Newcomers and a new-look Boston: What to watch for in USC’s exhibition game tonight
South Carolina women’s basketball returns to action Monday.
The No. 1 Gamecocks start their 2021-22 campaign with an exhibition game against nearby Benedict College, a Columbia Division II school less than 2.5 miles down the road from Colonial Life Arena. The game won’t be televised or streamed.
Monday’s exhibition will be the first chance to catch a glimpse of head coach Dawn Staley’s No. 1 recruiting class from 2021 and Syracuse transfer Kamilla Cardoso, the 6-foot-7 ACC Co-Defensive Player of the Year who arrived on campus over the summer.
It will also be a chance to see a new-look Aliyah Boston. Staley said South Carolina’s AP preseason All-American dropped 23 pounds ahead of the 2021-22 season, and she likened Boston’s transformation to that of Gamecock great Tiffany Mitchell, who became one of the most decorated players in program history when she played from 2012-16.
“Tiffany Mitchell and Aliyah are different-minded people,” Staley said. “They want it, and they don’t mind putting the work in to develop it. It’s just not developing a skill set, it’s developing a lifestyle of nutrition and seeing what’s best for them and where they’re going.”
South Carolina’s four freshmen bring a number of accolades to the Gamecocks’ roster, which returns every member of last year’s Final Four team. If the Benedict exhibition takes the trajectory of South Carolina’s 2020-21 season-opening 119-38 rout of College of Charleston, the Gamecocks will get a chance to showcase their newcomers early.
Sania Feagin, the No. 1 forward in the class of 2021, has already been named to the watch list for the Katrina McClain Award, given to the nation’s best power forward. Saniya Rivers was the No. 3 player in the class and was named last year’s Gatorade National Player of the Year. Bree Hall was the No. 5 guard and was named last year’s Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association Miss Basketball.
Raven Johnson was the No. 1 point guard and No. 2 player out of the class of 2021, and Staley said she built “instant chemistry” with Cardoso, who Johnson played with on the AAU circuit.
“She’s a sponge,” Staley said of Johnson. “She wants it, and she’s good. She’s talented. She can create her own shots, she’s got great court vision. She doesn’t miss a whole lot of layups, which is good. She’s a playmaker.”
Staley was complimentary of South Carolina’s newcomers but remained realistic about how much playing time some of the freshmen could receive during the Gamecocks’ difficult regular-season schedule, which includes non-conference matchups with every member of the AP’s preseason top five.
Following the Benedict exhibition, USC’s regular-season slate starts with a shot at redemption on the road with a matchup against No. 5 N.C. State in Raleigh. The Wolfpack defeated the then-No. 1 Gamecocks at Colonial Life Arena in 2020.
“With our youngsters, they’re going to have some good games, and they’re gonna look terrible at times,” Staley said. “I think for us, we just have to make sure that we only allow them to be looked at in a good light. Practice will be for them learning what needs to happen out there. They don’t have a clue either, but they’re good. We’re going to bring them along, but we’re gonna win basketball games first.”
South Carolina women’s basketball 2021 exhibition
Who: South Carolina vs. Benedict
When: 7 p.m. Monday
Where: Colonial Life Arena, Columbia
Watch: Not televised or streamed
Details: Admission is free and all seating is general admission. Doors will open at 6 p.m. Parking is $10
Twitter: Get social media updates during the game @augustalstone
