2023 SC Gamecocks Basketball, Part II (merged)

[baggerbob]

That's a great question and one I've thought about. I believe Creighton? from last year and maybe UNC were both spread you out, throw it up teams that we played and defeated. Arkansas is one of those teams and I believe SDSU is one also. We play great man defense that is designed to funnel everyone inside and off the 3 pt line. We are going to pressure the ball handler from endline to endline. We have so many players that actually can contribute to our team that we tend to figure out the matchup problems and adjust our lineup to take care of that. A team that goes unconscious from behind the arc is one that could give us trouble, as they would anybody. What I have seen though is that our defense just wears teams down so by the 4th quarter those shots aren't falling. This year we have added a pretty potent offense. We don't shoot a lot of threes but we have been making enough that teams have to respect our shooters and that just opens up the inside for our post players.

We have tweeked some things in our offense over the past couple of weeks and it has opened up some shooters. I really liked how the offense flowed during the tournament and we actually played against Ole Miss and Tennessee who both have pretty good defenses.

A team like Uconn in 2016 with Stewie, Tuck, KLS, Nurse, Jefferson, Collier, and Williams. There isn't anyone like that in college today.

 

[Bone Dog]

No one, at least no sane person, thinks SC isn’t a prohibitive favorite in any matchup this year. But we can imagine how an upset could happen. The position comparisons are really about other teams not about SCar. Does UConn matchup better than Stanford or or Va Tech or Indiana or Iowa? I think the difference is clear: only Stanford matches up nearly as well as we do with SCar.

If Betts could play more than 10 Mins, Brink would have a significant advantage over Saxton or Amihere. Then Dawn would have to play Cardoso next to Boston, which is a formidable configuration. But it would be a slower team, and Jones and Jump and Demetre would be unleashed. Unfortunately, Betts isn’t ready for that level of competition, which means Dawn can keep the quicker team on the floor and choke off Stanford’s backcourt.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

More realistically the matchup is probably going to be Cardoso vs. Edwards (I think that's a draw) since Kamila will get most of the minutes alongside Boston. Saxton likely wont get more than 10 minutes, Cardoso will get the bulk of the minutes.

I think the lineup matches are fun but miss a lot of context and there's still so much unknown. For example, Fudd is back but has been a shell of herself so far. Is she going to return to AA form in 2-3 weeks or is she going to be a B version of herself like Bueckers was for most of last year's postseason (aside from the NC State game)? Same with Ducharme.

Also, Zia Cooke is such a wild card for SC. She could outplay her counterpart, or get massively outplayed like she was last matchup. I think the only way UCONN or anyone else competes with SC is if they catch her on a cold shooting night and can bait her into 12-15 shots. It worked well for UCONN their last match up (she shot 2-15), but her offensive production just varies game by game.

And the bench can't be understated. Even if UCONN has players back, it's big advantage for SC primarily due to coaching style and post depth. Geno has never been one to use more than 6-7 players even with a deeper lineup. Patterson/Deberry aren't going to get a significant minutes unless there's significant foul trouble, where SC has Amihere/Saxton who will get minutes. SC can rest their main posts so they stay fresh without a ton of drop off and they just wear you down. We saw that in the last matchup and we've seen it from SC's opponents all year. I think it's still a pretty clear cut edge to SC overall but UCONN (and several other teams) are capable of pulling off an upset if they play well and have a few other factors go their way.

South Carolina only played 8 players more than four minutes in the last match up. UConn would play 7 if they played again (and everyone remained healthy) both players coming off the bench have potential for explosive offensive performances. I don’t think the bench advantage is as dramatic as before. Azzi Fudd is probably the best sixth man in the country now.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

No one, at least no sane person, thinks SC isn’t a prohibitive favorite in any matchup this year. But we can imagine how an upset could happen. The position comparisons are really about other teams not about SCar. Does UConn matchup better than Stanford or or Va Tech or Indiana or Iowa? I think the difference is clear: only Stanford matches up nearly as well as we do with SCar.

