South Carolina Basketball: The biggest (early) questions for Dawn Staley’s team for the 2023-2024 season
By Kevin Miller
5 Questions around South Carolina Basketball for the 2023-2024 season:
Who will (wo)man the point guard spot?
Last season, graduate senior Kierra Fletcher and freshman Raven Johnson handled the majority of the point guard duties for Dawn Staley’s team. Neither player shot the ball very well for most of the year, but Johnson had some good moments that give Gamecock fans hope she will make more jumpers moving forward.
The point guard position wasn’t asked to do as much last year as one might expect because of the presence of shooting guard Zia Cooke. Cooke, a former point guard, handled the ball a lot for the offense and was the team’s top dribble-drive player.
From the transfer portal, the Gamecocks brought in All-Pac 12 guard Te-Hina Paopao who will be able to help out at either guard spot and should be considered one of the favorites to start at one of the guard positions.
South Carolina basketball is also adding the most dynamic high school prospect in the country in lead guard Milaysia Fulwiley. Fulwiley can play either guard spot, but her 5’7″ stature will keep her from guarding many wings on the defensive end of the floor. The 5-star recruit will play a high volume of minutes this season. Will she start? Will she play point? Will she play the 2-spot?
Johnson, Paopao, and Fulwiley will all be important players as the Gamecocks replace both the point guard and shooting guard spots and could combine to play the majority of the minutes next year.