I can confirm that Dayton PF Mustapha Amzil and Minnesota PG Ta’Lon Cooper are on campus this weekend to see if transferring here would make a good fit. @Perry McCarty has been all over potential portal targets.

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Cooper is originally from Roebuck, SC and is rated as a 4-star transfer.

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Amzil is a 3-star portal prospect. He averaged 9.3 pts and 4.8 rebounds this past season as a sophomore

Hello from Founders Park. I am back from Greenville and ready to take you through the first game of this series.

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South Carolina lineup tonight:

2B - Will McGillis
SS - Braylen Wimmer
1B - Gavin Casas
C - Cole Messina
RF - Ethan Petry
DH - Carson Hornung
3B - Talmadge LeCroy
LF - Caleb Denny
RF - Dylan Brewer

Meechie will almost certainly return. Players have a window to declare for the NBA draft before withdrawing their name and keeping their college eligibility. This is common place and will help Meechie acquire information about areas he will need to improve to have a chance at being drafted. The fact is, no NBA team will draft Meechie at this point in time.

Quotes from the locker room going into the Sweet 16 game against UCLA tomorrow.

Kierra Fletcher:

On the first UCLA game:
"That was a tough game. They played us super well. In the second half we played a lot better. It was super competitive, and we came out with the win."

On what's different about UCLA:
"They're palying extremely well. They move the ball a lot, they cut off the ball a lot, they play well each other. We just have to make sure we stay engagted with them."

On how South Carolina is different:
"For starters, me and Raven were both on minute restrictions. I think that plays a lot into it. Now we're full go, everybody is healthy, and we're more gelled together than what we were in November and December. We're just a much better team and playing cohesively."

On if she expects UCLA to sag off her again:
"Honestly I don't know, but if they do I'm going to have the confdience to take those shots."

Zia Cooke:
On having familiarity with UCLA:
"It doesn't matter to me, to be honest. We did play them, but they're a way better team than they were. We're just prepared for whatever they're going to throw at us."

On what's different about UCLA:
"I think how patient they are. They're very, very patient with their offense and that's something I was able to realize down the stretch."

On how she wants to be remembered:
"I just want people to remember that I take basketball very seriously. I take winning very seriously, and I don't take any shortcuts. I just want people to remember me as a person that gives it my all, is a very hard-worker and is very loyal."

On playing with the freshies:
"I think it means a lot. I think what really means the most is that we stayed together. But we all stayed together, we've watched each other grow into the women we all have become and we're going to finish together. I think it's a beautiful thing."

On guarding Kiki Rice:
"She's a great player. She's a downhill driver. She's a very smart guard, very young but we have a lot of respect for her. We know we have to handle her because she can get hot."

Victaria Saxton:

On what's different about UCLA:
"I mean, they're who they are. They're an aggressive team."

On South Carolina's mindset:
"We're going to be who we are and not change."

On the UCLA game:
"We had a struggle with our layups and finishing our drives, but I think that's not going to be a problem this time. We're going to be who we are and play our game."

Raven Johnson:
On the first UCLA game:
"I remember I had a brace on. I remember being nervous, but we were just adjusting then. I feel like we were trying to find the pieces of our team, but this time we're for sure ready."

On her confidence:
I had the brace on. I was mentally scared of my knee, but this time I'm very confortable."

Said she knew she was fully back "In the middle of the season." Said her teammates told you "you're strong," with regards to taking the brace off, and she shotued otu the team's training staff.

On playing with Aliyah Boston:
Shoot, I'm pretty sure everyone would want to play with her. She's dominant, and she's so unselfish. She doesn't care about what she has, she always wants everyone on her team to be better."

Laeticia Amihere:
On the differences between UCLA now and November:
They're going to prepare a lot better for us. They've seen us play a lot more games. They're going to try to throw a lot of different defenses at us.

On if she expects a slower pace game than November:
"I don't think so. We're ready to go. We're going to try to slow them down, that's for sure, but we're definitely going to be able to run the floor and do what we do."

On South Carolina's growth:
"We have a lot more experiences and have seen a lot more defenses. We're ready for anything they can throw at us."

Kamilla Cardoso:
On her performance against UCLA:
"I think we were just posting up hard and they were feeding me the ball."

On what's different about UCLA:
"I think they're just a better team, but we're also a better team so we're just ready for this game."

On playing with Boston:
"She's the best role model anyone can have. She's a great leader, she's always pushing me to be better, she's always pushing me to work harder and she helps me to stay confident with myself. She's always leading everyone to wherever they have to be or whatever they have to do. She's just a great role model."



Sania Feagin:

On the first UCLA game:
"I just remember mostly that we started out kind of slow trying to get our groove."

On what's differnet with UCLA:
"They're more athletic. They're together now. They learned each other and they started playing as a team defensively."

On stopping UCLA's transition:
"That's the game plan. We know their gameplan and we're ready to execute it."

Olivia Thompson:

On what's different with UCLA:
"I would say their patience within their offense is top tier. That's something we're really going to have to be aware of. We're going to have to stay engaged until someone puts a shot up or that horn goes off. We just have to stay engaged and know who their key scorers are, but still have to be aware of all the screening they do because they do a lot of screening."

On what's different with South Carolina:
"We've definitely grown so much. I'd say for us we've just really tightened up our defense even more than it was before, and I think we're way more efficient offensively. Just getting the ball into the post and being consistent in that area."

On how many times she's re-watched the shot:
"A few. Just a few for me, but my dad said that he's watched it double-digit times."

On who reached out to her about it:
"I heard from my fifth-grade teacher, but it was awesome. I didn't even have her number and then one of my friends said she wanted to get in touch with me. It was nice to re-connect with her."

(She said they're going to go to lunch together when they get a chance)

We’ve been hinting for a few weeks now that this was the most likely scenario, but Jackson said himself on Instagram that he plans to declare for the NBA.

Here’s a clip of the announcement from a Gamecock fan on Twitter.

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I wrote about Nick Emmanwori this week, with quotes from Emmanwori himself talking abouth his mindset and Torrian Gray on what he sees with his develoment track.

Live updates from Torrian Gray and Justin Stepp's press conferences.

Recruiting update with Walker, within he talks about relationship with Gamecocks' coaching staff.

Hearing from:

Nick Emmanwori
O'Donnell Fortune
Mo Kaba
Stone Blanton
Terrell Dawkins

What a game — wow! Last three minutes were incredible. Those Cavender twins are the real deal — in looks and how they play.

Thread on the road midweek for the Gamecocks at Charlotte. Michael Braswell is making his first start of the season and Eli Jerembeck is on the mound. First pitch is coming up at 6:05 p.m.

This Indiana fan thinks so.

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On January 13, 2023, Jordan Montgomery agreed to a one-year, $10 million contract with the St Louis Cardinals, avoiding salary arbitration.

I don't understand this infatuation with Wake Forest at #2. They haven't played anybody.
I mean we haven't exactly been challenged but we aren't ranked #2.

Hearing from Beamer to talk about week two of spring ball.

…by Ole Miss in Women’s Basketball. One big obstacle out of the way.

Getting swept by Mississippi state and using so many pitchers

Over the weekend the University of Georgia cheated their fans and South Carolina fans out of four innings of baseball. If they do not do a rebate for those who paid for tickets then the NCAA should investigate Georgia for fraud.

Georgia was not a swept but rather shop vac.