South Carolina Gamecocks News: NCAA Tournament, baseball domination, commitment watch, more
By Kevin Miller
Here is the South Carolina Gamecocks News from a productive weekend, starting with some news for the whole Athletic Department.
Ray Tanner has been the AD at South Carolina since leaving his position as the school’s baseball coach after the 2012 season. It seems as if he will be staying in his new job a little bit longer as on Friday Tanner signed a contract extension. The new deal will run through 2026 and comes with a slight raise. After July 1, 2024, no buyout will be present in the contract if either party wishes to end the employment relationship.
The NCAA Tournament has begun for the women’s basketball team.
To the surprise of no one, Dawn Staley’s team won its first two NCAA Tournament games. The Gamecocks beat a tough Norfolk State team 72-40 and a solid South Florida squad 76-45. They will travel to Greenville for the Sweet Sixteen (and Elite Eight if they win). The Lady Gamecocks will take on the winner of Oklahoma and UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen.
The Gamecocks hit a couple of impressive milestones this weekend.
Dawn Staley notched her 400th victory as the head coach of the Gamecocks with Sunday’s win over South Florida. During the game, the Gamecocks also set a new SEC record for blocks in a season. Aliyah Boston secured her 81st career double-double. With just four possible games remaining, Boston will not be able to catch up to Sylvia Fowles, who finished her career with 86.
The YardCocks dominated the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens this weekend.
The Gamecocks swept the home Bulldogs and won two of the games via the SEC’s new ten-run rule. Ethan Petry hit three bombs, Gavin Casas and Will McGillis hit two, and the Gamecocks scored 29 runs. Games 2 and 3 were blowouts, but the first game of the series was won when pinch hitter (and Georgia native) Michael Braswell knocked in a pair of runs in the ninth to put his team ahead for good. South Carolina’s pitching was excellent all weekend.
Head Coach Shane Beamer dropped a #WelcomeHome for the football team.
As of now, there are no details surrounding the mystery commitment except that it is a 2024 player. Lots of big-name prospects were on campus this weekend, especially offensive and defensive linemen.
The transfer portal has seen four Gamecock defections from the men’s basketball team, but a major target announced he could be committing soon.
BJ Mack, a transfer big from Wofford, has been in contact with South Carolina. Over the weekend, he posted on his Twitter account that he had “news” that he would announce on Tuesday. Because of the nature of the transfer portal and how it is recruited, many have assumed this announcement would be a commitment. The Gamecocks are heavily involved.
Speaking of men’s basketball targets…
Last week, Lexington High School’s Cam Scott was honored as the Gatorade Player of the Year in South Carolina. The all-time leading scorer at the midlands high school has one more season to play before making a college decision. He is a shot-making, 6’5″ wing that is ranked as high as five stars by some recruiting outlets.