A bit Half-Cocked? Sporting News Picks South Carolina as Preseason #1

[cbraarj]

Even when we're mediocre, we're tough to beat at home. I also think the Gamecocks will be much better, offensively, than last season. That's why they play the games, though. I'm expecting 18,000 at that game; it will be a fun environment.

I am a big Dawn Staley fan since she played at Virginia!IMO top 10 all-time!After losing to Stanford last year like they did.I think Stewie,Moriah and Morgan will be on a mission like the 2002 team.Welch is a big loss for them.The heart of the team!It will be a fun environment and would love to see it in person.My sister and I thinking of going down for the weekend!Plus SC is a beautiful state.Maybe see you there!

 

[cbraarj]

Honestly, I wasn't really sold on Coates until that nice game she had over the summer. She was very impressive at times, but she does get frustrated and seems to not post as hard or sprint back up the court if she feels like she isn't getting the ball as much as she wants it. Maybe this year she will mature some, not give up on plays where the ball doesn't get to her, and expand her back to the basket game.

I agree the difference is Connecticut plays hard the whole game as a team!From the best players to the walk-ons they all play hard no matter what the score is.That is hard sometimes just to get a certain player to do that.Never mind a whole team doing it.Incredible job by Geno and CD!

 

[Nuyoika]

Coates is very talented by an enigma. Having Ibiam play/start in front of her for two year was not good for her confidence or long term development. Dawn has eluded to having to treat her somewhat different because of "fragile confidence"-my words not Dawn's. I disagree with Doris Burke about SC making a commitment to feeding Coates the ball in the low post. She is not a polished low post player or passer especially with her back to the basket and she doesn't finish well in traffic at the basket. Best example of Coates confidence can be seen in the UNC & ND NCAA tournament games. Against UNC she demanded the ball in crunch time, drew the foul and was automatic from the line 10 of 10. Against ND she was a different player, not demanding the ball, bad body language, and wanting no parts of shooting free throws going 0 of 5.

Hopefully, maturing will help with some of that. She does need to develop a more diverse skill set though.

 

[USFMB]

For us: Definitely bulletin board material for Stewie and Mo. For USF: Jose mustn't let them drink the Kool Aid. Top 25, yes. #15, no.

Is it all that far fetched that USF will end the season ranked #15?

After the top 10, I don't see all that much difference between 11 and 25. They all have their particular strengths and weaknesses.

In any event, USF issues releases on the various top 25 preseason polls, and did so on this one as well.

Since the poll and its article are not available online, the USF release mentions a few other relevant items which may have influenced their ranking. One such is this :

"USF was among five schools nationally to have two players named to the preseason first- and second-team All-America lists by the Sporting News, joining preseason No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 UConn, No. 4 Baylor and No. 5 Ohio State."

You can read the entire article at the link below:

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=210365458

 

[j66kicker]

Is it all that far fetched that USF will end the season ranked #15?

You can read the entire article at the link below:

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=210365458

I hope they do!

 

[ChicagoGG]

Is it all that far fetched that USF will end the season ranked #15?

After the top 10, I don't see all that much difference between 11 and 25. They all have their particular strengths and weaknesses.

In any event, USF issues releases on the various top 25 preseason polls, and did so on this one as well.

Since the poll and its article are not available online, the USF release mentions a few other relevant items which may have influenced their ranking. One such is this :

"USF was among five schools nationally to have two players named to the preseason first- and second-team All-America lists by the Sporting News, joining preseason No. 1 South Carolina, No. 2 UConn, No. 4 Baylor and No. 5 Ohio State."

You can read the entire article at the link below:

http://www.gousfbulls.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=7700&ATCLID=210365458

I hope they do finish in the top 15. I hope they go really far in the NCAA Tournament. I just don't think that in the pre-season they are a #15. Top 25 yes, #15, not just yet. Even with Courtney coming back and Jose having a great recruiting year, I think they have some things to prove to the AP and coaches poll voters.

 

[mr006]

Yeah GW and Ohio State above Tennessee? Not taking this poll 2 seriously. I am going now to check these rosters.....!!!

Isn't Ohio State perpetually ending short of their expectations?

