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Michael Voepel
Taking part in defending nationwide champion South Carolina was already troublesome sufficient. However how the Gamecocks have responded to their hardest lack of this season makes them much more formidable.
We’re not speaking about their lone loss, at UCLA on Nov. 24, however reasonably, the lack of junior ahead Ashlyn Watkins to a season-ending knee harm suffered Jan. 5. Watkins averaged 7.2 factors, 6.1 rebounds and a team-high 1.9 blocks within the 14 video games she performed.
Since then, the Gamecocks have received 4 in a row, three in opposition to ranked opponents. They punished Texas (67-50) and Oklahoma (101-60), two top-10 groups. And in dismantling the Sooners on Jan. 19, South Carolina reached the century mark for the primary time this season and certain performed its finest total recreation of 2024-25.
South Carolina stays No. 2 in ESPN’s Girls’s Faculty Basketball Energy Rankings and appears robust heading into what might be two of its hardest checks within the SEC. South Carolina hosts LSU on Friday (ESPN, 5 p.m. ET) after which travels to Tennessee on Monday (ESPN2, 7 p.m. ET).
Coach Daybreak Staley mentioned Watkins introduced shot-blocking, protection, rebounding, scoring and an intense aggressive presence. However then Staley talked about how the remainder of the Gamecocks have made the a lot of the further enjoying time with Watkins out.
“Sure, we really feel sorry for Ash and her not being with us,” Staley mentioned. “However do we’ve got the utmost confidence within the people who find themselves left? Completely.”
That features freshman star Joyce Edwards, who leads South Carolina in scoring at 12.1 factors per recreation regardless of coming off the bench. Edwards is a 6-foot-3 publish participant who glides up and down the court docket and is capturing 56.6% from the sphere. In opposition to the Sooners, she had 17 factors on 8-of-10 capturing.
“Joyce’s work ethic is unmatched,” Staley mentioned. “It is borderline an excessive amount of. She’s simply pushed, and he or she solely is aware of a technique. I’ve needed her to not be within the gymnasium a lot, however that is her make-up.”
MiLaysia Fulwiley (11.2, 2.9), who had 15 factors, 4 rebounds and seven assists in opposition to the Sooners, is one other reserve guard, however she has been a highlight-reel participant since her freshman season in 2023-24.
“I like enjoying good as a result of it motivates me to play even higher,” Fulwiley mentioned. “As a workforce, we by no means pout once we do not play good. I believe the love we’ve got for one another goes to get us via these powerful video games we’ve got this week.”
The Gamecocks’ depth remains to be championship stage even with out Watkins. That depth may cost the Gamecocks main particular person awards, Staley mentioned, however they settle for the trade-off for workforce success.
“We sacrifice SEC participant of the week, having a nationwide participant of the 12 months candidate, presumably some All-American [honors],” Staley mentioned. “However this workforce is basically simply locked into the final word objective of successful and doing it for one another. [We’re] doing issues that promote nice basketball. We wish to be an important product.”
Earlier rating: 1
Taking part in at Walter Pyramid in Lengthy Seashore due to the Los Angeles-area wildfires, the Bruins have been pushed a bit by Penn State earlier than securing an 83-67 win on Jan. 15. Then UCLA dominated nonconference foe Baylor 72-57 behind 24 factors, 9 rebounds and 9 blocks from heart Lauren Betts on Monday on the Coretta Scott King Traditional in Newark, New Jersey. UCLA and LSU are the one unbeaten groups left in Division I.
Subsequent seven days: @ Rutgers (Jan. 23), @ Maryland (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 2
Together with the victory over Oklahoma final week, the Gamecocks additionally beat one other ranked workforce, Alabama. Now they face two extra ranked foes within the Tigers and Girl Vols. Thursday is likely one of the most anticipated video games of SEC season, matching the previous two groups to win the NCAA title: South Carolina in 2022 and 2024, and LSU in 2023.
Subsequent seven days: vs. LSU (Jan. 24), @ Tennessee (Jan. 27)
Earlier rating: 3
The Irish beat Georgia Tech by 15 and SMU by 24, with guard Hannah Hidalgo returning to motion vs. the Mustangs. She missed the earlier two video games due to an ankle harm. The Notre Dame soccer workforce fell simply in need of a nationwide championship Monday, however the Irish are nonetheless one of many prime title contenders in girls’s basketball.
Subsequent seven days: @ Boston Faculty (Jan. 23)
Earlier rating: 4
The Trojans have been examined at Indiana on Sunday, however a 22-16 fourth-quarter edge gave them a 73-66 victory. JuJu Watkins (22 factors) led USC in scoring, as she has in all however one recreation this season.
Subsequent seven days: @ Purdue (Jan. 22)
Earlier rating: 5
The Tigers stayed good with a 17-point win over Florida on Sunday. They’ve been in a position to get via each problem this season, however does that finish Thursday? LSU has misplaced 16 consecutive video games to South Carolina, relationship again to the 2012 season. LSU has let lesser opponents dangle round in video games a bit an excessive amount of. It might probably’t afford to wish a late rally in opposition to the Gamecocks, as a result of that most likely will not occur.