If Betts could play more than 10 Mins, Brink would have a significant advantage over Saxton or Amihere. Then Dawn would have to play Cardoso next to Boston, which is a formidable configuration. But it would be a slower team, and Jones and Jump and Demetre would be unleashed. Unfortunately, Betts isn’t ready for that level of competition, which means Dawn can keep the quicker team on the floor and choke off Stanford’s backcourt.

I think Betts is much improved in the last few weeks. If they were to play South Carolina again I’d imagine she’d get 15-20 minutes. Her, Brink and Fran are their main frontcourt rotation.

She doesn’t match up well with smaller teams with bigs with perimeter shooting kike UCLA or Utah but South Carolina doesn’t have bigs that bring you outside.

 

[sharris25]

South Carolina only played 8 players more than four minutes in the last match up. UConn would play 7 if they played again (and everyone remained healthy) both players coming off the bench have potential for explosive offensive performances. I don’t think the bench advantage is as dramatic as before. Azzi Fudd is probably the best sixth man in the country now.

One of the reasons South Carolina played only eight players was that it was a home game for Uconn. South Carolina will play at least 10 players in any neutral site game as they have done all year long. Their bench is averaging 42 pts a game which is a massively over what Uconn will put out their from their bench. Even with that being said, they wore Uconn down at home and lets be serious, Uconn went foul heavy late in the game and South Carolina missed alot of those free throws to allow that game to get back to four points. Problem is that game seemed to have ignited Cardosa defensively and offensively and the front court problems will be exacerbated if they play again. It will be an interesting game. Also one last thing. Given how Raven Johnson played Muhl head to head on the road, and with Fletcher also to play to keep the point guard postion fresh, in no way is that comparison a push.

 

[bballnut90]

South Carolina only played 8 players more than four minutes in the last match up. UConn would play 7 if they played again (and everyone remained healthy) both players coming off the bench have potential for explosive offensive performances. I don’t think the bench advantage is as dramatic as before. Azzi Fudd is probably the best sixth man in the country now.

Fudd will get starter minutes so I'm not sure I'd characterize her as a bench player when analyzing this matchup, similar to how I wouldn't characterize Cardoso as a bench player since she'll get more minutes than the player who starts.

Even with Ducharme/Fudd back, I still predict Geno plays his core 5 heavy minutes. Historically he runs a tight ship in big games, and I'd expect him to do the same if he matches up with SC again. We've already seen this vs Villanova, where he had 5 players playing 32+ minutes, with Aubrey Griffin's playing time being greatly reduced and Ducharme also playing limited minutes.

Instead of it being one team's bench vs. the other, I think where the bench players come into play is if starters get into foul trouble (which could definitely happen on either side), or if SC's post depth wears out UCONN's bigs like they did last game. SC is more a slow burn team where they gradually wear you out over the course of the game with their size and depth inside, which we saw in the first matchup. I think that could be a difference maker in the game down the stretch.

 

[bballnut90]

One of the reasons South Carolina played only eight players was that it was a home game for Uconn. South Carolina will play at least 10 players in any neutral site game as they have done all year long. Their bench is averaging 42 pts a game which is a massively over what Uconn will put out their from their bench. Even with that being said, they wore Uconn down at home and lets be serious, Uconn went foul heavy late in the game and South Carolina missed alot of those free throws to allow that game to get back to four points. Problem is that game seemed to have ignited Cardosa defensively and offensively and the front court problems will be exacerbated if they play again. It will be an interesting game. Also one last thing. Given how Raven Johnson played Muhl head to head on the road, and with Fletcher also to play to keep the point guard postion fresh, in no way is that comparison a push.

The first statement isn't true. South Carolina in their last game only played 7 vs. Tennessee. Dawn isn't going to roll out a 10-12 player lineup vs. UCONN despite having the depth to do so.


Johnson outplayed Muhl the first time but that was also Johnson's best game of her career. Looking at the rest of the season, Muhl has been a more consistent performer. Their numbers are very similar averaged across 40 minutes per game and are good defenders. Both fill a similar role on their team, though Muhl has no backup while Johnson has Fletcher who does a solid job sharing duties. I'd say it's definitely a wash, or at most a slight lean in either direction.

