Gamecocks 2025-2026 Season

[visitingcock]

I'm assuming Makeer is still in concussion protocol?

Yes.

 

[GamecockFam]

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).

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.

 

[visitingcock]

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.

My projection was theoretical based on one of expansion team drafting all three. Each could move up a round

 

[Gamecockfan77]

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.

 

[JstVisiting]

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.

Last year’s UConn didn’t look like a championship team until 2nd semester. We were favored in Columbia.

 

[WBBTakeover]

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).

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]

Joyce is gonna get fat from a cupcake diet:

 

[GamecockFam]

Joyce is gonna get fat from a cupcake diet:

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 😱

 

[visitingcock]

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 😱

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

 

[Gamecockfan77]

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 😱

Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

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

SCar probably needs to hit the portal hard for a point guard, on a perhaps not related note.

 

[visitingcock]

SCar probably needs to hit the portal hard for a point guard, on a perhaps not related note.

Perhaps. When do the others Cambridge graduate?

 

[GoChips20]

Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.

+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.

 

[GamecockFam]

Pretty sure Strong would be the unanimous choice at this point.

+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.

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.

 

[GamecockFam]

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...

 

[visitingcock]

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...

I’m scared to give this a like. Too many strange jinxed on this board

 

[jumpstart]

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

 

[GamecockFam]

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

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 ...

 

[jumpstart]

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 ...

Maybe not. You missed this part.. will join the United States in January

 

[visitingcock]

O

Maybe not. You missed this part.. will join the United States in January

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.

 

[jdote33]

I'm not going to lie I haven't seen much of SC but I box score watch because I like a lot of the players. They seem pretty scary and everyone kind of made the progression and leap fans could hope for. I think injuries and transfers kind of freed up minutes and allowed certain players to shine. So I think Raven is having a really quality year, back to the level she was at two years ago. Tessa finally getting starter minutes and playing which I thought would've been ideal after the championship game she had as a freshman. The Jocelyn Edwards is putting up crazy numbers. I'm like ooo that's y they created a major for her. It also looks like Okot is producing. Once again I haven't watched too much but it seems like the pieces fit which is really cool. I'll be watching more once sec play starts. I got to give it to Texas and UConn as far as being the top 2 teams. But SC right now could be 3rd, UCLA 4th. And sc shouldn't really be afraid of anybody. Any thoughts on the season as we hit Christmas break thus far. Any worries or wholes?

 

[GamecockFam]

Maybe not. You missed this part.. will join the United States in January

I kind of took it as a generalization but you're probably right. She will most likely want to spend the holidays with family before saying goodbye until the summer.

 

[GamecockFam]

I'm not going to lie I haven't seen much of SC but I box score watch because I like a lot of the players. They seem pretty scary and everyone kind of made the progression and leap fans could hope for. I think injuries and transfers kind of freed up minutes and allowed certain players to shine. So I think Raven is having a really quality year, back to the level she was at two years ago. Tessa finally getting starter minutes and playing which I thought would've been ideal after the championship game she had as a freshman. The Jocelyn Edwards is putting up crazy numbers. I'm like ooo that's y they created a major for her. It also looks like Okot is producing. Once again I haven't watched too much but it seems like the pieces fit which is really cool. I'll be watching more once sec play starts. I got to give it to Texas and UConn as far as being the top 2 teams. But SC right now could be 3rd, UCLA 4th. And sc shouldn't really be afraid of anybody. Any thoughts on the season as we hit Christmas break thus far. Any worries or wholes?

Depth is really the biggest worry. I like our five starters but we'd be in big trouble if something were to happen to Edwards or Okot.

 

[SCspur]

 

[SCspur]

If Tournebize can play in the second half of the season she will provide much needed depth behind Joyce and Madina. Adhel and Maryam had some moments but Tournebize is already better than both at this point and her mid range shot, passing, and shot blocking would definitely take this team to another level.