The Gamecocks continue to practice, but things are pretty quiet for college basketball. There is some big news on the horizon.

- The biggest news, hopefully, is that on September 16 the NCAA Division I Council is expected to propose a start date for the season. That date is expected to be November 25, a delay from the usual November 10 start, and a day before Thanksgiving. That matters because many schools, including South Carolina, and ending in-person instruction after Thanksgiving, creating a de facto bubble. It also gives programs winter break to maximize schedule flexibility.

- In a video posted by the NCAA Thursday, NCAA Vice President of Women’s Basketball Lynn Holzman said she is “confident that we will have a season and we will have a championship.” She also said the season will probably look different from a normal season, which goes without saying. “Flexibility” is a key concept. Holzman said that the first and second rounds of the tournament could be held at predetermined sites this year, possibly with more teams per site. She also said that the NCAA wants to keep men's and women's basketball on the same page.

- There is a lot of speculation that there will be mini-bubbles, of 10-20 teams. Some could be an extension of the exempt tournaments, others could be stand-alone. Interestingly, Rock Hill, SC, has been floated as a possible site for a men’s bubble featuring 20 teams. In a story for The Athletic on Thursday, Seth Davis and Dana O’Neil reported that the Battle4Atlantis is identifying alternate sites, since travel to The Bahamas is international travel and requires a quarantine. They did not clarify whether that applies to both the men’s and women’s tournaments. The Gamecocks are scheduled to play in the inaugural women’s tournament this season, which has already lost one participant, Oregon, when the Pac-12 canceled all sports until January.

- The consensus from men’s basketball insiders is that there will be a lot of bubbles. I still think that it will be easier to create bubbles in women’s basketball where there is less money involved (for example, TV deals and, for most other schools, ticket sales). There is the risk that some schools with extremely tight budgets could cancel women’s basketball, but I suspect schools would also have to cancel men’s basketball due to Title IX concerns.

- Recruiting has been quiet. I’m not aware of any new offers by South Carolina, and even among players South Carolina is recruiting, KK Arnold got the only new offer this week when she got one from Oregon.

- With schools going back in session, high school basketball players in many states are now in a waiting game. North Carolina (home of Saniya Rivers) has tentatively pushed back the high school basketball season to January 4, with practice allowed to begin on December 7. Ohio (home of Bree Hall and others) is still scheduled to begin practice on October 23, the original date, but the OHSAA has yet to actually confirm that date. Georgia (home of Sania Feagin and Raven Johnson) has made only minor adjustments to its schedule, and practice will begin October 26.

- This is the time of year when there is usually some minor roster attrition. Players leave school or after some practices decide they need a change. This year is no different, with the added issue of some players opting to sit out the season due to coronavirus concerns (Mississippi State’s Andra Espinoza-Hunter is among the most prominent to do so). So far, the Gamecocks’ roster remains intact.

- Dawn Staley also tweeted Tuesday that all 11 players are registered to vote. Am I the only one who is curious if Laeticia Amihere is registered in South Carolina or Canada?