 

[Bone Dog]

One of the reasons South Carolina played only eight players was that it was a home game for Uconn. South Carolina will play at least 10 players in any neutral site game as they have done all year long. Their bench is averaging 42 pts a game which is a massively over what Uconn will put out their from their bench. Even with that being said, they wore Uconn down at home an

d lets be serious, Uconn went foul heavy late in the game and South Carolina missed alot of those free throws to allow that game to get back to four points. Problem is that game seemed to have ignited Cardosa defensively and offensively and the front court problems will be exacerbated if they play again. It will be an interesting game. Also one last thing. Given how Raven Johnson played Muhl head to head on the road, and with Fletcher also to play to keep the point guard postion fresh, in no way is that comparison a push.

I don't get what being an away game has to do with playing only 8, but whatever. As for the rest, Johnson did play well against Muhl, but not as well as you seem to think. She scored 14 on 4-12 shooting, while Nika scored 11 on 4-6 shooting. So Raven did better than Zia, but that's not exactly shutting Nika down. On the plus side, she got 7 assists and held Nika to 4, though that may have had more to do with the rest of the team's defense. I mean, SCar managed to hold UConn to 52% FG and 33% on 3s while shooting 39% FG and 20% on 3s.

As for going "foul heavy," they had roughly similar fouls numbers. But the fact is Nika and Lou fouled out in the closing minutes. Why? Could it have had something to do with a preposterous missed call on an inbounds play? A crucial possession lost when we were down by 3? Without that, I don't think either one of them has to commit any fouls at that point in the game.

But this is old news. The fact is UConn lost and was overmatched for a couple of key stretches in the game. It was a hard fought win and SCar earned it.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

One of the reasons South Carolina played only eight players was that it was a home game for Uconn. South Carolina will play at least 10 players in any neutral site game as they have done all year long. Their bench is averaging 42 pts a game which is a massively over what Uconn will put out there from their bench. Even with that being said, they wore Uconn down at home and lets be serious, Uconn went foul heavy late in the game and South Carolina missed alot of those free throws to allow that game to get back to four points. Problem is that game seemed to have ignited Cardosa defensively and offensively and the front court problems will be exacerbated if they play again. It will be an interesting game. Also one last thing. Given how Raven Johnson played Muhl head to head on the road, and with Fletcher also to play to keep the point guard postion fresh, in no way is that comparison a push.

Cardosa was a bit of a mess defensively. Edwards scored 26 points , not sure how it would have ignited her defensively?

Between Ducharme and Fudd, while they might not give 42 points combined, expecting around 30ish points combined is unreasonable. That’s not a massive difference imo at least.

Statistically, Nika and Johnson had pretty similar games. With the addition of Fudd to give Nika a breather I’d consider the point guard position a push.

Sounds like you watch a different game than I Did if you saw a worn down UConn team at the end. I remember a technical foul by Geno being the reason South Carolina lead grew to 10 after it being 4-6 most of the second half. And then we all remember the out of bounds hand off. But it’s neither here more there. Unlikely we play again anyways to find out how a healthy UConn would match up against South Carolina.

 

[SCspur]

Anyways in other news…

 

[SCspur]

Also Sahnya Jah and Montverde will be competing in the Geico Nationals.

 

[Bone Dog]

Tessa is an awesome recruit. I’ve watched her games since 9th grade.

 

[SCspur]

Riley Stack was a one time recruit for SC but I can see why both parties mutually parted ways. She’s not physical enough and seemed to shy away from the matchup with Edwards, while Joyce relished the opportunity. She has a very nice shooting touch but she’s missing an aggressive mentality big time! Good luck to her at Coastal.

 

[sharris25]

Cardosa was a bit of a mess defensively. Edwards scored 26 points , not sure how it would have ignited her defensively?

Between Ducharme and Fudd, while they might not give 42 points combined, expecting around 30ish points combined is unreasonable. That’s not a massive difference imo at least.

