South Carolina Schedule

[Bayareahusky]

I think I must have been brain dead......... I never before noticed South Carolina's schedule...... tuff games include Tennessee...... very late in the season...... and us on Feb 9th...... and that is it!!!! No I do not consider Kentucky extremely difficult......

Any thoughts on how this schedule will help/hinder USC come tournament time...... For my money..... they should have challenged themselves a little bit more...... I remember in recent memory a couple of months back that 51-50 struggle with the Dookies they should have lost.

 

[EricLA]

With regards to Kentucky, don't tell that to Matthew Mitchell. He considers them a legit top team this year.

Much has been made of SC's schedule, especially last year - they backed into a 1 seed in the NCAA's because they hardly lost any games, and then went out and lost in the sweet 16. Borderline top 10-15 team, not a top 4 team. Lots said this year that they would mount a serious challenge to UCONN because they brought everyone back...

But some of us said - "wait - crap schedule last year and similar this year". Not only will they not be challenged, but their record will be inflated because of the easy schedule. AND they had some less than impressive victories over teams not that good this year. I believe SC loses to UCONN by at least 20 and the argument that they are a legit NC contender will be put to bed.

As for challenging themselves, they will probably argue that they have been challenged. Kentucky gave them a good game but I tend to agree that Kentucky is a border line top 15 team. There is big drop off after UCONN, then after a few other top teams. A team that is outside the top 10-15 wont be challenging for anything the last weekend of the year...

 

[Vowelguy]

The SEC may be the strongest conference this year. Combine that with a non-conf which includes UConn and Duke and you've got a pretty good sked.

If ranks hold, SC will play 7 teams in the Massey top 25. Same as UConn.
Sagarin top 25: SC = 8, UConn = 7
RPI top 25: SC = 5, UConn = 5

 

[DobbsRover2]

Being ranked #1 with the #50 SOS schedule speaks for itself.

USCar clawed out the win at Duke with the help of some unsightly Blue Devil play, and their toughest other games in conference such as with UTenn are at home. They have UConn of course on the road, and then there's the game just before that at Georgia and a March 1 game at KY that might be tough.

But their final SOS should be not far behind UConn's, so the real question is how they will play carrying that over to the tournament. Might work for them better than last year with a puffier slate back then.

 

[Bgillon]

The SEC may be the strongest conference this year. Combine that with a non-conf which includes UConn and Duke and you've got a pretty good sked.

If ranks hold, SC will play 7 teams in the Massey top 25. Same as UConn.
Sagarin top 25: SC = 8, UConn = 7
RPI top 25: SC = 5, UConn = 5

I think some people make too much out of other teams "weak" schedule. Our schedule given the AAC, is not like we have to run a gauntlet.

 

[Frodo]

With regards to Kentucky, don't tell that to Matthew Mitchell. He considers them a legit top team this year.

Kentucky is grossly overrated...AGAIN...as they have been almost every year for the last 5. I think it's hilarious when SEC announcers get onto their '40 minutes of dread' nonsense. There's a reason that UConn has hammered them a couple of times in the last few years. They can't shoot, haven't had a legit big time rebounder in forever and their dreaded defense isn't any better than a lot of teams...but they do have one thing a lot of teams don't have...a slogan.

 

[Vowelguy]

If you compare a team only to how it fared against UConn, you're going to include that pretty much every team sucks.
Kentucky has beaten Louisville and Baylor. That's not too shabby.

 

[Hoopz]

If you compare a team only to how it fared against UConn, you're going to include that pretty much every team sucks.
Kentucky has beaten Louisville and Baylor. That's not too shabby.

Well said. Kentucky has the #3 RPI & #4 SOS. Yep, not too shabby.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

With regards to Kentucky, don't tell that to Matthew Mitchell. He considers them a legit top team this year.

