Talaysia Cooper became South Carolina’s first commitment of the 2022 class.
Cooper announced her decision in a ceremony Saturday.
Cooper is a 6-0 point guard from East Clarendon High. Cooper is the 18th-ranked overall prospect and fourth-ranked point guard, although she will probably play off the ball in college. Cooper is the reigning South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and has been recruited by the Gamecocks since she led East Clarendon to a state championship as an eighth-grader.
Cooper is a versatile player who averaged 23.7 points, 12.8 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 4.6 blocks, and 2.2 steals last season. She recorded a quadruple-double (21 points, 22 rebounds, 10 assists, and 10 blocks) in a 2020 playoff game. She is described as “ultra-athletic” and “explosively athletic” in her ESPN scouting report, as well as a “pesky defender” and “electric 3-level offensive threat that oozes potential.”
Cooper took her official visit to South Carolina the weekend of September 25. She also took official visits to Tennessee, Florida State, and Georgia.
Cooper is the second of three dominos expected to fall for the Gamecocks by the end of the early signing period on November 17. The first fell the wrong way when forward Janiah Barker committed to Georgia on October 21. The remaining domino in this class is another in-state prospect, forward Ashlyn Watkins of Cardinal Newman.
The Gamecocks have made it a priority to keep top talent in the state. After a few years without elite recruits, Cooper and Watkins are the first in a slew of talented in-state prospects that includes 2023’s Milaysia Fulwiley and Riley Stack and 2024’s Joyce Edwards, the top-ranked prospect in her class.
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