South Carolina Basketball: Future Gamecock brings home ANOTHER national player of the year honor

5-star Gamecock signee Joyce Edwards is probably the most-hyped recruit to come into the South Carolina basketball program since A'ja Wilson. The Camden, South Carolina native is a top-2 national prospect as the top defensive player in the 2024 recruiting class. Her offensive game is still big-time, though, as she outscored her opponents by herself in the high school playoffs this season.

She has racked up awards and honors in her career. She picked up every state player of the year award this year (and some last year). She has been named an All-American by several outlets and is participating in the McDonald's All-American Game this week. Last week, she was selected as the Gatorade National Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

On Monday, while in Houston, Texas for the McDonald's All-American Game festivities, Edwards picked up another major award.

The 6'2" forward was selected as the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year. She was joined on the boys' side by Rutgers signee Dylan Harper. Edwards is the second South Carolina basketball signee to win the Morgan Wootten National Player of the Year trophy, following 2009 winner Kelsey Bone. Bone, after not meshing well with Dawn Staley and the team struggling to win, transferred out of the program.

Edwards and the rest of the McDonald's All-Americans will play in the highly acclaimed all-star event on Tuesday at 6:30 PM EST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN 2 and streamed on the ESPN app.

Fellow Gamecock signee Maddy McDaniel is also a McDonald's All-American but is not expected to play due to a knee injury. The other 2024 signee, 5-star post player Adhel Tac, was in line to make the McDonald's All-American Game, as well, but an injury ended her season early before she enrolled at USC in January.