Tag: South Carolina Gamecocks

Guess who? Former Alabama football head coach is new offensive coordinator at SEC school

It’s been a while since Mike Shula was in charge of an SEC offense.

The South Carolina Gamecocks and quarterback LaNorris Sellers will have someone new in charge of play-calling duties next season, and it’s a name Alabama football fans remember well.

On Tuesday, former Crimson Tide quarterback and coach Mike Shula was promoted to offensive coordinator on coach Shane Beamer’s staff. Shula replaces Dowell Loggains, who accepted the coaching job at Appalachian State.

According to various reports, Shula’s contract with South Carolina is for three years at $1.1 million a season. Shula had been an assistant coach in 2024, his first season with the Gamecocks’ program.

Before joining Beamer’s staff in Columbia, Shula had worked as an assistant coach in the NFL with a number of teams. Most notably, he was the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator from 2013-17, including during their run to Super Bowl 50. He also was the offensive coordinator for the New York Giants for two seasons (2018-19).

Shula is best known in college football circles for his tenure as Alabama’s coach beginning in the spring of 2003. He spent four seasons leading the Crimson Tide, winning 10 games and the Cotton Bowl in 2005 before being fired after going 6-6 the following season.

Shula’s firing led to Nick Saban being named Alabama’s coach — and savior — in January 2007.

For a while, Shula was considered one of the most polarizing figures in the history of Alabama football. His detractors pointed to an 0-4 record against Auburn in the Iron Bowl, an offense that had become too predictable and vanilla, and a resistance to change.

Shula’s defenders recognized he was placed in a no-win situation during his tenure in Tuscaloosa. At the time of Shula’s hiring, Alabama was suffering from great embarrassment amid the fallout of the Mike Price scandal, in which the coach was fired for unethical conduct before he coached his first game.

The image of the Alabama football program had taken a severe beating in the public eye. Dennis Franchione, faced with crippling NCAA sanctions as the result of a major recruiting scandal he’d had nothing to do with, had jilted Alabama for Texas A&M the previous winter. Shula’s first season resulted in just four wins.

But the passing of time, and Alabama’s return to national prominence under Saban, has healed most if not all wounds in regard to Shula.

Alabama will face Shula and the Gamecocks next season on Oct. 25 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia.

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Duke women’s basketball to join South Carolina, Texas, and UCLA in 2025 tournament

The Duke women’s basketball team will face South Carolina, UCLA, and Texas in the 2025 Players Era Women’s Championship, per a Monday release.

The Duke Blue Devils will be part of one of the biggest events on the 2025-26 women’s basketball calendar, according to a Monday release.

Duke will join the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks, UCLA Bruins, and Texas Longhorns in the Players Era Women’s Championship, a tournament set for next November in Las Vegas.

While the first Players Era men’s tournament took place this season, with the Oregon Ducks defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide in the title game, 2025 will mark the first women’s edition of the event. Each of the four programs will play the other three in a round-robin format.

“This is the premier regular season tournament in women’s college basketball,” head coach Kara Lawson said in a release about the tournament.  “The brands and the talent combined create an elite showcase of our sport. I have a lot of respect for these programs and their willingness to challenge each other.”

The Blue Devils have won nine of their first 11 games in 2024-25, but the other three programs involved all currently sit above Duke in the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll. The four schools in the Players Era field have a combined record of 39-4 so far this season.

Duke women’s basketball doesn’t move in updated AP Poll after bye week

The Duke women’s basketball team stayed up in the latest AP Poll after their week off, holding within the top 10.

The Duke women’s basketball team got to enjoy a rare bye week over the past seven days, and the voters of the AP Poll decided to keep them at No. 9 in the updated rankings as a result.

With wins over the Oklahoma Sooners (No. 10) and Kansas State Wildcats (No. 13) already on the resume, the Blue Devils have only lost to No. 2 South Carolina and No. 8 Maryland through their first 11 games.

While Duke stuck within the top 10, it did fall well behind the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the race for the top-ranked ACC team. Notre Dame took down Connecticut on Thursday thanks to a 29-point game from sophomore star Hannah Hidalgo, vaulting the Irish all the way up to third despite two early losses.

