Gamecocks Off-Season 2026 | Page 6 | The Boneyard

Gamecocks Off-Season 2026

GamecockFam said:
This feels like it'll be our tallest team ever -- at least positionally at the guard spot. We only have one player under 6' tall, Maddie McDaniel. Everyone else is 6'+. We could realistically put out a tall lineup of Tournabize (6'7"), Watkins (6'3"), Edwards (6'3"), Makeer (6'1"), Johnson (6'0").
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Your 2022-23 roster also contends but isn't as tall on the wings:
6'7 Kamilla Caroso
6'5 Aliyah Boston
6'4 Sania Feagin
6'3 Laeticia Amihere
6'3 Ashlyn Watkins
6'2 Victaria Saxton
6'2 Chloe Kitts
6'1 Brea Beal
6'0 Bree Hall
6'0 Talaysia Cooper

This was arguably the best rebounding team in NCAA history. I think the only team to outrebound them all year was Stanford who featured Cameron Brink, Lauren Betts, Kiki Iriafen and Haley Jones (plus a slew of other tall players).
 
New mascot for Little C
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Y'all ever Google what happens when a chicken continues to overeat? No going to post it, but it's not pretty. I'm disgusted
 
The questions for next year's team;

1) is Maddie ready to run the team
2) will SC be able to run an efficient offense the 12 minutes a game it likely won't have a PG on the floor?
3) what happens if Maddie gets injured as she is prone to do.
4) there are many, many forwards on this team. Who will play center?

1) Watkins: arguably the most talented player on roster before her lost year and a half. Can she come back as a peak version of herself
2) Tournebize: is she a center? What does the offseason look like for her? Does comfort and strength bring her game forward
3) Tac: Will she ever be healthy? Can she take another step forward?
4) O. Edwards: Where exactly is her game to start? Does she force herself into picture or will she come in raw and need to watch.
5) Kelsi Andrews - where is her health. Does she represent a better option than the above
6) Joyce Edwards - is this a viable small ball option? I bet we see it. How much small ball can SCar play with so many post players hungry?

At PG:

1) Tessa : she has been the third PG before and would have most experience and knowledge. And frankly she's the most deferential of what I can tell of the options. Is this the best use of Tessa though?

2) Agot - she sometimes brought the ball up the floor for Monteverdi, but wouldn't really call that being the PG. was 4th in assists for that squad. I like her aggressive more than setting up others.

3) Lee: think she said somewhere she might get some PG possessions. Don't recall that being case at Texas. Seems like maybe it would be similar to having Tessa do it.

4) Jerzy Robinson: she's arguably more of a forward than guard. Not sure she's really a great ball handler or especially assist minded. Maybe a good way of instilling some of that. Amihere playing apt forces her to get into that frame of mind and perhaps that's a good place to start.

5) when SC struggled against pressure, sometimes the answer was let Joyce Edwards bring it up.

General:

Lots of big guards, lots of interior options. Will their be an engine to it?

Can the offense be as dynamic? Latson and Raven helped the team run into buckets in transition. Will those buckets be there? If not, how does the half court look?

Seeming certainty:

The defense will be smothering.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
The questions for next year's team;

1) is Maddie ready to run the team
2) will SC be able to run an efficient offense the 12 minutes a game it likely won't have a PG on the floor?
3) what happens if Maddie gets injured as she is prone to do.
4) there are many, many forwards on this team. Who will play center?

1) Watkins: arguably the most talented player on roster before her lost year and a half. Can she come back as a peak version of herself
2) Tournebize: is she a center? What does the offseason look like for her? Does comfort and strength bring her game forward
3) Tac: Will she ever be healthy? Can she take another step forward?
4) O. Edwards: Where exactly is her game to start? Does she force herself into picture or will she come in raw and need to watch.
5) Kelsi Andrews - where is her health. Does she represent a better option than the above
6) Joyce Edwards - is this a viable small ball option? I bet we see it. How much small ball can SCar play with so many post players hungry?

At PG:

1) Tessa : she has been the third PG before and would have most experience and knowledge. And frankly she's the most deferential of what I can tell of the options. Is this the best use of Tessa though?

