The 2025-26 season did not end as South Carolina fans would have hoped. Although the Gamecocks made a surprise NCAA Tournament run to the national title game, a crushing loss to UCLA in the final was a bitter end to the season.
But as the Gamecocks enter the 2026-27 season, head coach Dawn Staley is rebuilding this team unlike any offseason we've seen. In recent weeks, South Carolina landed star Texas transfer Jordan Lee from the transfer portal, in addition to landing former Tennessee signee Oliviyah Edwards. Adding French basketball star Justine Loubens is a cherry on top.
On Thursday, ESPN released its updated way-too-early Top 25 after the dust settled on the transfer portal moves. It's no surprise that the Gamecocks, previously ranked No. 3, rose all the way to No. 1 for Charlie Creme:
"The addition of Texas transfer Jordan Lee was already enough to elevate the Gamecocks to the top of the rankings, then came the commitment of No. 3 recruit Oliviyah Edwards, who joined South Carolina after decommitting from Tennessee," Creme writes of the Gamecocks.
"Despite some important personnel losses -- Raven Johnson, Madina Okot and Ta'Niya Latson -- the depth highlighted by the continued rise of Joyce Edwards coupled with the returns of Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins after each missed last season makes the Gamecocks the runaway choice for the top spot.
Maddy McDaniel, who is replacing Johnson at point guard, is arguably South Carolina's most important player -- and the fact that she is also the only Gamecock under 6-foot underscores the size coach Dawn Staley will have at her disposal in 2026-27."
Elsewhere in the rankings includes some heavy hitters. The UConn Huskies are No. 2, followed by Duke at third, Michigan at fourth and the USC Trojans rounding out the top-five.
Here's a look at his full top 25 ratings heading into the full recruiting offseason, with where each team ranked in his initial way-too-early rankings:
- South Carolina: (Previous: #3)
- UConn Huskies (Previous: #1)
- Duke Blue Devils: (Previous #7)
- Michigan Wolverines: Previous (#5)
- USC Trojans (Previous: #6)
- Iowa Hawkeyes (Previous #9)
- Louisville Cardinals (Previous: #8)
- Texas Longhorns (Previous: #2)
- North Carolina Tar Heels (Previous: #11)
- LSU Tigers (Previous #4)
- Vanderbilt Commodores (Previous #10)
- Washington Huskies (Previous #!7)
- UCLA Bruins (Previous: Unranked)
- TCU Horned Frogs (Previous: Unranked)
- Ole Miss Rebels (Previous: Unranked)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish (Previous: #21)
- Kentucky Wildcats (Previous: #14)
- Ohio State Buckeyes: (Previous: #12)
- Minnesota Golden Gophers (Previous: #19)
- Illinois Fighting Illini (Previous: #16)
- Maryland Terrapins (Previous: #13)
- Oklahoma State Cowgirls (Previous: Unranked)
- Arizona State Sun Devils (Previous: Unranked)
- Oklahoma Sooners (Previous: #18)
- West Virginia Mountaineers (Previous: Unranked)
Dylan Stewart projected to go in Top-10 to NFC team in 2027 NFL Mock Draft
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