Much has been made of SC's schedule, especially last year - they backed into a 1 seed in the NCAA's because they hardly lost any games, and then went out and lost in the sweet 16. Borderline top 10-15 team, not a top 4 team. Lots said this year that they would mount a serious challenge to UCONN because they brought everyone back...

But some of us said - "wait - crap schedule last year and similar this year". Not only will they not be challenged, but their record will be inflated because of the easy schedule. AND they had some less than impressive victories over teams not that good this year. I believe SC loses to UCONN by at least 20 and the argument that they are a legit NC contender will be put to bed.

As for challenging themselves, they will probably argue that they have been challenged. Kentucky gave them a good game but I tend to agree that Kentucky is a border line top 15 team. There is big drop off after UCONN, then after a few other top teams. A team that is outside the top 10-15 wont be challenging for anything the last weekend of the year...

Very Good Summary. Still, even a blind squirrel...then there is that damn, still unexplainable to me, Stanford game telling me "those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones." We just might wake up February 10 and say: O'kay, pass me my slice of humble pie.

Public Service Announcement: This post is my contribution to the mojo buffering exercise that I usually rely on Icebear to provide, but he has pretty much been keeping true to his sabbatical.

 

[HuskiesU]

A strong and weak scheduling is who you play outside of your confrence. You get to pick teams you want to play. No matter what teams have to play the other teams in their confrence anyway. Ok the best team USC played out of there league was Duke which they beat by 1 and Syracuse by 4 USo. Cal by 9.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Well said. Kentucky has the #3 RPI & #4 SOS. Yep, not too shabby.

Only if you're using brain-dead RPI, which has UConn at #4 RPI and #35 SOS. Does that work for you? UConn with the #35 SOS? Laughable, but whatever.

Unlike many of the SEC teams that play abysmal OOC SOS and then try to claim to be the best conference even as their now 7 year Tournament futility run keeps getting extended, KY has always challenged itself in the early schedule. Mitchell is certainly no dummy, and he knows it doesn't really do his team much good to have his team practicing its "40 minutes of dread" on the truly dreadful.

 

[HuskiesU]

The SEC may be the strongest conference this year. Combine that with a non-conf which includes UConn and Duke and you've got a pretty good sked.

If ranks hold, SC will play 7 teams in the Massey top 25. Same as UConn.
Sagarin top 25: SC = 8, UConn = 7
RPI top 25: SC = 5, UConn = 5

I think the ACC is still the best confrence with SEC Big Ten Big 12 being second. UConn is in a weak conference but it means nothing because we beating elite teams by at least 20 points

 

[Frodo]

If you compare a team only to how it fared against UConn, you're going to include that pretty much every team sucks.
Kentucky has beaten Louisville and Baylor. That's not too shabby.

They also lost to Illinois, beat a hapless Oklahoma team in OT, beat USF by four, and got thumped by a Duke team that has no guards. That's shabby.

Well said. Kentucky has the #3 RPI & #4 SOS. Yep, not too shabby.

I watched both Kentucky-Louisville and Kentucky-Baylor. Both games were pretty dreadful. In the Kentucky-Louisville game neither team could have made a shot if they cleared the floor...and the two teams had nearly 50 turnovers combined and somewhere around 15-16 assists. Kentucky-Baylor was similar...lots of turnovers, few assists, and poor shooting. I think that of the three, Baylor probably has the biggest upside come tournament time and will go the furthest in the tournament.

I wouldn't rely too much on RPI....they have Arizona State at #4, Dayton at #15 and assorted other nonsense. Sagarin has them at 20, which is certainly a more accurate assessment of the team. And even the RPI has them finishing at 20-9 with additional losses to Missouri, the Vanderbilt team that UConn snuffed by 40, Tennessee, Mississippi (holy crap, Mississippi!!!), Arkansas (another holy crap) and South Carolina.