2) Agot - she sometimes brought the ball up the floor for Monteverdi, but wouldn't really call that being the PG. was 4th in assists for that squad. I like her aggressive more than setting up others.

3) Lee: think she said somewhere she might get some PG possessions. Don't recall that being case at Texas. Seems like maybe it would be similar to having Tessa do it.

4) Jerzy Robinson: she's arguably more of a forward than guard. Not sure she's really a great ball handler or especially assist minded. Maybe a good way of instilling some of that. Amihere playing apt forces her to get into that frame of mind and perhaps that's a good place to start.

5) when SC struggled against pressure, sometimes the answer was let Joyce Edwards bring it up.

General:

Lots of big guards, lots of interior options. Will their be an engine to it?

Can the offense be as dynamic? Latson and Raven helped the team run into buckets in transition. Will those buckets be there? If not, how does the half court look?

Seeming certainty:

The defense will be smothering.
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Excellent discussion but you left out Chloe in your discussion of BIG/ Centers. She is not a Center of course but she, Watkins and Joyce make a powerful front in a three big lineup .

Will we run a both a three guard lineup or a two guard lineup. I believe it will be primarily 3 guards but the 3 big lineup will be used a substantial minority of the time.

Three Guard Lineup
Pg: Maddy, Jordan, Tessa
SG:: Jordan, Jerzy, Tessa
Wing3, Tessa, Agot, Ayala

Three Big Lineup
F: Joyce, Olyvia, Watkins , Olyvia
Center : Watkins, Tournebize, Tac
SF: Chloe, Watkins Olyvia

Expect Tessa and Joyce to get the most minutes.
Chloe might not be ready in November but we know she will work as hard as possible on her rehab.
 
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South Carolina. South Carolina. SOUTH CAROLINA!! Y'all going into the '26-'27 with one heck of a roster!! Y'all are the most dangerous team going into the season. Just looking at the roster. I am not even looking at who is healthy. I am just looking at the roster and it is scary. You got Tessa, Chole, Ashlyn, Jordan, Joyce, Maddy, Adhel, Agot, Alicia, Ayla, and then we throw in the newbies; Jerzy, Kaeli, Kelsi, and Oliviyah. The depth on this roster is a nightmare! If they lock in and play as One unit. Understand WE is greater than ME....OMG!!!
 
visitingcock said:
Excellent discussion but you left out Chloe in your discussion of BIG/ Centers. She is not a Center of course but she, Watkins and Joyce make a powerful front in a three big lineup .

Will we run a both a three guard lineup or a two guard lineup. I believe it will be primarily 3 guards but the 3 big lineup will be used a substantial minority of the time.

Three Guard Lineup
Pg: Maddy, Jordan, Tessa
SG:: Jordan, Jerzy, Tessa
Wing3, Tessa, Agot, Ayala

Three Big Lineup
F: Joyce, Olyvia, Watkins , Olyvia
Center : Watkins, Tournebize, Tac
SF: Chloe, Watkins Olyvia

Expect Tessa and Joyce to get the most minutes.
Chloe might not be ready in November but we know she will work as hard as possible on her rehab.
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I left her out because I do not think she would ever defend centers, I guess.
 
This roster, on paper, resembles the team that lost to Iowa more than any other. Now that roster did have two PGs.

We don't yet know what we don't know.
 
bballnut90 said:
…. I think they're the clear cut #1 going into 2026-27 but I don't see them as a team that's likely to go undefeated.
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No one in a top tier league is likely to go undefeated, but the last three seasons I entered thinking “we would beat anyone best of seven,” we went 109-3 with two titles, a Final Four loss to CC, and two undefeated regular seasons.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
This roster, on paper, resembles the team that lost to Iowa more than any other. Now that roster did have two PGs.

We don't yet know what we don't know.
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What is known... there is no way each player will have an off night and cost South Carolina a loss. You can have multiple players have an off night... 🤣 Much like the teams of the past under Staley, the bench would be a top 15 team easily.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
This roster, on paper, resembles the team that lost to Iowa more than any other. Now that roster did have two PGs.

