Coates Out of NCAA Tournament Play

March 14, 2017

COLUMBIA, S.C. ââ’¬” South Carolina senior center Alaina Coates will not participate in the 2017 NCAA Tournament as she continues her recovery from an ankle injury, head coach Dawn Staley announced today.

Coates completes her Gamecock career as the program’s all-time second-leading rebounder (1,230) and second in career double-doubles (57). She is the program’s first four-time All-SEC selection, capturing first-team honors as a junior and senior after taking second-team recognition in her first two seasons. Coates was also the first Gamecock to earn SEC 6th Player of the Year honors as she combined that with the league’s Freshman of the Year award in 2014.

This season as one of the nation’s most dominant frontcourt performers, Coates is fourth in the nation in field goal percentage (.670), seventh in rebounds (10.7 rpg) and 17th in double-doubles (15). Her 12.9 points per game is 22nd in the SEC as she averaged a double-double overall, in SEC play (12.7 ppg/11.1 rpg) and against ranked opponents (11.8 ppg/11.4 rpg).

As the No. 1 seed in the Stockton Region, the Gamecocks open NCAA Tournament play on Fri., March 17, at 5 p.m. against UNC Asheville at Colonial Life Arena.