Gamecocks 2025-2026 Season | Page 9 | The Boneyard

Gamecocks 2025-2026 Season

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Observations watching SC beat up on USF:

Madina Okot is huge! Not just tall, but with shoulders that would be the envy of a linebacker. And she runs like a gazelle.

Tessa Johnson is the most complete player, if not the best player, on the Gamecocks. Superb defense, and smoooooth on offense.

Maddy McDaniel fouls EVERY time on defense, but the refs are simply not calling it. She pokes, and grabs, and denies movement even when her opponent doesn’t have the ball.

The three refs are not on the same page with each other. Wouldn’t surprise me if someone got hurt in the second half. In many respects they are letting the players play, but then they call the slightest touch foul, which is confusing the players on both sides and pissing off Dawn.

Nothing rattles Raven Johnson!

Taniya Latson doesn’t elevate until she has to, and then it is an explosion upward with outstanding body control!

The rout is on, but USF hasn’t hung their heads. Bravo Zulu, Bulls!
 
I’m reconsidering the talk ITT about our fall off defensively. Need to see it against an elite opponent, but it might just be a different sort of defense of comparable ability. Our perimeter pressure might make up for whatever we’ve given up inside.

Really interested to see how that baby bird in the nest helps next semester.
 
I was expecting something more competitive, but hey, I guess a complete beatdown will suffice. I thought South Florida was going to at least keep it reasonable through the first half and put up a fight but we held them to a season low in points and scored a season high on them.
 
GamecockFam said:
I was expecting something more competitive, but hey, I guess a complete beatdown will suffice. I thought South Florida was going to at least keep it reasonable through the first half and put up a fight but we held them to a season low in points and scored a season high on them.
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I was expecting the version that beat Duke (Kara, please!) or was able to hang with Minnesota. This version stinks.
 
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YKCornelius said:
Observations watching SC beat up on USF:

Madina Okot is huge! Not just tall, but with shoulders that would be the envy of a linebacker. And she runs like a gazelle.

Tessa Johnson is the most complete player, if not the best player, on the Gamecocks. Superb defense, and smoooooth on offense.

Maddy McDaniel fouls EVERY time on defense, but the refs are simply not calling it. She pokes, and grabs, and denies movement even when her opponent doesn’t have the ball.

The three refs are not on the same page with each other. Wouldn’t surprise me if someone got hurt in the second half. In many respects they are letting the players play, but then they call the slightest touch foul, which is confusing the players on both sides and pissing off Dawn.

Nothing rattles Raven Johnson!

Taniya Latson doesn’t elevate until she has to, and then it is an explosion upward with outstanding body control!

The rout is on, but USF hasn’t hung their heads. Bravo Zulu, Bulls!
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Kudos. It’s kind of admirable that you didn’t even mention the high scorer, Joyce, while looking at the whole team (She was a bully last night and the refs kinda lost their whistle when she got the ball).

Generally, I value a double double (yes, Okot got another) over high scorer but Joyce’s 94% shooting last night was eye catching. Of course many were fast break layups. Taniya’s 6 assists helped to feed the beast.
 
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visitingcock said:
It’s kind of admirable that you didn’t even mention Joyce (She was a bully. the refs kinda lost their whistle when she got the ball)
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I should have held my thoughts on the Bulls until after the game, as they basically gave up in the second half after the Gamecocks blitzed them coming out of the locker room. They started playing hero ball which is never wise against a team that is better than you at every position.

The starting five played like they knew Alex Fernandez was in attendance scouting the Gamecocks for next year's draft.
 
YKCornelius said:
I should have held my thoughts on the Bulls until after the game, as they basically gave up in the second half after the Gamecocks blitzed them coming out of the locker room. They started playing hero ball which is never wise against a team that is better than you at every position.

The starting five played like they knew Alex Fernandez was in attendance scouting the Gamecocks for next year's draft.
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Interesting . If I were Alex I would look at Scar seniors like this:

OKOT: first rounder. Still a bit raw but top flight athlete for a center. Potential for improvement in skills. I don’t see her seeking another year from the NCAA (if there is a draft). As a foreign student, she can’t get NIL pay in the US and Kenya can’t provide much, if any, opportunity for 3rd party pay there.