Notre Dame now only trails the undefeated UCLA Bruins and the Gamecocks in the standings.

The Blue Devils play twice this week, a Wednesday home game against Wofford and a Saturday road trip to Tampa for a battle against South Florida.

Duke women’s basketball stays within top 10 of the AP Poll after South Carolina loss

Duke women’s basketball lost their second game of the season last week, but the Blue Devils kept themselves within the top 10 of the AP Poll.

The Associated Press released its updated AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll on Monday, and the Duke Blue Devils stuck within the top 10 despite their midweek loss.

Head coach [autotag]Kara Lawson[/autotag] and her team dropped one spot to No. 9 after Thursday’s loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks, the defending national champions. Duke did bounce back with a Sunday win over Virginia Tech to open conference play, however, and the Blue Devils are still 9-2 with multiple ranked victories in 2024-25.

The Gamecocks held firm at No. 3, behind only the UCLA Bruins and Connecticut Huskies. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish lept over Duke to No. 8 to retake their preseason crown as the top ACC team.

The Oklahoma Sooners (No. 10) and Kansas State Wildcats (No. 13), the two teams Duke defeated in the Ball Dawgs Classic, followed close behind. The North Carolina Tar Heels, with nine wins in their first 10 games, moved up two spots to No. 14.

Duke gets a full week off with nothing on the schedule until a December 18 battle against Wofford up next, so they’ll likely stay around the same place in next week’s rankings.

The best Duke women’s basketball photos from Thursday’s game against South Carolina

Check out the best photos from Thursday’s game between the Duke Blue Devils and South Carolina Gamecocks.

The Duke women’s basketball team won eight of its first nine games to start the 2024-25 season, but the Blue Devils couldn’t get the better of No. 4 South Carolina on the road on Thursday.

Despite Duke’s recent form, the Gamecocks ripped off a 17-2 run in the middle of the first quarter to end the game as soon as it began. The Blue Devils trailed by 16 points after 10 minutes, and despite winning the final three quarters 58-53, their fate was sealed for an 81-70 loss.

Guard Taina Mair and forward Delaney Thomas put the team on their backs for different stretches, each putting 14 points on the board for the road team, and reigning ACC Sixth Person of the Year Oluchi Okananwa ripped off 12 more from the bench. But South Carolina made more than 57% of its looks for the game, and the reigning national champions got 21 points and 11 boards from forward Chloe Kitts.

Check out the best photos from Thursday’s game here.

Slow start dooms Duke women’s basketball team in road loss to South Carolina

The Blue Devils couldn’t take down the defending national champions on Thursday night, losing 81-70 to South Carolina after a slow start.

The Duke women’s basketball team headed to Columbia with all the momentum in the world, but the defending national champion South Carolina Gamecocks handed the Blue Devils their first loss in almost a month on Thursday.

Duke knocked off the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners at the Ball Dawgs Classic last week, a pair of top-10 victories that vaulted them forward onto the national stage. Sunday’s win over the Columbia Lions extended their win streak to six games and pushed them within the top 10 of the USA TODAY Sports women’s basketball coaches poll.

Sophomores Jadyn Donovan and Delaney Thomas looked primed to keep that form going with two buckets in the first two minutes, each assisting on the other’s basket, but the Gamecocks quickly reminded the nation why they’ve lost two games since the 2022 SEC Tournament.

South Carolina starters Bree Hall and Te-Hina Paopao connected on back-to-back 3-point looks, a quick left hook that put the Blue Devils behind by four. Duke guard Taina Mair cut to the basket for two points just two minutes later, but Gamecocks guard Raven Johnson sandwiched that possession with five points of her own to keep the run moving.

By the time Mair knocked down a 3-pointer of her own with 3:47 left in the opening quarter, all she could do was cut the South Carolina lead to 19-9. The Gamecocks ended the first 10 minutes with a 28-12 advantage.

“We didn’t start the game as we hoped,” head coach Kara Lawson said after the game. “We spent the game trying to fight out of the hole. The hole was a little too deep with a team of that quality.”

