South Carolina Basketball: Elite 5-star prospect makes college choice

South Carolina basketball coach Dawn Staley and her program picked up two signed National Letters of Intent earlier this week from 5-star prospects Madisen McDaniel and Adhel Tac, but the Gamecocks weren’t done recruiting quite yet. Carolina has their point guard and their post player in the class, but a wing would be a nice addition to the class.

Kennedy Smith is viewed by some as the best two-way player in the 2024 high school recruiting class, and the 6’1″ wing is also among the most versatile players in the ’24 cycle. She can do almost anything on the basketball court, so the 5-star prospect was an obvious target for Coach Staley and her staff, especially with her ability to play multiple positions.

Earlier this week, Smith revealed that she would be making her commitment on Saturday. South Carolina basketball and UCLA were viewed as the two favorites for Smith’s commitment, but recently, Southern Cal, an early favorite for Smith, burst back onto the scene in a big way.

As it turned out, the Trojans pulled in the commitment from Smith.

South Carolina, UCLA, Louisville, and Duke were the other finalists for Smith.

Fellow 5-star versatile superstar (and Camden, South Carolina native) Joyce Edwards is believed to be announcing her college decision soon, as well. South Carolina basketball fans are optimistic about the Gamecocks’ chances to land the talented forward, but LSU is one of the other programs who feel like they have an outside shot to land the talented Edwards.

A South Carolina basketball recruiting class with McDaniel, Tac, and Edwards would still be among the country’s best even without Kennedy Smith in the fold. Dawn Staley is always recruiting behind the scenes, so there could be another name or two that emerge before the recruiting cycle ends.