange game… Gamecocks shot only 7 free throws, and all by Joyce. Kentucky had only 8 free throws. Kentucky played only seven today… we played all ten, but only Maddie had significant minutes. Gamecocks scored a whopping 6 points in the 4th qtr.
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Kentucky was not called for a foul from 7:05 of the 3rd til under a minute in the 4th.

wow. that's some really disciplined defense.
 
GoChips20 said:
The three-pointer is really becoming a weapon for Okot. I know a lot of centers develop a perimeter shot in the pros, but she has the basics with just a few years of basketball experience at any level. So much potential.
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Yesterday, she made a steal around the defensive 3 point wing and went coast to coast, finishing with a euro. I'm not certain the #1 pick is settled.
 
GamecockFam said:
SEC tournament brackets are set.

On our side, Kentucky will play Arkansas in the first round and the winner will play Georgia. That winner will then play us.

It's kind of crazy that Kentucky doesn't get a bye. If not for Teonni Key's injury, I think they would be somewhere between #4-6 in the conference. But anyways here they stand at #9. My instincts tell me there will be a rematch with Kentucky on Friday.
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With Key back, Kentucky is a much better team.
 
I’m not sure if she exactly knew what she was doing, but that route Tessa ran on the final inbound to collide her defender into Strack taking them both down to end the game was brilliant, as well as hilarious. 😝 I’ve watched that play many times over.

Meanwhile, here’s Chloe providing an injury progress video:



❤️
 
JDuro said:
I’m not sure if she exactly knew what she was doing, but that route Tessa ran on the final inbound to collide her defender into Strack taking them both down to end the game was brilliant, as well as hilarious. 😝 I’ve watched that play many times over.

Meanwhile, here’s Chloe providing an injury progress video:



❤️
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While her progress is admirable, I often wonder if she is not taking the time she needs to heal. Coming back too early can often lead to a second injury. I pray she is following the doctor's orders.
 
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