Mair and Thomas did their best to will the Blue Devils back into the ballgame, each contributing 14 points. Thomas made all seven of her shots from the floor while Mair ended up with four rebounds, assists, and steals each. While Duke outscored South Carolina 58-53 over the final three quarters, including a 22-point performance in the final frame, it all added up to an 81-70 loss.

“We showed resiliency,” Lawson continued. “I was proud of that, proud of how we stayed in it.”

[autotag]Reigan Richardson[/autotag], the reigning AP national player of the week after her 35-point game against the Sooners, only made one of her eight shots as the Gamecocks held her to three points. Freshman sensation Toby Fournier, the forward who scored at least 10 points in six of her first nine collegiate games, only mustered two points against the reigning champs.

The Blue Devils return to Cameron Indoor Stadium for a Sunday battle with the Virginia Tech Hokies, their first conference game of the season.

The College Football Playoff committee has way too much respect for Alabama

You’d think Saban was still coaching the Crimson Tide with how much respect the committee shows Alabama.

This is For The Win’s daily newsletter, The Morning Win. Did a friend recommend or forward this to you? If so, subscribe here. Have feedback? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey! Now, here’s Blake Schuster on Alabama’s reign in the CFP and South Carolina’s disappointment

It appears only one thing can slow the Crimson Tide. It’s not Nick Saban’s retirement and it’s not three losses (including two to unranked teams). It’s Clemson.

We should’ve known this rivalry wasn’t dead yet.

WINNERS AND LOSERS: Read Blake’s full winners and losers column from Tuesday’s CFP rankings

Alabama fans can continue hating on the Tigers because they are the only thing standing in the way of the playoff. If No. 8 SMU beats No. 17 Clemson, Alabama will be safely in the postseason. If Clemson wins, the Tigers get the ACC’s automatic bid and the committee will have to decide between SMU, Alabama and South Carolina for the final spot (more on this in a moment).

Essentially the only path that guarantees a playoff berth for Alabama is an SMU win, as College Football Playoff selection committee chair Warde Manuel explained:

“Those who are not playing [in conference championship games], we will not adjust those teams.” Manuel told ESPN.

And to think Alabama fans considered this year a disaster for most of the season.

Justice for South Carolina

Mandatory Credit: Ken Ruinard-USA TODAY Sports

This year’s recipient of the Florida State Award for worst snub has already been locked up by South Carolina. After defeating Clemson on the road, the Gamecocks were effectively told, “thanks, but no thanks” by the committee on Tuesday.

Manuel explained to ESPN that teams who aren’t playing this weekend will not be readjusted because there are no more data points to consider.

That is an astoundingly brutal blow to South Carolina, which would otherwise have a strong playoff case if the Clemson team it just beat wins the ACC title game. Instead, the committee apparently won’t take that into consideration on the Gamecocks’ resume.

The rage emanating from Columbia is justified.

The NBA In-Season Tournament looks awesome

Speaking of unveilings, the final bracket for the NBA Cup has arrived. These matchups look awesome. Here’s a look via Bleacher Report.

Image

We’re getting:

  • Luka Doncic vs. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the top of the West bracket.
  • Steph Curry vs. Dillon Brooks’ shenanigans at the bottom of the West.
  • Giannis Antetokounmpo and the resurgent Bucks vs. Franz Wagner and the powerhouse Magic at the top of the East.
  • Trae Young vs. Madison Square Garden at the bottom of the East.

These are some Grade A hoops, folks. And it only features one of the Big 3 of LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry.

The NBA Cup isn’t so bad after all.

The knockout round starts on Tuesday, Dec. 10. The semi-finals will be in Las Vegas on Dec. 14 and the finals will be in Vegas on Dec. 17. Can’t wait.

Quick hits: The full CFP ranking … HVL’s redemption tour … and more

— Here’s Cory Woodroof with the full college football playoff ranking, which is chock full of disappointment for Ohio State fans.

— Hailey Van Lith is on a redemption tour, folks. She is COOKING right now. Let Meg Hall tell the story.

— Here’s Prince Grimes’ conversation with fantasy guru Matthew Berry, who says you’re probably sleeping on Bo Nix. I know I am.

— Did the WNBA just reveal the Toronto expansion team name? Maybe. Here’s Meg Hall with more on that.

