Good morning. The first preseason poll for NCAA softball is out, and the Gamecocks are in! See where they landed.

What else is mixed into today’s Brew? ⤵️

👀 Keep watch
🥎 Crossing home
🤙 And much, much more

🎥 GAMECOCKS+

Spend your Friday morning catching up on the great hoops content you may have missed this season!

• Revenge Tour: Last year didn't end the way Raven and the Gamecocks wanted it to, so this year's team is on a mission. On this episode of Gamecock Talk, hear from Raven Johnson on what motivates her, what she loves about this year's team, and what made her fall in love with the game of basketball.

• Breaking Down Ball: The freshman phenom went viral in her first collegiate game ever, catching the attention of Magic Johnson and Kevin Durant. Whether it's the behind-the-back passes, the fantastic finishes, the seemingly limitless shooting range, defense, or insane handles, MiLaysia Fulwiley is worth the price of admission.

• A Slept-On State: It’s Year 2 for Lamont Paris in Columbia, and this team is ready to make some noise. It’s a locker room full of new faces, but also experienced and like-minded teammates, with one goal in mind: March. It’s time to change expectations.

• Snowball Effect: The Gamecocks are off to their best start in years and surpassed last season’s win total before the new year. Lamont Paris' team is stacking wins, hoping for a snowball effect as the season goes on.

📈 STOCK UP

🔼 15-0. Your Gamecocks are coming home perfect! South Carolina women’s basketball beat Missouri, 81-57, on the road yesterday afternoon to get to 15-0 on the year. Bree Hall paved the way for the Gamecocks with 21 points, while Te-Hina Paopao (15), Raven Johnson (10), Ashlyn Watkins (10), and Sania Feagin (10) all finished in double figures.

Next up, the top-ranked Gamecocks will battle Kentucky at home on Monday night at 7:00pm ET.

🔼 Keep Watch. Seniors Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina Paopao are on the midseason Top 25 watch list for the John R. Wooden Award! Cardoso leads Gamecock women’s basketball in scoring and rebounding as she averages a double-double with 13.6 points and 10.7 rebounds per game.

Meanwhile, Paopao is third in the nation in three-point shooting percentage as she sinks 55.2 percent of her shots from beyond the arc while coming in second on the Gamecocks with 12.4 points per game. The Wooden Award winner will be announced in April.

🔼 Career Year. And speaking of Gamecocks on midseason award watch lists, Meechie Johnson is on the watch list for the Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award. Johnson is turning in a career season in the Garnet & Black: he has double-digit scoring in 13 of South Carolina’s 14 games and has scored 20+ points six times this season en route to averaging 18.0 points, 4.2 boards, 2.5 assists, and one steal per game.

🔼 She Can Score. Bree Hall’s got her groove back. After her early start to the season left her disappointed, Hall is shooting 61.8% from beyond the arc in South Carolina women’s basketball’s last nine games heading into yesterday’s clash with Missouri. In the team’s first two SEC games, Hall scored 15 points and went 5-of-8 from three-point land.

After the team’s win over Mississippi State, Coach Staley said: “I’m really super proud of Breezy. I often use her as an example of, no matter who she’s guarding, she approaches it the same way. They could be a 30-point scorer, they could be a two-point scorer, she’s going to defend them like we need her to defend. And she can score.”

Read more about how Hall has hit her stride this season here.

🤔 GAMECOCK TRIVIA

Crossing Home. Gamecock softball season is right around the corner with the Carolina Classic slated for February 9. Do you know who has scored the most career runs in South Carolina softball history?

Got it? Scroll down to the bottom of this email for the right answer!

📬 STICK WITH US

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📬 A LOOK AHEAD

Saturday 1/13

🏃 Track & Field @ the Gamecock Opener

🏀 Men’s Basketball @ Missouri @ 3:30pm ET on SEC Network

Saturday 1/13 - Monday 1/15

🎾 Women’s Tennis @ the Carolina Kickoff

Monday 1/15

🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Kentucky @ 7:00pm ET on SEC Network | Tickets

🎉 TRIVIA ANSWER

Answer: Tiff Tootle crossed home plate 207 times as a Gamecock, a record that has stood since she suited up from 1990-93. Mackenzie Boesel came close to breaking it with 205 career runs scored between 2017-21.

🤙 Have a good weekend, y’all.