South Carolina Basketball: Gamecock commitment picks up even more awards

Future South Carolina basketball star Joyce Edwards is a special talent.

The Camden High School product is probably the best defensive player in the country at the high school level, and she has enough offensive game to outscore her team's opponents in the SCHSL playoffs as the Bulldogs won their way through the postseason to the second of back-to-back state championships in the Palmetto State.

Edwards can defend any position on the floor with her exceptional athleticism and length as she swallows up smaller players with her length and quickness while having enough size and defensive savvy to keep bigger scorers away from the basket. Her skillset on offense allows her to use her length and athleticism to become a matchup nightmare for any type of player who draws the misfortune of trying to guard her.

It should be no surprise that the future Gamecock is racking up the awards and honors.

For the second straight season, Joyce Edwards is the MaxPreps Player of the Year for the state of South Carolina. It is a well-deserved honor for Edwards as she was far and away the best player in the state this season. She also won multiple region and state player of the year honors for her 2023-2024 production.

Edwards also recently was chosen as an All-American by the Naismith Awards group and was chosen for the McDonald's All-American Game. She is a finalist (one of five) for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award, too.

With Kamilla Cardoso's likely exit from the South Carolina basketball program for the WNBA Draft, Edwards will battle for early playing time in Columbia next season.

The 5-star forward is one of three 5-star prospects in the Gamecock class of 2024, joining guard Maddy McDaniel and post player Adhel Tac. McDaniel and Tac are both rehabbing injuries, and Tac has already enrolled at the University of South Carolina.