 

[Alydar]

I hope they do finish in the top 15. I hope they go really far in the NCAA Tournament. I just don't think that in the pre-season they are a #15. Top 25 yes, #15, not just yet. Even with Courtney coming back and Jose having a great recruiting year, I think they have some things to prove to the AP and coaches poll voters.

Unless your name is UConn it's very difficult for a mid-major to impress those voters. Mediocre P-5 teams such as Georgia last year get a preseason ranking and keep it well into the season by beating a bunch of cupcakes while a team like Princeton remains in the "also receiving votes" group.

As far as what USF deserves, they ended last season at 17th on the Massey rankings, return their entire starting team and add a pretty good freshman class.

They have a Dec 30th game against Miss St who is getting a lot of preseason love from some publications. That should be interesting.

 

[CocoHusky]

Unless your name is UConn it's very difficult for a mid-major to impress those voters. Mediocre P-5 teams such as Georgia last year get a preseason ranking and keep it well into the season by beating a bunch of cupcakes while a team like Princeton remains in the "also receiving votes" group.

As far as what USF deserves, they ended last season at 17th on the Massey rankings, return their entire starting team and add a pretty good freshman class.

They have a Dec 30th game against Miss St who is getting a lot of preseason love from some publications. That should be interesting.

UCONN is a mid-major? Since when? What did UCONN do to achieve such an elevated status?

 

[USFMB]

Unless your name is UConn it's very difficult for a mid-major to impress those voters. Mediocre P-5 teams such as Georgia last year get a preseason ranking and keep it well into the season by beating a bunch of cupcakes while a team like Princeton remains in the "also receiving votes" group.

As far as what USF deserves, they ended last season at 17th on the Massey rankings, return their entire starting team and add a pretty good freshman class.

They have a Dec 30th game against Miss St who is getting a lot of preseason love from some publications. That should be interesting.

USF players are really pumped up at the possibility of playing Baylor on Nov 19th, in the WNIT semi-finals. Now, that game could be very interesting and will tell quite a bit about where USF should be ranked.

UCONN fans might want to pay attention to the play of true freshman Kitija Laksa, from latvia. She is a 3-point specialist.

Kitija was a 5-star Blue Star European player (ESPN #92), and has been compared by them to a young Sue Bird. We are expecting her to break into the starting line-up this year.

The other new player to watch is JUCO tranfer 6'3"Nancy Warioba, from Nigeria. She gives us added height and bulk. She is said to run like a deer, but will need additional time to develop her potential. As such, I expect we will bring her along more slowly.

If interested, there are recent video interviews of both players on the USF WBB FB page, at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/USFWomensBasketball?fref=nf

 

[Beemer]

I'll have a triple of whatever it was the editorial staff at the Sporting News was drinking when they made that decision

 

[BroadwayVa]

Let's keep it real. A'ja was impressive enough to win MVP. Coates was impressive at times. This statement opens the door to say if Wilson wasn't impressive neither was Collier- & we both know that is not true.

Let us keep this REALLY REAL---this was MY impression of their play---you and others are allowed your's. No one, certainly I never ever will or could it have been me who said COLLIER was not impressive--not if you read any of my posting that mention Collier. My personal opinion of Ms Collier is she will be a super start before she leave Connecticut--and she will have to be exceptional to rise above those that surround her.
Be HONEST, BE REAL, ====Don't print words never said--Keep those doors closed!!!!

 

[CocoHusky]

Let us keep this REALLY REAL---this was MY impression of their play---you and others are allowed your's. No one, certainly I never ever will or could it have been me who said COLLIER was not impressive--not if you read any of my posting that mention Collier. My personal opinion of Ms Collier is she will be a super start before she leave Connecticut--and she will have to be exceptional to rise above those that surround her.
Be HONEST, BE REAL, ====Don't print words never said--Keep those doors closed!!!!

BroadwayVa, Wilson was named MVP of the tournament over COLLIER. You said Wilson was not impressive. If you did not think the MVP (Wilson) was impressive then a logical inference was Collier also not impressive. You did not say it, it was inferred from your other statement. There was an entire thread here questioning if Collier should have been the MVP over Wilson-all good dialogue. Both players were impressive and it is OK to compliment one without putting the other down.

