WBB: Five Things to Watch: North Georgia

On Thursday Dawn Staley announces that transfer Destiny Littleton’s NCAA waiver for immediate eligibility was denied, as was the appeal. Littleton will have to sit out this season and then have two more seasons of eligibility. Staley was “devastated” by the ruling. It is unclear on what grounds Littleton’s waiver was filed, but Staley referred to a “past” with Littleton that she thought deserved a waiver, but said it was up to Littleton whether to share that.

“I could say some things that would be taken out of context,” Staley said, calling the news “devastating.” “When we’re asking the NCAA to approve a waiver, we tell the truth, and I think sometimes you’ve got to fudge the truth to get those things approved.”

Littleton is a 5-9 guard who averaged 8.4 points per game and shot 32 percent from three last season at Texas. She played in eight games in her first season at Texas before redshirting.

South Carolina has plenty of depth, but the one position where it is a little thin is at shooting guard, where Littleton would have played. However, Littleton is dealing with “chronic ankle issues,” and would have missed at least the beginning of the season due to a small procedure. The redshirt year will allow her to rehab without the pressure of trying to get back on the court and hopefully fix her ankle for good.

2. The Freshmen

This is what we’re here for. We’ve seen Zia Cooke’s viral videos, watched Latricia Amihere’s dunk, and seen Aliyah Boston, Brea Beal, and Olivia Thompson bring home loads of hardware. But Friday night is the first time we get to see them in garnet and black.

“We’re a work in progress, but I’m super excited to see how they play and how they come together and gel when there are thousands of people watching,” Staley said. “They are going to be excited to play in front of people, so I hope people show up so we can get a good feel for what a game feels like.”

Amihere will be on a minutes restriction, but that is out of an abundance of caution. She has been a full participant in practice throughout the preseason.

“If we leave it up to her she could probably go full,” Staley said.

3. The rotation (or not)

If you are a glass half full kind of person, not having Littleton this season means one less player Staley has to find minutes for. Figuring out a rotation is the biggest task facing Staley, but exhibitions typically aren’t a great indicator of what the rotation will look like when the season begins next week. Still, pay attention to which players play well together.

“At this point we want to try to get our substitution patterns in a good place,” Staley said. “I’m looking forward to seeing they play some other people besides our practice players and ourselves.”

Losing Littleton opens room at shooting guard that will be filled by players who are slightly out of position. Destanni Henderson is primarily a point guard, but she started nine games at shooting guard last season and averaged 7.5 points and 42 percent shooting from three in SEC games. Cooke, too, will probably play some shooting guard as she adjusts to running a college offense.

Beal and LeLe Grissett will also get some looks in big lineups. Grissett would get minutes as a defensive stopper, while Beal has drawn raves for her strength and versatility. Where she plays can change the whole look of the Gamecocks from a fast, small ball look at the four to a physical, defensive-minded team at the two.

4. Preseason polls and Photo ops

All the preseason polls have been released and the Gamecocks are a consensus top ten team. They were ranked eighth by both ESPNW and the AP, and tenth by the USAToday Coaches’ poll. But, as I will repeat all season, polls and standings take a back seed to NCAA Tournament location. Greenville is a region host, and the Gamecocks want to be in the region, regardless of seed.

The SEC coaches picked the Gamecocks to finish second in the SEC, behind Texas A&M. Tyasha Harris was selected first team All-SEC, and Mikiah Herbert Harrigan was selected second team. Media picked the Gamecocks to win the conference, while naming Harris and Herbert Harrigan to the same teams.

For fans interested in pictures with the Gamecocks, you will have an opportunity at Saturday’s football game. Immediately following the Gamecock Walk (about 5:15), there will be an hour-long fan photo op. The team will be be at the Gamecock letters in the Village across from Williams-Brice Stadium.

5. Scouting the Nighthawks

I know almost nothing about North Georgia except that their nickname is the Nighthawks and they won me over with this tweet:

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As a side note, something that may only interest me, South Carolina’s exhibition opponent last season was Lander, who fell 100-62. This season, in an exhibition Tuesday night, Lander upset Clemson 74-72. When I figure out what that means I will let you know.

THE Ws

Who: South Carolina vs North Georgia

When: Friday, November 1, 7:00 pm

Where: Colonial Life Arena

Watch: None