South Carolina Basketball: 5-star target announces commitment

Dawn Staley has her South Carolina basketball squad with another elite recruiting class in 2024. 5-star forward Joyce Edwards, 5-star guard Madisen McDaniel, and 5-star post player Adhel Tac will all be Gamecocks next year, but USC might not be done with the class.

On Friday, a remaining Carolina target announced her college decision when 5-star guard Jaloni Cambridge made her commitment announcement.

One of the most dynamic perimeter players in the '24 recruiting cycle, Cambridge announced her commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes over South Carolina, LSU, Georgia, Florida, Baylor, and Louisville.

As a smaller guard, Cambridge would have overlapped a bit with incoming guard Madisen McDaniel, but Coach Staley and the Gamecocks would have made it work to bring in a talent like Cambridge.

The Gamecocks have plenty of talent on the perimeter, though, even without Cambridge. Current 5-star freshmen MiLaysia Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson have had moments in which they have shown themselves to be special players who could become All-SEC type performers in the future. Raven Johnson somehow is still just a sophomore, and Bree Hall is a junior. Even Te-Hina Paopao, who will be courted by the WNBA Draft, could return for a 5th season if she desires.

As they often do, the Gamecocks have a surplus of available scholarships heading into next offseason, so if Coach Staley finds another prospect or two she would like to offer a late scholarship, she will have that flexibility.

As it stands, South Carolina basketball also is still in the running for 5-star forward Sarah Strong, the nation's top-ranked player, but LSU and UConn (and even North Carolina) have appeared to be higher on her list in recent months. It's never smart to underestimate Dawn Staley, but expecting a South Carolina basketball commitment from Strong doesn't seem like the best idea, either.