 

[DobbsRover2]

I wouldn't rely too much on RPI....they have Arizona State at #4, Dayton at #15 and assorted other nonsense. Sagarin has them at 20, which is certainly a more accurate assessment of the team. And even the RPI has them finishing at 20-9 with additional losses to Missouri, the Vanderbilt team that UConn snuffed by 40, Tennessee, Mississippi (holy crap, Mississippi!!!), Arkansas (another holy crap) and South Carolina.

But RPI also has UConn losing at USF, and also to USCar even though UConn is currently rated ahead of the Gamecocks. That shows you how mindlessly effed up RPI is, although there are some who worship it on the BY, and as usual they will cite it endlessly in their posts in the next few months. Even now a Baylor team whose top opponent has been that ehhh KY team that they lost to has a higher SOS in the RPI ratings, though Sagarin has it at 11th SOS for UConn to Baylor's 48th, and Massey still has UConn #1 SOS and Baylor at #20.

But yes, the RPI snake oil salesmen are out peddling their wares again.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Kentucky has a very good team - if winning at Louisville and trouncing Baylor doesn't qualify as quality wins, I don't know what does. They are also loaded with McDonald's All-Americans. As much as I hate his whining ways, Matthew Mitchell is a good coach. Duke may not be a top 5 team, but the Gamecocks played them in Durham. Other than Stanford and Notre Dame, what top teams will UCONN have played at their place by the end of the season?

 

[Fiftyish]

Kentucky has a very good team - if winning at Louisville and trouncing Baylor doesn't qualify as quality wins, I don't know what does. They are also loaded with McDonald's All-Americans. As much as I hate his whining ways, Matthew Mitchell is a good coach. Duke may not be a top 5 team, but the Gamecocks played them in Durham. Other than Stanford and Notre Dame, what top teams will UCONN have played at their place by the end of the season?

Top teams?? Uhh....that would be none.

 

[Bayareahusky]

The SEC may be the strongest conference this year. Combine that with a non-conf which includes UConn and Duke and you've got a pretty good sked.

If ranks hold, SC will play 7 teams in the Massey top 25. Same as UConn.
Sagarin top 25: SC = 8, UConn = 7
RPI top 25: SC = 5, UConn = 5

Vowelguy...... SEC strongest, really? Maybe so..... but I just cannot give them credit..... cause after USC and Tenn, who do they have? People on this thread seem to defend KY (and best wishes to Johnson? and her ankle...... and a healthy recovery) and Georgia is up there in the rankings...... I would agree with you if you go only 2 deep....... USC and Tenn are good no doubt...... but in my opinion, the depth doesn't extend past that.....

Will be glad when WCBB improves in depth overall to the point where the Top 20 really means the Top 20 and 20 has a legitimate shot to knock off #1

 

[Bayareahusky]

Only if you're using brain-dead RPI, which has UConn at #4 RPI and #35 SOS. Does that work for you? UConn with the #35 SOS? Laughable, but whatever.

Unlike many of the SEC teams that play abysmal OOC SOS and then try to claim to be the best conference even as their now 7 year Tournament futility run keeps getting extended, KY has always challenged itself in the early schedule. Mitchell is certainly no dummy, and he knows it doesn't really do his team much good to have his team practicing its "40 minutes of dread" on the truly dreadful.

DobbsRover..... Now wait just a minute..... one of my grad degrees is from RPI...... so you cannot use the terms "brain dead" and "RPI" in the same phrase

 

[Frodo]

Kentucky has a very good team - if winning at Louisville and trouncing Baylor doesn't qualify as quality wins, I don't know what does. They are also loaded with McDonald's All-Americans. As much as I hate his whining ways, Matthew Mitchell is a good coach. Duke may not be a top 5 team, but the Gamecocks played them in Durham. Other than Stanford and Notre Dame, what top teams will UCONN have played at their place by the end of the season?

