Cardoso to SC

[Longtime fan]

I still favor UConn next year but don't know if "all the UConn shooters" is as big an advantage as stated. We will have one significant new shooter in Azzi and SC will have numerous strong frosh and now Cardoso. Likely will come down to coaching and Geno's ability to get Paige, Azzi and team their shots while Dawn will want to pound it inside and get offensive rebounds. We will likely have to be good from the outside since I doubt too many Huskies will be able to drive or hit inside shots.

You may favor UCONN but I don't understand why. Olivia is outclassed by both Boston and Cardosa, and Cardosa will get better, fast, under the SC coaching. And she is far too tall for Edwards. Their guards are quick and great shooters.... Azzi has not yet attended a practice. . We have no clue how the incoming class will blend with the current players, or how Geno will use them. If your proclamation is to become true, our new 'Big" ( DeBerry) better be great from moment one. And I mean great. And we didn't see that even with Tina Charles. I think South Carolina has to be the number one team now.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Talk about unfair? From Wilson, to Boston, to Cardoso. They will remain nearly impossible to beat. She is likely to be the best of all. Nightmare.

Agreed that she may become better than Boston, but Wilson is another layer above. They will be difficult to beat in the regular season, but don't appear at this time to have the balance to take on Baylor, Stamford, or UConn. The only nightmare will be dawn trying to figure out how to play defense if they are both on the court at the same time.

 

[hoophuskee]

What happened to all that “Love” that most UConn fans in this group were giving Cardoso when it was rumored she was committing to UConn?!?! How fast opinions change when a recruit does not choose UConn.... ??

Is she being slammed on here?

 

[BostonBay]

Disaster. No way to sugar-coat this. Cardosa would have provided the 1 element that Geno has been missing the last several years without a Title - a Big that provides consistent defense pressure, a rim protector & can score in multiple ways including posting up. You can't coach 6'7" defensive players of the years who can score - and she has 4 years of eligibility to make it worse.

SC was basically a missed lapup at the buzzer to win the Title last year. Now, you add Cardosa & a Top 2 recruiting class to a very talented & physical team that has Boston.

Yes, UConn gets Azzi & some potential shooters coming in. But again, the team is NOT balanced. Too much finesse, perimeter players & not enough Bigs & defensive presence.

SC has to be the Favorite next year.

I wonder if Dorka had anything to do w/Cordosa's decision?? In any event, the "Portal" rules may have just sunk Geno. I'm afraid it could be more FFs but no Titles for UConn for years to come.

 

[UConnCat]

Is she being slammed on here?

Of course not.

 

[HuskylnSC]

SC has elite scorers and elite defenders. Shooting goes and come but Henderson and Cooke both shot close to 40% from the 3 last year. It will be a task for teams to get to 50 points against SC. We can literally go at least 10 deep with no significant drop off.

You apparently are considering the conference and OOC schedule. Yes SCAR will have little difficulty this year with the SEC. But if you consider playing Baylor, Stamford, and UConn, SCAR at this point doesn't have the balance to win those games.

 

[UConnCat]

Disaster. No way to sugar-coat this. Cardosa would have provided the 1 element that Geno has been missing the last several years without a Title - a Big that provides consistent defense pressure, a rim protector & can score in multiple ways including posting up. You can't coach 6'7" defensive players of the years who can score - and she has 4 years of eligibility to make it worse.

SC was basically a missed lapup at the buzzer to win the Title last year. Now, you add Cardosa & a Top 2 recruiting class to a very talented & physical team that has Boston.

Yes, UConn gets Azzi & some potential shooters coming in. But again, the team is NOT balanced. Too much finesse, perimeter players & not enough Bigs & defensive presence.

SC has to be the Favorite next year.

I wonder if Dorka had anything to do w/Cordosa's decision?? In any event, the "Portal" rules may have just sunk Geno. I'm afraid it could be more FFs but no Titles for UConn for years to come.

Doomed.

 

[CocoHusky]

Disaster. No way to sugar-coat this. Cardosa would have provided the 1 element that Geno has been missing the last several years without a Title - a Big that provides consistent defense pressure, a rim protector & can score in multiple ways including posting up. You can't coach 6'7" defensive players of the years who can score - and she has 4 years of eligibility to make it worse.

SC was basically a missed lapup at the buzzer to win the Title last year. Now, you add Cardosa & a Top 2 recruiting class to a very talented & physical team that has Boston.

Yes, UConn gets Azzi & some potential shooters coming in. But again, the team is NOT balanced. Too much finesse, perimeter players & not enough Bigs & defensive presence.

SC has to be the Favorite next year.

I wonder if Dorka had anything to do w/Cordosa's decision?? In any event, the "Portal" rules may have just sunk Geno. I'm afraid it could be more FFs but no Titles for UConn for years to come.

Disaster is a mite too strong for me. Clarification questions:
1) How do you figure the portal rules sunk Geno when the rules are the same for everyone?
2) Are you thinking Cardoso is a generational talent also?

 

[UConnCat]

Some fans here act like a bunch of babies.

Oh no. How can we possibly compete? What are we gonna do?

 

[hoophuskee]

You may favor UCONN but I don't understand why.

Because you are potentially overrating their size impact vs the UCONN guard impact. Paige Buckers badly outplayed the SC guards. So why are you discounting that? Secondly, you are discounting Azzi but what were your thoughts on Paige before she came?

The point is imo you are assuming the worst outcome for UCONN and building up the best outcome for SC.

What if Azzi lives up to the hype? Would your thought process change then?

