Tag: south carolina basketball

Caleb Love shows support for former UNC commit GG Jackson

UNC basketball guard Caleb Love told reporters that he reached out to support GG Jackson and his decision to de-commit from the Tar Heels.

A few weeks ago, the UNC basketball program got hit with the first bit of ‘bad news’ in an offseason that has been anything but.

When No. 1 overall prospect [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag] de-committed from North Carolina, fans were in an uproar. The official news came after weeks of speculation and rumors of an eventual de-commitment.

While fans went crazy on social media blasting Jackson, one current UNC player came to his defense.

UNC guard [autotag]Caleb Love[/autotag] recently addressed the issue and said he even reached out to Jackson.

“I heard the rumors before it happened and I called him and we talked a bit,” Love said during an open media session last week. “I told him whatever happens, we’re still going to be good regardless. He’s a kid. He’s making the best decision for him and his family, so I can’t be mad at that.”

“I feel like the fans were kind of too hard on him, as far as he’s just 17 or 18 (years old). Talking like that to him can change his life or change the way he looks at things or make him regret certain things. So I just say give him and his family that ability to make that decision for them.”

Part of the reasons for the change in heart for Jackson was the ability to re-class and join the 2022 recruiting class. While UNC initially had an open spot for him, there were numerous reports that indicated Jackson didn’t want to join the 2022 class and would rather stay in 2023. Jackson committed to the Tar Heels back in April, and once he made it known he wanted to stay in 2023, UNC used that open scholarship for Northwestern transfer Pete Nance.

Following the news he was re-opening his recruitment, it was just days later when he announced his commitment to South Carolina, his home state, and would be reclassifying into 2022.

Despite all of the feelings from fans towards Jackson, they have to be pretty happy with a leader like Caleb Love and the initiative he took in this situation.

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Analyst predicts South Carolina will flip top UNC commit

South Carolina picks up a prediction for UNC basketball commit GG Jackson amid all of the potential decommitment rumors flying around.

Let the [autotag]GG Jackson[/autotag] rumor season continue. Over the last week it has been nonstop chatter about the potential that Jackson will decommit from UNC and either reclassify to 2022 and enroll at South Carolina, or go the pro route.

Despite shutting down rumors earlier this week, the chatter continues and now South Carolina has picked up a prediction to flip Jackson from North Carolina.

According to On3.com recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw, the Gamecocks have a good shot at making that happen.

Jackson remains the No. 1 overall prospect on the almost every major recruiting site and has even raised his play since his commitment to UNC.  The talented forward has been a standout at multiple events, most recently named the MVP of the NBPA Top 100 Camp last week.

This is one to keep a close eye throughout the reminder of the summer. UNC currently holds two commitments in the class of 2023, Jackson and five-star point guard Simeon Wilcher.

The Tar Heels still have a hold on the No. 2 overall recruiting class in 2023 behind arch-rival Duke.

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Dawn Staley had the best response to A’Ja Wilson saying she was ready to transfer from South Carolina

A’ja wasn’t never leaving, y’all. We all know it.

Dawn Staley is one of the most demanding coaches in basketball right now. She wants the absolute best out of her players each and every game and, if you can’t give it, she won’t play you.

Even amid an incredible run last season when I asked Staley if she felt her South Carolina team could be special this season, she was hesitant to say yes because, well, sometimes they fouled too much. Or maybe they turned the ball over a bit more than she’d have liked.

That’s tough. But it’s also why she’s now a two-time champion head coach and also why she’s put so many great players in the WNBA. One of whom is A’ja Wilson.

Wilson is one of the greatest college basketball players to touch the hardwood and rewrote South Carolina’s record book a thousand times over while she was there.

But it wasn’t always smooth sailing in South Carolina with Staley. Wilson actually said on Twitter that she was ready to transfer after her Freshman year.

Wilson only played 20 minutes a game and only started once that season after being the National Player of The Year in 2014. Of course, she thought she could do more. She wasn’t getting that opportunity so she was ready to leave.

This is pretty hilarious to think about in hindsight. She had literally one of the greatest runs we’ve ever seen in college hoops and it all may not have happened.

Was Staley worried? Nope. Not at all. Why? Because, first of all, Momma Wilson was holding it down. Eva Wilson was not letting A’ja leave.

