SC Recruiting Notebook for 8/31

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>With the month of August transitioning into September, this means two-thirds of the 2025 calendar year are in the books. It also means we are drawing ever so closer to the start of the 2025-26 high school girls basketball season across the state and nation.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Two months and change still remain until that happens – and the next several months will also be about balancing athletics with academics.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>In addition, one can expect for there to be plenty of recruitment news to take place – including commitment time for many a senior. Without further ado, here is the latest from South Carolina's recruiting trail.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["324541"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68b475fa10c2c"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">One of the signature frontcourt forces in the state has been swimming in a sea of Division I offers. Her latest one came from a school right by the sea as she was offered by Miami and its head coach Tricia Cullop. Hartwell has established a national profile and the 15.2 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks she averaged last season for a Westside team that were 4A state championship participants last season. A state championship would be an excellent way to bolster one's resume and, thanks in large part to Hartwell, this season's version of the Rams may very well do just that in the 4A realm.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["257989"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68b475fa10c8d"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Pouyat picked up her latest collegiate offer from Wheaton College in the Chicago area of Illinois. After a 2024-25 season that saw her First Baptist team qualify for the SCISA 4A championship game, Pouyat and the rest of her Hurricanes will have an “unfinished business” mindset for the 2025-26 campaign. Primarily playing as a two guard, she played in all 32 contests last season for First Baptist. Pouyat averaged 8.9 points and 1.9 steals per game. Her play was integral in the Hurricanes finishing last season with a stellar 29-3 record. She adds the Wheaton offer to previous ones from Maine Maritime, University of New England and LaGrange College.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"Ellie Blitch","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"2026","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"null","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"12125","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"First Baptist","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_0_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_0_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68b475fa10d30"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">Speaking of offers being extended in the direction of First Baptist standouts, Blitch is another 2026 who will look ahead to life after Hurricanes purple following this season. She is a multi-sport athlete who competes in track and field alongside her basketball accomplishments. In fact, it is in that discipline where Blitch landed her first college look as North Greenville offered her for track and field plus cross country. She also played in all 32 games last season for First Baptist and was the hero for the Hurricanes in last season's SCISA 4A semifinal with Heathwood Hall. Her game-winning bucket sent First Baptist to its championship contest with Trinity Collegiate.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["429820"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":["override_image"],"_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":1238975,"_player_evaluations_0_player_featured_image":"field_62f141137ead9","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68b475fa10d88"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The ends of months have been kind to Thompson lately in terms of recruitment. At the conclusion of July, she secured a collegiate get from Newberry College and she finishes August by landing an offer from Jackson State. Thompson is taking her talents from a 4A in the SCISA ranks in Cardinal Newman to a 4A High School League team in Gray Collegiate. The standout 2027 big played in 15 of the 22 games the Cardinals competed in last season, averaging 10 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. That type of production for the War Eagles will certainly help coach Brandon Wallace's team in what is one of the tougher regions in the state.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["429824"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations":1,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"preview","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-68b475fa10dd6"} --> <!-- wp:paragraph {"placeholder":"Add evaluation here...","className":"text-gray-700"} --> <p class="text-gray-700">The latter half of August did wonders for Williams' recruitment. Roughly two weeks ago, Williams secured an offer from the University of the Virgin Islands and she recently received another one from Voorhees. She adds those two offers to one she received from Denmark Tech in June. During the spring and summer months, Williams ran with FBC NextUp SC Lady Wolves for grassroots ball and has made the move from 5A Division 1 Sumter to a North team that established itself last season as one of the teams to beat among 1A squads. Williams averaged 5.6 rebounds last season – third among last year's Gamecocks.&nbsp;</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- /wp:acf/evaluation-block -->