2023-24 South Carolina regular season, Part 2 | Page 2 | The Boneyard

2023-24 South Carolina regular season, Part 2

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Whats wrong with Fulwileys Jumper? Anybody know? She is god awful from 3 now. I know the coaches have worked with her setting her feet.
 
Creature said:
Whats wrong with Fulwileys Jumper? Anybody know? She is god awful from 3 now. I know the coaches have worked with her setting her feet.
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I have a feeling there is some doubt creeping into her mind that is causing some confidence issues and putting her through a shooting funk similar to what Zia would go through. Missouri wasn't guarding her on the perimeter and daring her to shoot the three ball, so I think it's compounding the issue because she cannot drive for layups and get that confidence back.

I find it interesting that players that started the season off hot are cooling off and those that started slow are starting to perform at a high level. I would argue that Cardoso, Fulwiley and R. Johnson had fantastic starts but now are struggling. And Watkins, T. Johnson, Hall, and Feagin are starting to elevate their game. Kitts' performance has been a rollercoaster where we don't know what we're getting from week to week. Only Paopao has been relatively consistent through it all.
 
Over the last 6 games including Missouri, Bree Hall has shot 31-45 (.689) from the field, and 16-23 (.696) from behind the arc. The only downside is that she's also shot 6-12 (.500) from the charity stripe, after shooting 9-11 (.818) there prior. But Bree is averaging 14.0 ppg over the last 6 games. Another offensive force developing her game.....and a great perimeter option to develop alongside Paopao, who is currently the nation's top 3-pt. FG shooter at .552% coming into the Missouri game, now shooting .563. Hall is now shooting .500 from the arc with her torrid run.......
 
Another thought transfer portal- Jersey Wolfbarger formerly of Arkansas. 6ft5 F/G and former MCDAA . Would you kick the tires on her? She is a unicorn at that size with guard skills.
 
Creature said:
Another thought transfer portal- Jersey Wolfbarger formerly of Arkansas. 6ft5 F/G and former MCDAA . Would you kick the tires on her? She is a unicorn at that size with guard skills.
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No. She won’t bang. Wants to hang around outside the paint shooting jump shot. She doesn’t want to play post
 
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With SC at 15-0 and most teams playing ~30 games in the regular season, seems like a good time for a midseason assessment of the team. Won’t do everyone but a rundown on the key pieces:

Cardoso: I think most SC fans would like to see more dominance from her but she’s done well, especially defensively. This team has turned out to be more balanced than expected which has reduced her role and I’m not sure if she’s truly our go-to player. She doesn’t show great touch around the basket compared to Betts or other premier centers but she’s still an agile force on the floor. She remains capable of taking over games when needed.

Johnson: Has cooled off since a hot start but continues to show tremendous improvement from a season ago. To raise your shooting percentage 15 points is remarkable. I’m not a big fan of Clark in large part due to the whole waving-off incident but it may have been the best thing to happen to Raven. She seems to have settled in more as a shooting guard than a true point but it’s working nonetheless. Has been an excellent defender; wonder if she draws the Bueckers assignment in a few weeks. She’s doing very well overall. She’s learning.

PaoPao: SC’s record and season looks at least moderately different without her. That deadeye shot is dependable night in and night out. Brings terrific PG skills and leadership to the table as well. She’s the real deal and it’s lovely to see her having by far her best collegiate season yet with a change of scenery — far from guaranteed in the transfer era.

Hall: What a turnaround between the first two quarters of the season. She’s blossomed into a go-to leader and her shot has been dead-on as of late, now over 50% for the season. I think she’s the x-factor and can be the difference between a title and not. Love her defensive commitment as well.

Kitts: Has earned the starting 4-spot. She’s inconsistent but I’m not sure you can ask a freshman (by game experience) to do much more than she has. Her rebounding production has been a huge boost and she brings something to the frontcourt SC hasn’t had in a few seasons.

Watkins: I think she’s going to be a first-round draft pick in 2026. Elite athleticism, exceptional defensive skills, and a growing offensive game. She’s another x-factor for this team. SC needs her to continue growing and improving to reach its goals.

Fulwiley: Has also cooled after a blazing opener although she just seems like the type of player who is going to wake up by March. She’s more a scorer than a shooter and that’s not a problem given SC’s other three primary guards. She brings a dynamism that other teams have to prepare for and it creates opportunities for others. She’s valuable even when she’s not playing well.