Second of all, she jokingly told A’ja she had her replacement ready.

The Tar Heels? Tuh. Ain’t no way, y’all. These two are the best. What a hilarious moment.

South Carolina players, Dawn Staley, went wild as they captured second National Championship in team history

Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks had the time of their lives.

The entire 2021-2022 season felt elementary for South Carolina.

From the opening tip in early November, Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks were the best team in women’s college basketball. It was never even close. Ten wins and a 10-0 mark (!) against ranked opponents. Nine total games decided by single digits (including a 7-2 record in such games). Just two losses, while seldom breaking a sweat.

And now, after beating UConn (-3.5 underdogs) and Geno Auriemma, 64-49: The second National Championship Game victory in South Carolina History.

After such a season of consistency and utter domination, you could forgive the Gamecocks if they wanted to let loose a little bit. Win a title, and you will want to party like there’s no tomorrow.

That’s exactly what Staley, superstar Aliyah Boston, and everyone on the court did in Minneapolis.

There’s nothing like watching those final wonderful seconds tick off the clock, is there?

Any thoughts, Destanni Henderson?

Okay, yeah, you’re a little busy. Enjoy the moment.

We’ll go to Dawn Staley for her final, expressive thoughts.

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With South Carolina’s victory over UConn, Geno Auriemma suffered his first-ever loss in a Championship Game

Geno finally has a blemish on the big stage.

Few coaches will ever be able to compare their success to Geno Auriemma.

Since taking over UConn in the mid-1990s, Auriemma has taken the Huskies on an all-time quarter-century-plus run. Over 1,100 wins. 22 Final Four’s. A pipeline of countless larger-than-life stars who first made their hay under his tutelage.

But between the victories and overall program development, Auriemma could most hang his hat on one specific, unimpeachable mark: An 11-0 record in National Championship Games. Undefeated. A big fat zero in the loss column every time his team has reached the last boss of the last level. It’s an incredible achievement.

It’s also something Auriemma and all of his past players should be proud of because it’s finally over. With South Carolina’s 64-69 win over UConn in the Women’s National Championship, Auriemma has his first-ever title game defeat.

It took over 27 years, and Aliyah Boston and Dawn Staley paired together, but someone was finally able to overcome the UConn title game hex.

In a smaller but still notable sidenote: This is also now UConn’s longest championship drought with Auriemma. How long? Uh, six years (2016-TBD). Okay, first, you can stop rolling your eyes. Half a decade is a long time for the Huskies and this great coach.

At a certain point, Auriemma and Co. would always meet their maker. Playing for that many championships is testing fate and the luck of the draw. But that it took this long and 12 tries (!!!) for him to fall short at the last step is beyond commendable. We will likely never see this kind of impeccable record, with that much consistent excellence in the clutch, in any sport, ever again.

Hats off to Auriemma, every player with Connecticut over the years, and the official end of a legendary sports record.

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UConn alums Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird summed up first half against South Carolina perfectly

Taurasi and Bird couldn’t help but wear their hearts on their sleeves.

Coming into the Women’s National Championship Game, everyone knew UConn (three and a half-point underdogs at tip) would face a tall order to upset South Carolina.

Paige Bueckers was great, but Aliyah Boston and Co. were the top seed for a reason. They were the best team all year, and it’d be hard to see them fall short at the final step. For the most part, as the title game unfolded early, those pregame suspicions turned out to come true.

After one quarter, the Gamecocks held a staggering 22-8 lead. It was the Huskies’ lowest points scored in a quarter all year, and Bueckers was scoreless.

But the score alone didn’t tell the story of the massive discrepancy between the two squads.

How do you get just three rebounds in one quarter of a Championship Game? Oh, right, Boston and Brea Beal. But still! Three rebounds!

It wasn’t a stellar start for UConn, to say the least.

Former UConn greats, Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird — hosting ESPN’s side-by-side Megacast for the second time in as many nights — summed up the Huskies’ start with one camera pan.

Arms crossed. Stoic looks. No jokes. No analysis. The UConn loyalty unsurprisingly still runs quite strong in these two.

If it’s any consolation for Taurasi, Bird, and the Huskies — they did go on a run to end the first half while cutting South Carolina’s lead to 35-27. It wasn’t all bad. We might have a close game yet.