Obviously, everything depends upon the draw, but I don't know if that 'very good team' can get past the 2nd round of tournament...we'll just have to agree to disagree for now, but I think I'm right..we'll see. I do have to call b.s. On the 'trouncing Baylor' though. Kentucky trailed by as many as 14 in the 2nd half, didn't tie the game until midway through the half and only won by 10...not a trouncing by any definition I know.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Kentucky has a very good team - if winning at Louisville and trouncing Baylor doesn't qualify as quality wins, I don't know what does. They are also loaded with McDonald's All-Americans. As much as I hate his whining ways, Matthew Mitchell is a good coach. Duke may not be a top 5 team, but the Gamecocks played them in Durham. Other than Stanford and Notre Dame, what top teams will UCONN have played at their place by the end of the season?

KY is indeed a wild team, capable of beating just about any team with poor guard play and a non-deep team. They can lose a couple of times to USCar and then knock them out of the SECT. They can put a four-year lockdown on Louisville even in a year that the Cardinals are in a NC game. They can beat decent teams like Baylor and Louisville and also spend too much time on the beach before a loss against less impressive Illinois. Always a team to guard your back against. And unlike all those SEC teams that played horrible OOC schedules like 7 teams whose SOS is still somewhere between #129 and #242 (ouch, ouch), KY does seek out a few teams that have a pulse in the OOC.

Now as to your question about who UConn will play on the road, I'm curious as to why an SEC fan would try to ignore USF while he's pumping up the prowess of KY? USF is rated at #19 in Sagarin ahead of KY, and it is rated ahead of 11 of the 14 SEC teams, plus one of the three ahead of it is that MS State team with the joke of a #192 SOS (ouch again). Is it just because it's an AAC team? Although the Bulls lost to KY by 4, they did manage to beat that Illinois team, plus the Chattanooga team that beat that SEC powerhouse UTenn.

So you can leave USF off the list, but maybe also play taps for the SEC.

 

[DobbsRover2]

DobbsRover..... Now wait just a minute..... one of my grad degrees is from RPI. so you cannot use the terms "brain dead" and "RPI" in the same phrase

RPI does have a minor in "Origins of Life" studies, so if your degree was in that, maybe you could help resuscitate the brain-dead RPI system, though I think it's kind of like trying to make Frankenstein's monster into Frank Lloyd Wright.

 

[EasyEd]

I remember the old days when some Orange team used to assert that our weak strength-of-schedule would doom us. As long as you have "enough" challenges, I don't think your SOS is that critical. It's what you learn from the challenges you do have. Geno makes the most of every opponent based on the standard he holds the team to. I've seen him unhappy with games that we have won by 30, and I think the team realizes that, too. The question is if Staley can generate the same learning experience for her team that Geno does.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Kentucky is overrated. Every year. When they talk about the 40 minutes of dread, what they are really referring to is the 40 minutes it takes them after the game to shower, get dressed, and load up on the bus. Another vaunted SEC opponent that UConn regularly beats like a rented mule. SEC, ACC, SMU, Tulsa... is there really any difference at this point?

 

[Bayareahusky]

RPI does have a minor in "Origins of Life" studies, so if your degree was in that, maybe you could help resuscitate the brain-dead RPI system, though I think it's kind of like trying to make Frankenstein's monster into Frank Lloyd Wright.

Oh , ouch, that smarts...... you are tuffer than a $3 steak!!! Hah! A good laugh thank you.....

On a USC tangent ...... a big question I have from here to April is how well Aja Wilson is going to develop.... I suspect quite well.... and also Turner from Notre Dame..... these 2 ladies are potential game changers..... of course we have some of our own.

 

[Striper69]

Oh , ouch, that smarts. you are tuffer than a $3 steak!!! Hah! A good laugh thank you.....

On a USC tangent . a big question I have from here to April is how well Aja Wilson is going to develop.... I suspect quite well.... and also Turner from Notre Dame..... these 2 ladies are potential game changers..... of course we have some of our own.

If Reimer comes back with renewed vigor then ND could be a force in the NCAA's. Turner looks like she's coming along pretty good. If Mabler(?) starts hitting the outside shots then...