OVERALL: Jury’s still out on how far this young team can go but they certainly have the potential to win it all. A lot of the bigger early-season wins have been devalued as the season has gone on but metrics love this team on both sides of the ball. As an SC fan it’s just nice to enjoy the ride. Nobody had this squad at #1 (for good reason) and regardless of what happens from here they’ve now spent half the season there. Dawn has to be above or even with Cori as the frontrunner for COY at this point.
 
GoChips20 said:
To go from losing a second straight national title because of an inability to hit threes to the best three-point shooting team in the nation is so, so Dawn Staley.
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Might want to check the math on "second straight"
 
GoChips20 said:
With SC at 15-0 and most teams playing ~30 games in the regular season, seems like a good time for a midseason assessment of the team. Won’t do everyone but a rundown on the key pieces:

Cardoso: I think most SC fans would like to see more dominance from her but she’s done well, especially defensively. This team has turned out to be more balanced than expected which has reduced her role and I’m not sure if she’s truly our go-to player. She doesn’t show great touch around the basket compared to Betts or other premier centers but she’s still an agile force on the floor. She remains capable of taking over games when needed.

Johnson: Has cooled off since a hot start but continues to show tremendous improvement from a season ago. To raise your shooting percentage 15 points is remarkable. I’m not a big fan of Clark in large part due to the whole waving-off incident but it may have been the best thing to happen to Raven. She seems to have settled in more as a shooting guard than a true point but it’s working nonetheless. Has been an excellent defender; wonder if she draws the Bueckers assignment in a few weeks. She’s doing very well overall. She’s learning.

PaoPao: SC’s record and season looks at least moderately different without her. That deadeye shot is dependable night in and night out. Brings terrific PG skills and leadership to the table as well. She’s the real deal and it’s lovely to see her having by far her best collegiate season yet with a change of scenery — far from guaranteed in the transfer era.

Hall: What a turnaround between the first two quarters of the season. She’s blossomed into a go-to leader and her shot has been dead-on as of late, now over 50% for the season. I think she’s the x-factor and can be the difference between a title and not. Love her defensive commitment as well.

Kitts: Has earned the starting 4-spot. She’s inconsistent but I’m not sure you can ask a freshman (by game experience) to do much more than she has. Her rebounding production has been a huge boost and she brings something to the frontcourt SC hasn’t had in a few seasons.

Watkins: I think she’s going to be a first-round draft pick in 2026. Elite athleticism, exceptional defensive skills, and a growing offensive game. She’s another x-factor for this team. SC needs her to continue growing and improving to reach its goals.

Fulwiley: Has also cooled after a blazing opener although she just seems like the type of player who is going to wake up by March. She’s more a scorer than a shooter and that’s not a problem given SC’s other three primary guards. She brings a dynamism that other teams have to prepare for and it creates opportunities for others. She’s valuable even when she’s not playing well.

OVERALL: Jury’s still out on how far this young team can go but they certainly have the potential to win it all. A lot of the bigger early-season wins have been devalued as the season has gone on but metrics love this team on both sides of the ball. As an SC fan it’s just nice to enjoy the ride. Nobody had this squad at #1 (for good reason) and regardless of what happens from here they’ve now spent half the season there. Dawn has to be above or even with Cori as the frontrunner for COY at this point.
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If I were coach, I would put a heavy dose of Watkins on Bueckers if UConn goes with a four guard lineup. Watkins would probably move to AE and Hall to Bueckers if Ice Brady and AE are on the floor at the same time. I would think that Raven's main assignment would be one of the other guards...Muhl, Arnold, or Shade. My bet would be Muhl.
 
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GamecockFam said:
If I were coach, I would put a heavy dose of Watkins on Bueckers if UConn goes with a four guard lineup. Watkins would probably move to AE and Hall to Bueckers if Ice Brady and AE are on the floor at the same time. I would think that Raven's main assignment would be one of the other guards...Muhl, Arnold, or Shade. My bet would be Muhl.
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I was thinking starting Watkins or Feagin alongside Kitts and let Hall matchup with Bueckers from tip and play Kitts on Shade. That puts Paopao on Arnold, Raven on Muhl, and either Ashlyn or Sania on Edwards. I’d rather have Watkins protect the paint and give Edwards fits than Bueckers. Paige is elite and I don’t want any or our bigs on her. Hall has some experience to an extent of guarding her, and I think both Johnson’s will take a turn defending her as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jah either especially for defense and a spark off the bench.
 