 

[triaddukefan]

Agreed that she may become better than Boston, but Wilson is another layer above. They will be difficult to beat in the regular season, but don't appear at this time to have the balance to take on Baylor, Stamford, or UConn. The only nightmare will be dawn trying to figure out how to play defense if they are both on the court at the same time.

I'd favor SC over Baylor.

 

[HuskylnSC]

Disaster. No way to sugar-coat this. Cardosa would have provided the 1 element that Geno has been missing the last several years without a Title - a Big that provides consistent defense pressure, a rim protector & can score in multiple ways including posting up. You can't coach 6'7" defensive players of the years who can score - and she has 4 years of eligibility to make it worse.

SC was basically a missed lapup at the buzzer to win the Title last year. Now, you add Cardosa & a Top 2 recruiting class to a very talented & physical team that has Boston.

Yes, UConn gets Azzi & some potential shooters coming in. But again, the team is NOT balanced. Too much finesse, perimeter players & not enough Bigs & defensive presence.

SC has to be the Favorite next year.

I wonder if Dorka had anything to do w/Cordosa's decision?? In any event, the "Portal" rules may have just sunk Geno. I'm afraid it could be more FFs but no Titles for UConn for years to come.

Really a myopic view. think for one second what was the weakness of SCAR last year? Have they done enough to improve that area? SCAR doesn't need to improve it's post play now do they? Now SCAR added a 6'7" freshman of the ACC and co DPOY for the ACC to a very strong post lineup. UConn added a 6'4" All Big 10 forward who shot 39.6% from 3 in 2019-2020 while averaging almost a double double for the season and added the top ranked post in the freshman class. You are clearly right, Geno needed to help his post presence and he did. Dawn added more to a powerful post presence. Who is better off?

 

[HuskylnSC]

I'd favor SC over Baylor.

by a little

 

[hoophuskee]

Of course not.

I didn't think so.

 

[JonathanXIV]

UCONN has not always beaten South Carolina. The last game was an OT which UCONN won. The game prior to that was a loss for UCONN in which UCONN was dominated. Here is a fun fact that might throw a fly into the ointment of your strategy of UCONN outshooting SC. The South Carolina backcourt Of Cooke and Henderson are actually terrific 3Pt shooters. Last year Cooke was 39.3% and Henderson was 41.4 %. Obviously neither of them are at Paige's level but Cooke and Henderson would have been solid #2 and 3 on UCONN by a significant margin.

You're right. South Carolina has beaten UConn. Once.

 

[jaundicedeye]

A question mark which many are quickly pointing to with SC getting Cardoso is can she and Boston play together effectively. The short answer is she doesn't have to. Even without Cardoso SC lead the nation last year in blocked shots and was third in rebounding margin. Cardoso is an elite shot blocker and rebounder and then you can throw Rivers into the mix who has all the tools to be an elite perimeter defender.
UCONN on the other hand has a question mark (for 4 years running now) size, bulk, and skill in the post and the ability to get easy baskets. I just don't think UCONN is bringing enough "elite shooters" to offset the defensive advantages that SC now has.

IMO Azzi, Paige, Caroline, Saylor, etc. fit the bill as "enough elite shooters" and they are smart and can all pass. That should open up any post-centric defense. We will score with the best of them.

 

[triaddukefan]

by a little

Not even sure who the Baylor coach will be... or possible transfers out.

 

[PacoSwede]

As much as I enjoy the WNBA I care much more about UConn and really couldn’t care about them playing against them to develop skills for the WNBA I care about UConn winning a national championship and this transfer just makes it exponentially more difficult.

no

 

[JonathanXIV]

Disaster is a mite too strong for me. Clarification questions:
1) How do you figure the portal rules sunk Geno when the rules are the same for everyone?
2) Are you thinking Cardoso is a generational talent also?

Only now that Cardoso is on SC. UConn not allowed to have generational players.

 

[Teacherdeb]

Anyone recall playing SC when they had A’Ja Wilson and Alaina Coates? Pretty good bigs, yes? Did they win?

 

[fireford]

by a little

A lot of who would be favored between Baylor and SC (and just about any national power Baylor plays next season) will have to do with who is coaching Baylor next season which (probably already is) a topic for another thread.

 

[jaundicedeye]

Cardoso lumbering? Watch the game against Syracuse. She was the fastest post on the court typically out running both Liv and AE. Her problem was conditioning, not athleticism.

Sorry, she certainly moves very well but no way she out-runs AE.

 

[JordyG]

SCAR improving their post play is carrying coals to Newcastle. I heard these same comments last year when I explained that SCAR had lost 30% of their scoring and 40% of their assists. Until they significantly improve their guard play they will still be very good but not as good as the #1 banner team. Unless Johnson provides the solution to their glaring hole at guard or Henderson becomes Ty Harris, what you saw last year is what you will see this year. Please note that I am only speaking about the guard play, they still have to make 3's.

Anyone that has watch Raven play knows that she is exactly what SCar needed in the back court. The minute she takes the court for Dawn she'll be the best passer on the team and the most consistent shooter. Although her size is a disadvantage her speed and savvy make up for it. Now, I've said that Feagin and Rivers are more of the same: Highly athletic and poor shooters and passers. But Johnson is the real deal and is a difference maker.

 

[CocoHusky]

You're right. South Carolina has beaten UConn. Once.

Once is not the same as never as was stated.

 

[JordyG]

Sorry, she certainly moves very well but no way she out-runs AE.

Every day and twice on Sunday's. Just watch her from last year.