We don't yet know what we don't know.
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Good comparison. Posts were likely better in 2022-23 and just more physically dominant + they had solid PG play, but this upcoming team will have far better wings and shooters than the 2022-23 team did.
 
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If you want me to give you a weakness for South Carolina. Maybe it’s point guard? But other than like Notre Dame… who can really take advantage of that weakness?
 
Stagnant said:
If you want me to give you a weakness for South Carolina. Maybe it’s point guard? But other than like Notre Dame… who can really take advantage of that weakness?
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I don't think it's weakness in that opposing PGs will light us up.

I would think the vulnerability would be against good defensive teams generally.

particularly if Maddie McDaniel gets hurt as she has each of the last two seasons.

We had a really good team survive with Amihere playing PG for several games but that was in a SEC without a peer challenger.

This SCar team will be deep and it should be incredible defensively, but it might not be a great offensive team.
 
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LENGTH. DEPTH. SHOOTING. SIZE. ATHLETICISM. EXPERIENCE.

This team will have it all.

If it weren't for me needing to see this WNBA season play out, I would beg for us to be able to fast forward to November!
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
I don't think it's weakness in that opposing PGs will light us up.

I would think the vulnerability would be against good defensive teams generally.

particularly if Maddie McDaniel gets hurt as she has each of the last two seasons.

We had a really good team survive with Amihere playing PG for several games but that was in a SEC without a peer challenger.

This SCar team will be deep and it should be incredible defensively, but it might not be a great offensive team.
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Not a great offensive team??? Tessa, Lee, Gotti, Ash, Joyce, Chloe, Jersey, and Maddy can shoot too. Why do you think that?

I think Dawn will train Gotti at PG over the summer. Tessa can spell them some and Joyce and Jersey are good enough ball handlers to help in a press situation. I think we will be fine.
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
This roster, on paper, resembles the team that lost to Iowa more than any other. Now that roster did have two PGs.

We don't yet know what we don't know.
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What we do know is, South Carolina is going to be a huge problem. A nightmare. A beast. They, on paper, remind me of UNLV (men's side naturally) with Johnson, Augmon, Hunt, Anthony, and Butler, just to name a few players on that UNLV roster that lost five games but won the whole thing once they figured things out. That is South Carolina with this assortment of talent! Holy smokes South Carolina is stacked!!

If South Carolina can play as one unit and everyone buys into their role on the team. It is a wrap! A lot will depend on off-season workouts, players staying healthy, and not doing silly stuff on the side. If Coach, which we all know she did, talked to these players on their exit interviews, we all know that she told these rascals to be on their best behavior, get some workouts in and work on your craft, and be safe out there. If the players listen and do what is asked of them by coach and the coaching staff. Ooowee!! South Carolina is going to be fun to watch next season.
 
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I assumed if Dawn pulled anyone else out of the portal it would be a shooter, particularly a backup PG out of what was left. Going international for a 4 yr eligible talent is quite the surprise.

So we’ve added two French women, 3 Californians, and a Washingtonian to the program over the last few months. 😱
 
TC22 said:
Not a great offensive team??? Tessa, Lee, Gotti, Ash, Joyce, Chloe, Jersey, and Maddy can shoot too. Why do you think that?

I think Dawn will train Gotti at PG over the summer. Tessa can spell them some and Joyce and Jersey are good enough ball handlers to help in a press situation. I think we will be fine.
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I think it's possible that we'll struggle in half court and might not be as good in transition less Raven/Latson.

Also possible that we don't clear boards as well without Okot (though you just assume that someone will be healthy and ready enough to do that)
 
Coburn said:


Ali played with Justine on French U17
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JDuro said:


I assumed if Dawn pulled anyone else out of the portal it would be a shooter, particularly a backup PG out of what was left. Going international for a 4 yr eligible talent is quite the surprise.

So we’ve added two French women, 3 Californians, and a Washingtonian to the program over the last few months. 😱
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Between this video and the article, her comp on the team seems like Ayla McDowell in that 3/4 tweener role. I anticipate she'll be the last guard off the bench and only get 2-3 minutes a game as a freshman.

I also agree with the article that she seems like a project player who is probably here as a support role for Tournabize, though I don't want to lock in my answer until I see her in a game.
 
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