Subsequent seven days: @ South Carolina (Jan. 24), vs. Texas A&M (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 6
Paige Bueckers returned to the court docket final week from a knee sprain, scoring 12 factors in a victory over St. John’s and getting 18 factors and 7 assists in a 60-point rout of Seton Corridor. Bueckers hit the two,000-point threshold in opposition to the Pirates in her 102nd recreation for the Huskies. That is a program document for the least quantity of video games to get to 2,000 factors at UConn.
Subsequent seven days: vs. Villanova (Jan. 22), @ Creighton (Jan. 25)
Earlier rating: 7
The Longhorns beat Auburn 74-57 final week to arrange what appeared like an thrilling nonconference matchup in opposition to Maryland on Monday within the Coretta Scott King Traditional. However the injury-stung Terps could not sustain with the Longhorns, shedding 89-51.
Subsequent seven days: vs. Tennessee (Jan. 23), at Ole Miss (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 10
TCU received its tenth recreation in a row, 81-73 over Utah final week, and at 7-0 is tied atop the Huge 12 with Kansas State. The Horned Frogs should be cautious of their journey to Oklahoma State, which was ranked earlier than being upset by Houston final week. TCU’s upcoming recreation in opposition to Baylor might additionally problem the Frogs.
Subsequent seven days: @ Oklahoma State (Jan. 22), vs. Baylor (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 12
The Wildcats are one among three groups undefeated in SEC play, together with South Carolina and LSU. These two play one another Thursday. Kentucky does not face both till the tip of the common season. The Wildcats are coming off a 14-point victory at Georgia on Sunday, once they have been led by publish participant Clara Strack with 25 factors and 12 rebounds.
Subsequent seven days: @ Texas A&M (Jan. 23), vs. Arkansas (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 11
The Wildcats beat Arizona and Arizona State this previous week and are tied with TCU atop the Huge 12 at 7-0. However they bought very unhealthy information: star heart Ayoka Lee is out indefinitely due to a damaged bone in her foot. Kansas State remains to be hopeful that Lee, who’s in her remaining 12 months of eligibility after coping with a number of accidents in faculty, can return close to the tip of this season. Lee leads the Wildcats in scoring, rebounding and blocks, so it is a big blow to Ok-State.
Subsequent seven days: Subsequent seven days: @ Colorado (Jan. 25)
Earlier rating: 8
Talking of powerful accidents, the Terps misplaced Bri McDaniel for the season to an ACL harm this week and noticed one other veteran participant, Shyanne Sellers, sidelined by an harm in a loss to Texas on Monday. Sellers’ return is unsure proper now. None of that is what Maryland wanted heading into two very troublesome video games.
Subsequent seven days: @ Ohio State (Jan. 23), vs. No. 1 UCLA (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 9
Final week within the Energy Rankings, we questioned how lengthy the Buckeyes might keep undefeated. It turned out it wasn’t lengthy. After a victory Thursday at Wisconsin, the Buckeyes have been with out injured freshman sensation Jaloni Cambridge for Sunday’s recreation in opposition to Penn State. The Nittany Lions upset the Buckeyes 62-59. We’ll see how Ohio State reacts to that this week.
Subsequent seven days: vs. Maryland (Jan. 23), @ Nebraska (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 14
The Tar Heels, who’re quietly having a stable season, are coming off victories at SMU and Pittsburgh. Guard Lexi Donarski led them in scoring in each video games with 15 factors.
Subsequent seven days: vs. Wake Forest (Jan. 23), vs. Florida State (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 16
The Blue Devils wanted two robust wins this previous week, and so they bought them by dominating ACC newcomers California (by 34 factors) and Stanford (by 25). Duke stays tied for second place within the ACC with NC State.
Subsequent seven days: @ SMU (Jan. 23), @ Georgia Tech (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 13
The Sooners bought a painful “welcome to the SEC” second in having to play at South Carolina when the Gamecocks have been actually clicking. The intense spot to the 41-point loss for Oklahoma: the play of Raegan Beers, who injured her shoulder in a Jan. 12 recreation. She returned for Oklahoma’s 80-63 defeat of Missouri final week however had an excellent higher efficiency in opposition to the Gamecocks with 23 factors and eight rebounds. The Sooners should let this loss go and transfer ahead.
Subsequent seven days: vs. Georgia (Jan. 26)
Earlier rating: 15
Tennessee has hit a bit of skid, shedding three of its previous 5 video games. The Girl Vols beat Mississippi State however then misplaced on a last-second shot at in-state rival Vanderbilt. With the Longhorns and Gamecocks up subsequent, the Girl Vols will probably be examined.
Subsequent seven days: @ Texas (Jan. 23), vs. South Carolina (Jan. 27)
