The South Carolina women's basketball team is busy preparing for its upcoming 2026-27 season. But in the weeks before the season tips off in November, it is also a big recruiting season for Gamecock head coach Dawn Staley.
One big target for South Carolina for its class of 2027 is guard Kaylor Buse out of West Linn, Oregon. The Gamecocks are set to host Buse for an official visit this fall, but the four-star guard has already set her commitment date.
According to On3's Talia Goodman, Buse will commit to her future college school on Monday, September 14 at 11:30 pm ET. Her announcement will air live on KATU television, which is the ABC affiliate in Portland. Last month, Buse narrowed down her five final schools to include South Carolina, as well as TCU, Washington, Utah and Oregon.
Why Buse's commitment date could be a bad sign for Dawn Staley
The Gamecocks are set to host Buse on the weekend of Oct. 3, which is a full two weeks after her commitment date. The Gamecocks football team is hosting Kentucky that weekend.
Buse committing in mid-September certainly feels like it means she will not end up landing at South Carolina. Buse has already taken her official visits to Washington and TCU, and she will visit the Utah Utes this upcoming weekend on Sept. 12.
As Gamecock Central's Chris Wellbaum points out, Buse's commitment date is also before her visit to her hometown school in Oregon. But Buse has taken unofficial visits to Eugene before.
Buse announcing her decision live on a local television station at a time zone much more convenient for those out west is also a sign that shows she might be going elsewhere.
Of course, there is a chance that South Carolina surprises everyone and does land her, or flips her later in her recruiting process if she does visit South Carolina in October. But the Gamecocks might just have to start looking elsewhere if Buse stays closer to home as expected. Coach Staley has done well recruiting out west, but she may not win this battle this time.
Buse is rated by ESPN as a four-star prospect from the class of 2027, and is rated No. 52 overall. She has been an all-state player for each of the last two seasons, and won the Defensive Player of the Year Award for her travel club, Northwest Select.
The West Linn guard averaged 15.2 points with 6.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 steals per game last season as a junior, adding 1.3 blocks per contest, and eclipsed 1,000 career points last season.
Staley is set to host other big names from the class of 2027 such as guard Jezzelle Banks, as well as forwards Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka and Jordyn Palmer sometime this fall. We'll see if Staley can pull of a recruiting coup in landing Buse, but it feels like she is staying close to home.
South Carolina, Dawn Staley seeking national title revenge vs. UCLA in Las Vegas showcase
Add us as a preferred source on Google