COLUMBIA -- Lakeem Jackson had been feeling the love from USC basketball coach Darrin Horn for quite a while. He had been to the USC campus and daydreamed about bringing down the house at the Colonial Center.

COLUMBIA -- South Carolina men's basketball coach Darrin Horn appears to be closing in on his first commitment from a high school recruit.

COLUMBIA -- The simple assault charge filed against South Carolina point guard Devan Downey was dropped in court on Wednesday, ending his suspension from the basketball team.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Matt Payne's run-scoring infield single in the seventh inning lifted North Carolina State past South Carolina 2-1 on Sunday night in the Raleigh Regional championship.

RALEIGH — The first batter of the game for South Carolina was the best indication — but it was not when Reese Havens lined a shot down the line for a sure double. He does that a lot.

RALEIGH -- Truthfully, it was on a lark that the South Carolina baseball team signed Sam Dyson two years ago. He had a right arm coveted by the pros, so the Gamecocks' only hope seemed to be the honor-roll student's desire to go to college.

DESTIN, Fla. -- In many football hamlets and college towns across the South, National Signing Day for football is treated almost like a holiday -- a month of buildup followed by a day where little work gets done, at least in the male 18-to-40 demographic.

COLUMBIA -- After the pairings were announced for the NCAA baseball tournament, South Carolina coach Ray Tanner shared a laugh with assistant Sammy Esposito, a fellow N.C. State alum. Then they got a call from Esposito's father, Sam, who coached both of them at N.C. State.

COLUMBIA -- When Dawn Staley was Virginia's point guard, Cavaliers coach Debbie Ryan would stack the practice teams against Staley by pairing the All-American with the last four players on the bench.

COLUMBIA -- The student who filed assault charges against South Carolina point guard Devan Downey re-emphasized that he was a victim on Tuesday, a day after Downey was arrested and transported to Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center.