Here’s who Dawn Staley, Lamont Paris landed on basketball signing day
The fall signing period has arrived, with women’s and men’s basketball players for the 2024 recruiting class putting pen to paper on their national letters of intent Wednesday. Here’s a look at the newest basketball Gamecocks for Lamont Paris and Dawn Staley.
WOMEN’S SIGNEES
▪ Ayla McDowell — Cypress, Texas
Wing Ayla McDowell committed to South Carolina in October as a five-star recruit. She is the No. 22 overall recruit and No. 6 wing in the nation, according to ESPN.
McDowell averaged 19.6 points, 9.2 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.4 assists last season as a junior, leading Cypress Spring to a 30-3 record and a trip to third round of the state playoffs.
She played for CyFair Elite and helped them win the championship on the NIKE EYBL AAU circuit. She also played for Brazil in the AmeriCup Women’s 18U championship and averaged 14.8 points and 7.7 rebounds.
“Ayla is an elite wing who can score at all three levels and is a Swiss army knife on defense with the ability to guard every position,” USC coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. “She is blessed with great size and athleticism that allow her to impact the game on both ends of the floor. A winner at every level, she moves the needle for her teams. As selfless as she is on the floor, she is even more of a giver off it, and we couldn’t be more excited to welcome Ayla and her family to Columbia.”
MEN’S SIGNEES
South Carolina also has a commitment in the 2025 class from Eli Ellis.
▪ Eli Ellis — Hickory, NC
Point guard Eli Ellis announced his commitment to USC in November 2023, after receiving seven NCAA DI offers, including Ole Miss and Texas A&M. He is the No. 64 overall recruit and No. 10 point guard in the nation, according to 247Sports.
The 6-foot, four-star recruit plays for Moravian Prep in North Carolina and also with YNG Dreamerz in the Overtime Elite League. He led the league in 3-pointers with 36 last year.
▪ EJ Walker — Erlanger, Ky.
Power forward EJ Walker announced his commitment to South Carolina back in May. The 6-foot-8, 230-pound recruit chose USC over Ohio State, Purdue and Wisconsin.
Walker is a three-star prospect. He is the No. 173 overall recruit and No. 39 power forward prospect in the nation, according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He averaged 16.9 points and 11.1 rebounds per game for Lloyd High School last season.
▪ Grant Polk — Washington, DC
Small forward Grant Polk announced his commitment to USC in October. He also had offers from Fairfield, Morehead State, Iona, Canisius, Youngstown State, George Washington and New Jersey Tech.
The 6-foot-7 sharpshooting big man is the No. 60 small forward recruit in the 2025 class, and the No. 6 player in D.C.
▪ Hayden Assemian — Hickory, NC
Power forward Hayden Assemian committed to South Carolina in September 2023. Assemian had six DI offers, the others being Appalachian State, George Mason, Hampton, Wake Forest and Western Carolina.
The 6-foot-8, 220-pound big man is a three-star recruit, according to 247Sports. He played at Powdersville in South Carolina last season, averaging 15.2 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocks a game this year and was an all-state selection. He led Powdersville to the state championship, producing 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the title game.
This story was originally published November 13, 2024 at 12:16 PM.
