SOUTH CAROLINA WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
There hasn’t been much recruiting activity for the Gamecocks the last two weeks, but that doesn’t mean things have slowed down.
With Dawn Staley and Team USA in Puerto Rico for the AmeriCup (Team USA defeated Canada for the gold medal Sunday night), South Carolina has been something of a bystander while players have continued to take visits, and a few have made commitments.
One Gamecock target is now off the board. Point guard Madison Hayes committed to Mississippi State on Friday, becoming the Bulldogs’ first commit. Hayes first picked up an offer from South Carolina two years ago, although interest between the two seemed to have waned recently. Hayes took an official visit to NC State earlier in September. Hayes’ commitment means that there are just four schools without a commitment for the 2020 class: Alabama, Auburn, Tennessee, and South Carolina.
Post Kamilla Cardoso took an official visit to Ohio State the weekend of September 21. Cardoso also plans to take visits to Connecticut, Mississippi State, Syracuse, and South Carolina, but she has not yet made the dates for those visits public.
Wing Treasure Hunt, a teammate of Cardoso, took an official visit to Auburn this past weekend. Hunt took her official visit to South Carolina two weeks ago, before Staley left for her Team USA duties, along with an unofficial visit in June. Hunt was recently named a preseason All-American by Street & Smith.
Looking ahead, South Carolina begins practice on Tuesday. That means the in-season social media ban takes effect, so players have been active on Monday, their final day of freedom. The exhibition is November 1 against North Georgia, and the season begins November 5 against Alabama State.
Next weekend, South Carolina will also host one of its most important official visitors, Angel Reese. It will be the fifth and final visit for Reese, who has already been to Maryland, Tennessee, Southern Cal, and Syracuse. Reese is the second-ranked prospect, and highest-ranked uncommitted player.
