USC coaches sell their vision

GREENVILLE — A large banner hung on the wall that asked, “Why Not Us?”

The message was to members of the Gamecock Club, supporters of the University of South Carolina athletic program, who held a “Carolina Now” spring meeting at the Carolina First Center on Wednesday evening.

Carolina basketball coaches Dawn Staley and Darrin Horn visited Upstate fans to share their plans to hang championship banners in Columbia.

“You have to be patient with it,” said Staley, who led the Carolina women’s team to a 10-18 record this season and a 2-12 mark in the SEC.

“It takes a bit to change what people think of the University of South Carolina outside the state,” she added. “Once you get a bird’s-eye view of what we have to offer, I think you can find that you can be very successful at the University of South Carolina, especially at a time when we are moving in the right direction. We’ve got some momentum.”

That momentum was amplified by 6-foot-5 McDonald’s and Parade All-American Kelsey Bone, who signed with the Gamecocks earlier this month. Staley expects Bone, a native of Sugar Land, Texas, to help propel Carolina to national prominence.

“It will have a huge impact on our program, a huge impact on our conference,” Staley said. “She’s the top-rated player in our conference coming in. I think it’s beautiful that she believes in the vision that we’ve shared with her. It’s a big step toward doing what they hired me to do, and that’s to take this program to another level.”

“The No. 1 goal is to win our league,” said Horn, who directed the men’s team to a 21-9 record this season.

“We are in the best athletic conference,” he said. “If we are good enough to win that, it’s going to put us in position, both men’s and women’s basketball, to compete for a national championship.”

But before Staley and Horn can collar the country, they must rally supporters around the state with the vision they share with recruits.

“Any time you can reach as many people that support what you do, it’s great,” Staley said of Wednesday’s event. “These things are needed. People need to see you up close and get to know you on a different level, instead of just seeing us on the sideline.”