Statistically, Nika and Johnson had pretty similar games. With the addition of Fudd to give Nika a breather I’d consider the point guard position a push.

Sounds like you watch a different game than I Did if you saw a worn down UConn team at the end. I remember a technical foul by Geno being the reason South Carolina lead grew to 10 after it being 4-6 most of the second half. And then we all remember the out of bounds hand off. But it’s neither here more there. Unlikely we play again anyways to find out how a healthy UConn would match up against South Carolina.

Yes Obviously. Uconn made up a deficit toward the end by fouling which was the only reason the fouls evened out. For what you thought Cardoza was on the defensive end, she more than made up for on the offensive end and rebounding. Also many Carolina fans found the officiating to be questionable in moments when Carolina was moving toward separating from the 6-8 pt range to double digits. I would love for Carolina to play a 'healthy" Uconn on a neutral court. The game was not one of our rare below par performances offensively, so I would like to see how the game turns out when we are on offensively, which we have been most of the year, (6th in the country, I believe). I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Take your choice , UConn, Indiana, or Stanford.

Seriously. Iowa is absurd.

6 losses, a recent one by 30, and a defense outside the top 100?

 

[Gamecockfan77]

The first statement isn't true. South Carolina in their last game only played 7 vs. Tennessee. Dawn isn't going to roll out a 10-12 player lineup vs. UCONN despite having the depth to do so.


Johnson outplayed Muhl the first time but that was also Johnson's best game of her career. Looking at the rest of the season, Muhl has been a more consistent performer. Their numbers are very similar averaged across 40 minutes per game and are good defenders. Both fill a similar role on their team, though Muhl has no backup while Johnson has Fletcher who does a solid job sharing duties. I'd say it's definitely a wash, or at most a slight lean in either direction.

Agree. Dawn will have a short bench in any tight ncaa game and lean on experience for better or worse.

 

[Bone Dog]

Agree. Dawn will have a short bench in any tight ncaa game and lean on experience for better or worse.

I agree, too. This is what any good coach would do. And it's not just about not wanting to risk a defeat with freshmen, though obviously this is an important reason. It's also about protecting the freshmen from regretting a loss they might think they caused. Just one example: Azzi felt crushed by the defeat last year and harbored feelings of guilt and shame afterwards. Everyone was relieved when, after the Texas game, she said, "That Azzi is gone now." I'm sure Geno regretted not being able to shield her from this. But what could he do, given how important she'd become to the team.

 

[FormerCTrez]

I'm sayin'.

, you low down mangy . . . ooops. You're one of ours. Sorry.

@visitingcock, you’re funny
I love it — good, clean fun between 2 fan bases!

 

[FormerCTrez]

Good stuff. Who is saying Uconn and SCar fans can not have Civil discourse?

@Creature, of course we can do this. Also, both fan bases have more similarities, than differences.

 

[JDuro]

In place for postseason.

 

[visitingcock]

In place for postseason.

Why Final Four? Why not championship?

 

[BookGuy09]

@Creature, of course we can do this. Also, both fan bases have more similarities, than differences.

We do? You’ve won, what, 2-3 championships? Come on, now. We’ve won 11. You’re on par with ND. 2-3. LSU will be SC in a few years.

 

[visitingcock]

We do? You’ve won, what, 2-3 championships? Come on, now. We’ve won 11. You’re on par with ND. 2-3. LSU will be SC in a few years.

He’s talking about similarities of fsnnases. Not similarities of history.

Please take comments like this to the SCar v UConn (potential) Rematch Thread. PLEASE!

 

[SCspur]

We do? You’ve won, what, 2-3 championships? Come on, now. We’ve won 11. You’re on par with ND. 2-3. LSU will be SC in a few years.

If LSU is indeed in SC’s shoes these next years where will that leave UConn?

 

[GamecockFam]

All this hinting and jesting at getting another final four banner and expectations of another championship are starting to make me nervous, like we as a fan base are blind to the team's weaknesses. I trust these ladies can make it happen, but it's called March Madness for a reason. It always seems like the surefire things are never as secure in retrospect...