SCBCA Live: Seasoned Veterans (Part 2)

It has been a busy pair of weekends at the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta. Last week, it was where the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) held its boys live period event.    The girls had their turn at the mic this past weekend.    A large number of girls teams converged on the riverfront venue on the South Carolina-Georgia state line this past weekend. Among the attendees was current Gamecocks rising junior star Joyce Edwards.    Many of the signature performances of this year's June live period were made courtesy of the rising senior class. We highlighted a few of those 2027s in a previous article and do so even more here.     The transfer of Livingston from 4A Irmo to The Den will ensure Dutch Fork remains firmly in the 5A contenders' chat in 2026-27. Livingston is a college-ready talent that fuses together veteran skills with veteran instincts. She has the ability to handle the ball with either her right or left hand and understands when the correct times are to pass and to distribute. Rebounding is another of Livingston's strong points. Livingston would play in 17 contests last season with the Yellow Jackets while nearly averaging a double-double with 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.7 steals in 2025-26.     One of the early contests of Friday's play featured a pair of 5A teams that previously were in the now defunct Division 1 portion of the classification. Gibson helped her Dorman team to a competitive contest against another tough out in Lexington with an 11-point performance. At 5-foot-10, she primarily plays at the four. With the Cavaliers having graduated their leading rebounder from last season, this creates a great opportunity for Gibson to become the centerpiece of Dorman's efforts on the glass. She is an efficient runner of the floor as well that can finish strong at the rim. Gibson played in 22 contests last season for the Cavaliers.     The list of Division I offers that Hartwell has received over the years reads like a who's who. This meant many a coach that was on hand at Riverview Park wanted to catch a glimpse of Hartwell's 4A Westside team take on 5A Goose Creek. The first thing, of course, that many who watch Hartwell observe is her 6-foot-5 frame. How she would develop over the years would be the question and she has blossomed into one of the state's premier bigs – one that has built a national profile. Hartwell played in all 29 contests last season for the Rams and averaged 12.5 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game in 2025-26. Her commitment – whenever she makes it – will be among the most anticipated of any Palmetto State prospect.     This past week would see Earl pick up her latest collegiate offer courtesy of Seattle University. Earl displayed exactly why she is securing offer after offer after a stellar performance in a 43-39 victory over Goose Creek – a 5A Division 2 Lower State finalist from last season. The defense she plays with active hands can leave many ball-carriers turnover-prone and she understands how to attack the rim and finish strong at the cup. The taller-than-average point guard competed in all 29 contests last season for the 4A Upper State champion Westside Rams and averaged 11.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game.     After spending the bulk of her high school career with 5A J.L. Mann, Hailstock's swan song season through the high school ranks will be spent sporting the burgundy of 4A Westside. She put together a solid performance against 5A Goose Creek on Friday to the tune of 10 points. Hailstock is more of a pure point guard that can organize an offense in a halfcourt set, attack the rim and connect on a midrange jump shot. Drawing contact and getting to the free throw line is another positive attribute of Hailstock's well-developed skillset. In her final season as a Patriot, Hailstock averaged 17.8 points in 21 games.     Foster put together a solid debut season with Ridge View last season and is in search of even more for what should be an even more dangerous Blazers assembling than last season. Efficient running of the floor is essential for a talent such as Foster who makes plenty of plays in transition. A good bit of her team's offense is a result of the solid defense that she plays. At 5-foot-9 she has a height advantage over plenty of her peer guards and played more point guard than shooting guard in Friday's contest with Summerville. Foster averaged 7.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.4 steals last season.     A matchup of “sides” would lean in the direction of Riverside as the Warriors – who are moving back to 4A – took on 3A Oceanside Collegiate. The rising Riverside senior maintains a high degree of activity from the ball and a 3-point shot is part of her overall offensive repertoire. LaGrange's fearlessness is only one element of the veteran instincts she can display and she has no issues drawing contact to find her way to the free throw line. She would see playing time in 22 of the Warriors' 27 games last season as a junior and was one of three 2027s on last season's team.     One would be hard-pressed to find a name across the Palmetto State that took a bigger leap than Oliver did throughout her junior season. As T.L. Hanna transitions out of the 5A ranks and moves back down to 4A, Oliver looks to be the featured player for the 2026-27 version of the Yellow Jackets. The 5-foot-11 veteran Yellow Jackets standout is skilled as a scorer and a rebounder but also as a ball-handler and a jump shooter from range. Oliver will take full advantage of that tall frame to gain a deserved advantage over her competition. She would play in 23 of T.L. Hanna's 24 matchups last season while averaging 14.3 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.

It has been a busy pair of weekends at the Riverview Park Activities Center in North Augusta. Last week, it was where the South Carolina Basketball Coaches Association (SCBCA) held its boys live period event.