But oh boy, was that first stanza rough on everyone in Connecticut.

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Diana Taurasi was a hilarious soundbite during the Women’s Final Four and fans couldn’t get enough

Taurasi was a walking one-liner.

There are few things WNBA great Diana Taurasi hasn’t accomplished.

From being three NCAA titles, three WNBA titles, and five Olympic gold medals, to six Euroleague Championships and almost countless individual accolades, she’s one of the most talented people to ever dribble a basketball.

If you weren’t already familiar with her off the court, as it turns out, the WNBA’s all-time leading scorer also brings a lot to the table as an analyst. How could someone who’s achieved so much not have a keen eye for the game?

During the Women’s Final Four matchups on Friday night — where Taurasi hosted ESPN’s Megacast simultaneously with fellow great Sue Bird — she brought another element to her terrific insight: A dry comedic wit.

The first notable instance occurred during No. 1 overall seed South Carolina’s (8.5-point favorites coming in) matchup with Louisville.

When the Gamecocks began to pull away for good during the third quarter (before eventually winning 72-59 to advance to the National Title Game), Taurasi commented on their amazing, natural athletic ability.

Nothing more.

Why are Bird and their guest Kelsey Plum cracking up and hiding their faces behind Red Solo cups at Taurasi’s completely factual analysis? Basketball isn’t supposed to be funny, you guys. It’s serious business.

“You can’t help it,” said Plum in reaction.

Later, when Connecticut (one-point underdogs before tip-off) squared off against Louisville, Taurasi chimed in with more trademark excellence.

As former Stanford star and current Sparks centerpiece Nneka Ogwumike joined the Taurasi-Bird dynamic duo, Taurasi mused about the incredible dedication today’s young athletes have to basketball when compared to herself.

Hey, we’ve all been there, right? Why run an extra suicide or eat brown rice for dinner when the pizza and Coke is right there? If one of the greatest athletes ever lives her life to the fullest (i.e. lounging on the couch), why can’t we?

Diana Taurasi: Role Model.

Between the jokes, the honesty, and the analysis, fans watching the ESPN Megacast understandably couldn’t get enough of the ever-charismatic Taurasi. Here’s some reaction:

Clemson point guard receiving interest from South Carolina in portal

After entering the transfer portal, Nick Honor is receiving interest from South Carolina.

After two seasons of play with the Tigers, point guard Nick Honor entered the transfer portal in hopes of finding a new home, and now, South Carolina may be a potential landing spot.

According to John Rothstein of CBS Sports, Honor has received interest from the Gamecocks and nine other teams. Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Minnesota, and South Florida are among the nine others.

Originally at Fordham, Honor transferred to Clemson in 2019 and was forced to sit out of the 2019-2020 season because of NCAA eligibility rules.

The 5-foot-10 playmaker has had flashes of brilliance with the Tigers, one of which came on Feb. 12, 2021, when he hit a game-winning 3-pointer against Georgia Tech with 1.1 seconds remaining.

Ultimately, however, Honor floated in and out of the starting lineup over the past two seasons and couldn’t be a consistent scorer. In 33 games this past season, Honor averaged 7.7 points and 2.4 assists per game.

If Honor does become a Gamecock, it will only bring more drama to the rivalry between the two in-state schools.

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South Carolina vs Mississippi State College Basketball Prediction, Game Preview

South Carolina vs Mississippi State prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch, lines, and why each team might – or might not – win on Thursday.

South Carolina vs Mississippi State prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Thursday, March 10

South Carolina vs Mississippi State Game Preview, SEC Tournament How To Watch

Date: Thursday, March 10
Game Time: 6:00 ET
Venue: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
How To Watch: SEC Network
Record: South Carolina (18-12), Mississippi State (17-14)
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– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Auburn vs South Carolina College Basketball Prediction, Game Preview

Auburn vs South Carolina prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, March 5

Auburn vs South Carolina prediction, college basketball game preview, how to watch: Saturday, March 5

Auburn vs South Carolina How To Watch

Date: Saturday, March 5
Game Time: 1:00 ET
Venue: Auburn Arena, Auburn, AL
How To Watch: SEC Network
Record: Auburn (26-4), South Carolina (18-11)
– Sign up and live stream college basketball on ESPN+
– Today’s Best Bet to Lock in Now

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