SCspur said:
I was thinking starting Watkins or Feagin alongside Kitts and let Hall matchup with Bueckers from tip and play Kitts on Shade. That puts Paopao on Arnold, Raven on Muhl, and either Ashlyn or Sania on Edwards. I’d rather have Watkins protect the paint and give Edwards fits than Bueckers. Paige is elite and I don’t want any or our bigs on her. Hall has some experience to an extent of guarding her, and I think both Johnson’s will take a turn defending her as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jah either especially for defense and a spark off the bench.
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If I were South Carolina I’d put Kitts on Nika, Johnson on KK, PaoPao on Shade and Hall on Paige. That minimizes the mist matches on defense as much as possible imo.
 
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hoopsnloops32 said:
If I were South Carolina I’d put Kitts on Nika, Johnson on KK, PaoPao on Shade and Hall on Paige. That minimizes the mist matches on defense as much as possible imo.
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Agreed. Hall on Paige. Bree has the most experience, the most practiced defensive skills and, except for Watkins, the most athletic ability .
 
JDuro said:
Dawn was visibly unhappy on the bench for quite a bit of the game last night and there were instances she let some players know it, Raven in particular. I haven’t watched the broadcast yet so IDK how much of that made it through. GCC article said usually post game pressers usually happen 20-25 minutes after but it was 45 minutes before Dawn showed up for yesterday’s.

Pretty interesting write up which I believe is accessible for non members. Apologies if not:

www.on3.com

South Carolina women's basketball: Why Dawn Staley called Sunday's win "disheartening"

#1 South Carolina is 14-0 and has won its two SEC games by an average of 21 points, but Dawn Staley is ticked off.
www.on3.com www.on3.com
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Enjoyed that article, but there’s a reason at Missouri has been tough - they’re a big ten team playing in the SEC and, at home, they often get a big ten whistle. Every flop and flail is rewarded, while the big, mean “athletic” girls are punished for standing too close to a shooter. Dr. Jill would love it.
 
Creature said:
Coach Staley Postgame Presser. She was not happy with what i considered a well played game by our girls yesterday. What does she mean by- undisciplined play?

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Against MSU? Worst game we've played this season.
 
visitingcock said:
I think she is being very loose with the phrase "gametime decision." Those games aren't a 30 minute flight away. If she goes, I would think she would go for all the games, thus leave on the 7th or so.

It may come down to how we fare against LSU. Win at Baton Rouge and Cardoso goes. Loss, and she stays to play UConn.One or two losses is no big deal, but lose both of those and we will need to win out, including the SEC tournament., for a 1-seed
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While Kamilla is important to us, Ashlyn and Sania are playing much better and we will likely play at hyper speed if KC doesn't play. I think we're ok, either way.
 
cockhrnleghrn said:
Against MSU? Worst game we've played this season.
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cockhrnleghrn said:
While Kamilla is important to us, Ashlyn and Sania are playing much better and we will likely play at hyper speed if KC doesn't play. I think we're ok, either way.
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Cordoso would be a matchup nightmare for UConn, but Watkins is probably much better suited to the pace of that game.
 
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SCspur said:
I was thinking starting Watkins or Feagin alongside Kitts and let Hall matchup with Bueckers from tip and play Kitts on Shade. That puts Paopao on Arnold, Raven on Muhl, and either Ashlyn or Sania on Edwards. I’d rather have Watkins protect the paint and give Edwards fits than Bueckers. Paige is elite and I don’t want any or our bigs on her. Hall has some experience to an extent of guarding her, and I think both Johnson’s will take a turn defending her as well. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Jah either especially for defense and a spark off the bench.
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Putting Kitts on a UConn guard is a big recipe for disaster. IMO she doesn't have the reaction speed to defend the backdoor cut from the wing. I agree that Watkins would be the better option to defend Edwards but we gotta pick our poison and I would rather spend efforts forcing Paige into taking difficult shots. Edwards is also a good shooter so more than likely Geno will position her around the perimeter to pull her defender away from the basket and prevent Watkins' ability to block shots on the help side. Watkins is our best defender and is the only big that can reliably guard 1-5 -- Dawn even said it in a recent interview. Since Bueckers is occupying the role of point forward in a four guard lineup, Watkins is probably the best candidate with Hall as a close second.
 