— Here’s Charles Curtis on how to get your Spotify Wrapped for the year.

— Here’s Christian D’Andrea with his quarterback rankings this week. Russell Wilson is elite, y’all.

That’s a wrap, folks. Thanks so much for reading today. We appreciate you.

-Sykes ✌️

South Carolina wore Ring Pops and custom shirts during national championship ring reveal

This is fantastic.

Dawn Staley and South Carolina really celebrated their national championship with Ring Pops and “Ring Us” shirts, and in our opinion, that’s the only way to do it.

On Monday, South Carolina got the chance to continue relishing in its historic run last season. The Gamecocks reflected on an undefeated record and a national championship in the only way you should — with complete shenanigans.

Those antics included Ring Pops (because why not?!) and custom shirts that said “Ring Us” for the whole team. Pretty sweet, right? However, that’s not nearly as awesome as the team’s actual rings. South Carolina received two pieces of totally iced-out jewelry for winning the SEC Championship and their national title.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DDGQP_1x3eq/?igsh=cDBsMmE1ZHlqdzRh&img_index=1

https://www.instagram.com/gamecockwbb/p/DDHnNYms3wA/?img_index=10

(Feature image courtesy of ABC Columbia)

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Duke women’s basketball rises five spots to No. 8 in updated AP Poll

After consecutive ranked wins out in Nevada last week, the Duke women’s basketball team rose up to No. 8 in the latest AP Poll.

The Duke women’s basketball team, now riding a six-game win streak after defeating the Kansas State Wildcats and Oklahoma Sooners to take the Ball Dawgs Classic, became a top-10 team in the updated AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll.

The Blue Devils rose five spots to No. 8 in Monday’s rankings, setting up a top-10 showdown with No. 3 South Carolina in Columbia this Thursday. With the Notre Dame Fighting Irish tumbling down to No. 10 with a pair of losses, head coach Kara Lawson and her team can now call themselves the highest-ranked ACC program.

Duke has benefitted from some monster games during its recent winning streak, including a 30-point performance from Ashlon Jackson against Kansas State and a 35-point day from Reigan Richardson against Oklahoma.

Five-star freshman forward Toby Fournier is also averaging 11.9 points per game after her 25-point game against Belmont, and the 6-foot-2 debutant has notched at least 10 points in six of her nine games.

The North Carolina Tar Heels, also 7-1 for the season, remained in place at No. 16.

Why Dawn Staley and South Carolina’s stunning loss to UCLA isn’t concerning … yet

R-E-L-A-X.

On Sunday, South Carolina’s 43-game win streak came tumbling down, and the murmurs will start about whether this is the “end of an era” for head coach Dawn Staley and her squad. However, let’s not do that.

Watching UCLA steamroll South Carolina, it’s pretty easy to have a knee-jerk reaction and say, “Pack it up, Gamecocks. You’re done.” But, if you’ve been paying attention, this was inevitable. From the team’s season opener against Michigan until now, South Carolina has been skating along.

The Gamecocks escaped multiple matchups despite substandard shooting and being bullied by buckets from all over the court. Most teams didn’t have enough to compete with the Gamecocks down the stretch of games, and South Carolina’s signature pesky defense usually saved them. However, UCLA was different. As Dawn Staley said after Sunday’s shellacking, “We ran into a buzz saw today.”

However, I would be more concerned if this was March. It’s November, and the team has played just six games with a tweaked roster.

It must be considered that South Carolina is still working through the loss of former center Kamilla Cardoso and how to replace her defensive presence, ability to rebound, and paint production. You can’t readily recreate 6-foot-seven with 14 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. Sania Feagin and Chloe Kitts are stellar, but they aren’t Cardoso.

Also, while South Carolina’s shooting woes have also extended across the team, plaguing standouts like Raven Johnson and Te-Hina Paopao (and fans are starting to question what’s also happening with MiLaysia Fulwiley), this is Dawn Staley we’re talking about. She’s one of the best coaches in college basketball and the queen of adjustments. Staley will figure it out.

If she doesn’t, I’ll happily be wrong. Feel free to yell and scream at me for my horrid analysis. But this isn’t concerning…yet.

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