The Big Question: Is Buse’s Commitment Timing Suggests that Staley’s Recruiting Pitch Has Failed?
South Carolina’s recruiting efforts for the 2027 class appear headed for a disappointing outcome, as top guard target Kaylor Buse out of West Linn, Oregon has set a commitment date that all but signals the Gamecocks are about to lose out on a priority target.
According to On3’s Talia Goodman, Buse will announce her decision live on KATU television, the Portland ABC affiliate, on Monday, September 14, at 11:30 p.m. ET — a timing choice that, on its own, hints at where her loyalties may already lie. Her five finalists include South Carolina alongside TCU, Washington, Utah, and Oregon, but the scheduling details paint a troubling picture for the Gamecocks.
A Visit Scheduled Too Late to Matter
South Carolina isn’t set to host Buse until the weekend of October 3 — a full two weeks after her announced commitment date. That timing gap is glaring: Buse will be making her final decision before she ever sets foot on South Carolina’s campus, a scheduling misstep that undercuts Dawn Staley’s usual strategy of closing recruitments with the final visit.
As Gamecock Central’s Chris Wellbaum pointed out, Buse’s commitment date also falls before her scheduled visit to her home-state program in Oregon — though notably, she’s already taken unofficial visits to Eugene in the past, meaning she doesn’t need an official trip to make up her mind about the Ducks. She’s also already completed official visits to Washington and TCU, and will visit Utah this coming weekend, leaving South Carolina as the clear outlier with no completed visit and a date that arrives too late to influence her decision.
Choosing a Convenient Time Zone Speaks Volumes
Perhaps the most telling detail is Buse’s choice to announce on a local Portland television station at a time far more convenient for West Coast viewers than for anyone following from Columbia — a subtle but real indication that her decision may be trending toward staying closer to home.
A Recruiting Battle Staley May Simply Lose
While there remains a slim chance South Carolina could pull off a surprise, or even flip Buse later in the process if her October visit somehow changes her mind, the far more likely outcome is that the Gamecocks will need to move on and look elsewhere. Staley has built a strong track record recruiting the West Coast in recent cycles, but this particular battle looks like one she’s set to lose.
Buse’s Résumé Makes the Miss Sting More
The stakes of potentially losing Buse are real given her production. The four-star prospect, ranked No. 52 overall by ESPN, has earned all-state honors in each of the past two seasons and won Defensive Player of the Year for her travel club, Northwest Select. Last season as a junior, she averaged 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.6 steals, adding 1.3 blocks per game, while surpassing 1,000 career points.
Other Targets Still on the Board — For Now
South Carolina still has other high-profile 2027 targets scheduled to visit this fall, including guard Jezelle “GG” Banks and forwards Ivanna Wilson-Manyacka and Jordyn Palmer. Whether Staley can salvage this recruiting cycle with those remaining targets remains to be seen, but as it stands, Buse appears to be trending away from Columbia — a disappointing signal for a Gamecocks program that had hoped to add another marquee backcourt piece to an already loaded future roster.
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