LATSON: second round of she’s available. Her defense is improving and she is developing as a team player. Now looks for assists along with seeking the lane to drive. 3 point shot is improving. Smallish but excellent athlete.

RAVEN: third round. excellent defender and PG. a leader and we’ll liked by other players. 3 point has improved this year ( we wiil see if that continues when we hit conference play).
 
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visitingcock said:
Interesting . If I were Alex I would look at Scar seniors like this:

OKOT: first rounder. Still a bit raw but top flight athlete for a center. Potential for improvement in skills. I don’t see her seeking another year from the NCAA (if there is a draft). As a foreign student, she can’t get NIL pay in the US and Kenya can’t provide much, if any, opportunity for 3rd party pay there.

LATSON: second round of she’s available. Her defense is improving and she is developing as a team player. Now looks for assists along with seeking the lane to drive. 3 point shot is improving. Smallish but excellent athlete.

RAVEN: third round. excellent defender and PG. a leader and we’ll liked by other players. 3 point has improved this year ( we wiil see if that continues when we hit conference play).
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Interesting prognostication...
I think you're underselling a lot of what Raven brings to the table. Every draft projection I've seen puts her as an early second round talent with potential for a late first round pick with a great offensive season. She is probably the second or third best PG in this draft. Olivia Miles is the clear-cut #1 PG but after that it get murky and Raven brings a lot to the table in athleticism and reach that could sway a team to take her in the first round over the remaining PGs as a developmental offensive player with a high overall ceiling. Besides her offense, she brings a lot to the table. She is an elite floor general, on-ball defender, rebounder, can push the pace while remaining under control and she is an above average passer. Those sound like great traits for a backup PG using those talents to carve out a space for herself in the league while honing her craft to become an offensive threat.
 
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GamecockFam said:
Interesting prognostication...
I think you're underselling a lot of what Raven brings to the table. Every draft projection I've seen puts her as an early second round talent with potential for a late first round pick with a great offensive season. She is probably the second or third best PG in this draft. Olivia Miles is the clear-cut #1 PG but after that it get murky and Raven brings a lot to the table in athleticism and reach that could sway a team to take her in the first round over the remaining PGs as a developmental offensive player with a high overall ceiling. Besides her offense, she brings a lot to the table. She is an elite floor general, on-ball defender, rebounder, can push the pace while remaining under control and she is an above average passer. Those sound like great traits for a backup PG using those talents to carve out a space for herself in the league while honing her craft to become an offensive threat.
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My projection was theoretical based on one of expansion team drafting all three. Each could move up a round
 
I do think that South Carolina is gradually improving defensively.

Doing a little better on screens and contests.

Offensively, it's hard to really tell. I tend to agree with Staley that the half court is still a little ragged.

Latson really struggles to find space.

A ton of upside still with this team.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
I do think that South Carolina is gradually improving defensively.

Doing a little better on screens and contests.

Offensively, it's hard to really tell. I tend to agree with Staley that the half court is still a little ragged.

Latson really struggles to find space.

A ton of upside still with this team.
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Last year’s UConn didn’t look like a championship team until 2nd semester. We were favored in Columbia.
 
visitingcock said:
Interesting . If I were Alex I would look at Scar seniors like this:

OKOT: first rounder. Still a bit raw but top flight athlete for a center. Potential for improvement in skills. I don’t see her seeking another year from the NCAA (if there is a draft). As a foreign student, she can’t get NIL pay in the US and Kenya can’t provide much, if any, opportunity for 3rd party pay there.

LATSON: second round of she’s available. Her defense is improving and she is developing as a team player. Now looks for assists along with seeking the lane to drive. 3 point shot is improving. Smallish but excellent athlete.

RAVEN: third round. excellent defender and PG. a leader and we’ll liked by other players. 3 point has improved this year ( we wiil see if that continues when we hit conference play).
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If Ta'Niya Latson drops to the second round, then 11 GMs (every team minus Las Vegas, Phoenix, New York, and Los Angeles) need to have their heads examined. How is she markedly different from, say, Courtney Williams (who was a first round pick almost 10 years ago and an All-Star last summer)?

And if we're being honest, Okot should be a lottery pick in this draft. Raw and young but potential out the wazoo.
 
visitingcock said:
Joyce is gonna get fat from a cupcake diet:

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Random thought, but it's been rolling around my mind...

