Staley ups Gamecock recruiting

COLUMBIA (AP) -- Dawn Staley likes jokes as much as the next coach. This April Fool's prank almost went a bit too far.

The South Carolina coach remembers sitting in her office, staff around as they waited for coveted star Kelsey Bone's expected announcement that the Gamecocks would be her college home.

Then came an email from Bone telling a stunned Staley it probably wouldn't work out.

Gotcha!

A short time later, the 6-foot-5 high school star made her pledge to Staley on national TV - and bolstered a recruiting class that could soon have South Carolina competing at the top of the difficult Southeastern Conference.

Besides Bone, the Staley's brought in two additional Parade All-Americans in Ieasia Walker of Copiague, N.Y., and former Maryland long-range shooter Marah Strickland to a group rated among the country's top 10 by some recruiting services. While Strickland will have to sit out this season, the others will be expected to show their talent almost immediately as the Gamecocks look to improve from a 10-18 in Staley's debut season.

"I've usually had blue-collar people, not blue chippers," Staley said Thursday.

Still, "we're a long way off," the second-year coach continued. "We're bringing in the talent, but that hasn't won any games yet."

And Staley is all about winning games. The three-time Olympic gold medalist has succeeded at every level of basketball. But last year brought a level of frustration she could barely comprehend.

In the first few weeks after Staley took the job, South Carolina's leading scorer Jordan Jones asked to transfer and high-scoring recruit Becky Burke opted out of her commitment.

During the season, two of Staley's top players in center Demetress Adams and guard Brionna Dickerson were lost with knee injuries for much of the SEC. Near season's end, Staley acknowledged she did not anticipate how difficult it would be to teach her players' what it took to win basketball games.

Staley vowed in an op-ed piece for The New York Times before last March's NCAA tournament that her club would be in the discussion in 2010.

"The thing that separates those that get in from those that don't is talent," Staley said.

Snagging players that were well known throughout the country brings South Carolina closer to that level.

Bone is at the very top. She's among highest regarded prospects to choose the Gamecocks in any sport, certainly in the past 20 years.

South Carolina athletic director Eric Hyman told the school's Board of Trustees that Bone, who's started classes this summer, was around town when someone asked if she was that recruit the town is talking about. "She's going to be special," Hyman said.

Basketball great and ESPN analyst Nancy Lieberman said Bone is a program changer, not just with her game but the coattails she can create. "Other top players see where Kelsey is going and they want to go there, too," Lieberman said by phone.

Staley still needs time to install her system and get her players up to speed, Lieberman said.

"Time is her greatest ally," she said.

Maybe, but Staley seems driven to outrace the normal pace of progress at a school that's made only two NCAA appearances since joining the SEC in 1992.

"We have recruited people who have played and won at a lot of levels. That's what they're used to," Staley said. "I think it's going to work out in a way it's going to speed up the people who are less experienced."

Remember Bone's commitment prank? Staley promised to make her new recruit pay with grueling, lengthy practices. "She's not going to like me too much," Staley said with a chuckle.