GamecockFam said:
Putting Kitts on a UConn guard is a big recipe for disaster. IMO she doesn't have the reaction speed to defend the backdoor cut from the wing. I agree that Watkins would be the better option to defend Edwards but we gotta pick our poison and I would rather spend efforts forcing Paige into taking difficult shots. Edwards is also a good shooter so more than likely Geno will position her around the perimeter to pull her defender away from the basket and prevent Watkins' ability to block shots on the help side. Watkins is our best defender and is the only big that can reliably guard 1-5 -- Dawn even said it in a recent interview. Since Bueckers is occupying the role of point forward in a four guard lineup, Watkins is probably the best candidate with Hall as a close second.
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I’d imagine Paige would predominantly play point against South Carolina, like she did against Marquette and Creighton. People get far too caught up Paige defending power forwards but she’s playing PG far more than she did earlier in the season. She splits it with KK with Nika occasionally running point when necessary. I’d imagine Watkins would guard Nika. Hall would seem like a better match up for Paige while allowing Johnson to guard KK.

If Cardosa’s not playing I’d imagine Aaliyah and Shade would be go to offensive options with the most favorable match ups in that case.

Regardless UConn won’t be able to defend the size on the other end of the court, so it doesn’t matter.
 
GamecockFam said:
Putting Kitts on a UConn guard is a big recipe for disaster. IMO she doesn't have the reaction speed to defend the backdoor cut from the wing. I agree that Watkins would be the better option to defend Edwards but we gotta pick our poison and I would rather spend efforts forcing Paige into taking difficult shots. Edwards is also a good shooter so more than likely Geno will position her around the perimeter to pull her defender away from the basket and prevent Watkins' ability to block shots on the help side. Watkins is our best defender and is the only big that can reliably guard 1-5 -- Dawn even said it in a recent interview. Since Bueckers is occupying the role of point forward in a four guard lineup, Watkins is probably the best candidate with Hall as a close second.
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IMO that’s the best option. Watkins is a very good and versatile defender but she’s not sticking with Paige. Hall on her and Watkins on Edwards will be key for SC. I even like Tessa coming in and defending Paige some. They played against each other in HS and I don’t think Tessa will back down from that matchup. I know Kitts isn’t the best defender but if she’s in the game she has to guard someone. Shade or Muhl are probably the best options or Dawn will probably use Jah a lot. It wouldn’t surprise me because she’s the perfect proponent in a situation like this. Ability to play big down low and a little on the perimeter both ways. We’ll see how it goes.
 
SCspur said:
IMO that’s the best option. Watkins is a very good and versatile defender but she’s not sticking with Paige. Hall on her and Watkins on Edwards will be key for SC. I even like Tessa coming in and defending Paige some. They played against each other in HS and I don’t think Tessa will back down from that matchup. I know Kitts isn’t the best defender but if she’s in the game she has to guard someone. Shade or Muhl are probably the best options or Dawn will probably use Jah a lot. It wouldn’t surprise me because she’s the perfect proponent in a situation like this. Ability to play big down low and a little on the perimeter both ways. We’ll see how it goes.
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Aren't Tessa and Paige from the same hometown?
 
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As a Kentucky fan I thank you for embarrassing them tonight. I can't take any more of the Elzy Trainwreck so hopefully this is the final nail.
 
One of these opposing coaches playing their starters til the dying moments is going to eventually get bit with a sprained ankle or worse. Nobody cares if you lose by 30 instead of 40 (or 60 instead of 70). Stop putting ego ahead of common sense, get your important players to the bench, and rest up for the next game. It's crazy. Every SEC opponent* has left them in way too long in a game long since lost.

*I missed the Miss State game. Maybe it doesn't apply there
 
SCspur said:
IMO that’s the best option. Watkins is a very good and versatile defender but she’s not sticking with Paige. Hall on her and Watkins on Edwards will be key for SC. I even like Tessa coming in and defending Paige some. They played against each other in HS and I don’t think Tessa will back down from that matchup. I know Kitts isn’t the best defender but if she’s in the game she has to guard someone. Shade or Muhl are probably the best options or Dawn will probably use Jah a lot. It wouldn’t surprise me because she’s the perfect proponent in a situation like this. Ability to play big down low and a little on the perimeter both ways. We’ll see how it goes.
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Jah’s problem is she gets lost on defense. She’s great one on one but if there’s a screen or a cut back she‘s done. If Geno is running 4 guards then Tessa will get a lot of PT. Watkins can guard on the perimeter some. The true thing about this team that sets us apart is the flexibility for matchups. If Kamilla is out that will limit it some but with Feagin playing the way she has it really helps a lot. It’s finally clicked for her.
 
SC rolled big tonight, one of those epic performances that come around only so often, man they look complete. Defense is 100% elite, maybe best in nation. Offense can shoot now, best shooting % team in nation, from 2 and 3! They stroking now fellas!
 
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