Joyce Edwards, Sarah Strong and Mikayla Blakes are probably going to be the top 3 picks in their respective draft and all three are what you would want in a #1 overall pick. This draft will be very interesting to watch in a few years. The order may just come down to best fit for the drafting team...and they're just sophomores 😱
 
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GamecockFam said:
Random thought, but it's been rolling around my mind...

Joyce Edwards, Sarah Strong and Mikayla Blakes are probably going to be the top 3 picks in their respective draft and all three are what you would want in a #1 overall pick. This draft will be very interesting to watch in a few years. The order may just come down to best fit for the drafting team...and they're just sophomores 😱
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I think the Cambridge sister of that class that went to tOSU Will be back in the conversation as a senior. She’s a very good talent and her leadership skills have plenty of time to grow
 
GamecockFam said:
Random thought, but it's been rolling around my mind...

Joyce Edwards, Sarah Strong and Mikayla Blakes are probably going to be the top 3 picks in their respective draft and all three are what you would want in a #1 overall pick. This draft will be very interesting to watch in a few years. The order may just come down to best fit for the drafting team...and they're just sophomores 😱
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Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.
 
visitingcock said:
I think the Cambridge sister of that class that went to tOSU Will be back in the conversation as a senior. She’s a very good talent and her leadership skills have plenty of time to grow
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SCar probably needs to hit the portal hard for a point guard, on a perhaps not related note.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.
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+1. Edwards will be a first-team AA this year but her game is more limited on both ends at this time.

I think Strong will be an All-Star as a rookie and possibly an All-W candidate too.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.
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GoChips20 said:
+1. Edwards will be a first-team AA this year but her game is more limited on both ends at this time.

I think Strong will be an All-Star as a rookie and possibly an All-W candidate too.
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The whole point of my original statement was trying to put an emphasis on the three as a group and not make this a comparison game. All three would be #1 overall candidates in most years, so I was fawning over the fact that there are three franchise-type players in this one draft -- which is very rare -- and they all have 2.5 years to continue growing.
 
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GamecockFam said:
Looks like there may be something to the rumors. I don't read French but google translated and said that she is leaving her team to come to the United States...

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I’m scared to give this a like. Too many strange jinxed on this board
 
Trained in Bourges, the daughter of former player Isabelle Fijalkowski will join the United States in January to "carry out an academic and sporting project", the club said in a statement, praising "daily rigour, a strong maturity of play and a promising determination". The young pivot was recently selected for an internship with the France.

The rest of the adventure in the United States​

"Alicia will forever remain a child of the club," said Agnès Saint-Gès, the president of Bourges basketball, in this statement. Seeing her go to the United States is not an end, but an accomplishment. Our mission is to train excellent players, but also careers. This one is a magnificent example of that."

"Bourges made me grow, on and off the basketball court," explains Alicia Tournebize in the club's publication. I am leaving today with everything I learned there, with the desire to proudly represent the colours of my training club".

T
 
jumpstart said:
Trained in Bourges, the daughter of former player Isabelle Fijalkowski will join the United States in January to "carry out an academic and sporting project", the club said in a statement, praising "daily rigour, a strong maturity of play and a promising determination". The young pivot was recently selected for an internship with the France.

The rest of the adventure in the United States​

"Alicia will forever remain a child of the club," said Agnès Saint-Gès, the president of Bourges basketball, in this statement. Seeing her go to the United States is not an end, but an accomplishment. Our mission is to train excellent players, but also careers. This one is a magnificent example of that."

"Bourges made me grow, on and off the basketball court," explains Alicia Tournebize in the club's publication. I am leaving today with everything I learned there, with the desire to proudly represent the colours of my training club".

T
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Thank you! ♥️

I think this is yet more evidence that she is enrolling midyear. Our next game is against Providence on the 28th. I suspect we'll have a new player on the bench by that game ...
 
GamecockFam said:
Thank you! ♥️

I think this is yet more evidence that she is enrolling midyear. Our next game is against Providence on the 28th. I suspect we'll have a new player on the bench by that game ...
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Maybe not. You missed this part.. will join the United States in January
 
O
jumpstart said:
Maybe not. You missed this part.. will join the United States in January
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I think she will not be an enrolled student in December and not eligible to play until the semester of her enrollment / January. We’ll see IF she chooses us.
 
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