 

[UcMiami]

Isn't Ohio State perpetually ending short of their expectations?

New head coach last year who did pretty well with an injury plagued team, so the past reputation for being highly ranked and doing really poorly in the tournament is probably out of date - it was always placed at the feet of Foster, their former coach.

 

[UcMiami]

USF players are really pumped up at the possibility of playing Baylor on Nov 19th, in the WNIT semi-finals. Now, that game could be very interesting and will tell quite a bit about where USF should be ranked.

UCONN fans might want to pay attention to the play of true freshman Kitija Laksa, from latvia. She is a 3-point specialist.

Kitija was a 5-star Blue Star European player (ESPN #92), and has been compared by them to a young Sue Bird. We are expecting her to break into the starting line-up this year.

The other new player to watch is JUCO tranfer 6'3"Nancy Warioba, from Nigeria. She gives us added height and bulk. She is said to run like a deer, but will need additional time to develop her potential. As such, I expect we will bring her along more slowly.

If interested, there are recent video interviews of both players on the USF WBB FB page, at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/USFWomensBasketball?fref=nf

USFMB - welcome to the board (belatedly) and really happy to have a USF fan active here, and bringing good stuff to the board from a florida perspective! Good luck to USF except for the obvious Uconn games!

 

[baggerbob]

Sporting News scouting report is out and up with its Preseason Top 20 - and sitting at the top of the roost is . . . USC East! While great exposure for a great program & coach, I think this makes for some mighty fine bulletin board material in the Husky locker room. SN doesn't play coy in predicting the next NC, stating emphatically, "The Gamecocks will be the 2016 NCAA Women's Basketball Champions"; citing their very abundant talent, depth, and leadership. You know, we got a lot of that in Storrs too. Here's their Top 20:

1. South Carolina
2. Connecticut
3. Notre Dame
4. Baylor
5. Ohio State
6. Florida State
7. George Washington
8. Duke
9. Tennessee
10. Oregon State
11. Arizona State
12. Louisville
13. Texas
14. UCLA
15. South Florida
16. Princeton
17. Chattanooga
18. Northwestern
19. Texas A&M
20. Maryland

Did the people there forget Breanna, and Moriah are still in college?

 

[USFMB]

USFMB - welcome to the board (belatedly) and really happy to have a USF fan active here, and bringing good stuff to the board from a florida perspective! Good luck to USF except for the obvious Uconn games!

Thanks.

I've become friends with a few UCONN fans who spend a good part of the winter down in the Tampa/St Pete/Clearwater area and who attend many USF games, and we have a good time at the USF SunDome.

I used to post on the old UCONN Scout board, where Husky Nan was the moderator.

I still remember the one time USF tied UCONN, on the road, in regulation, but we lost in OT. Perhaps, we will get over that hump one day, but I'm not holding my breath waiting for that to happen. LOL

 

[uconnell]

Truthfully,I don't care who is #1 at the start of the season, only who is #1 at the end. Let other teams toot their horns all year if they want. We don't need too

 

[Zorro]

Holding your breath that long would probably not be in your best interests.

 

[BroadwayVa]

BroadwayVa, Wilson was named MVP of the tournament over COLLIER. You said Wilson was not impressive. If you did not think the MVP (Wilson) was impressive then a logical inference was Collier also not impressive. You did not say it, it was inferred from your other statement. There was an entire thread here questioning if Collier should have been the MVP over Wilson-all good dialogue. Both players were impressive and it is OK to compliment one without putting the other down.

\

Not to continue a running dialogue over a non issue---but "inference" by nature says this is how YOU see it, not what was said--and I didn't say it. Also this positing as all is just an opinion--and MY OPINION was neither Wilson or Coates impressed me. It's like my opinion is that KIAH should have been Recruit of the Year and a group selected her. Now the interesting thing is that --like MVP of Wilson and ROY of Loyd that was the OPINION of those who selected them--certainly my OPINION is as valid as theirs.
Saying that they did not impress me takes a leap of judgement to arrive at a conclusion that they were dishonored in any way by my opinion--if they were maybe they had no honor to start.--impressive they were to you--not to me--ALLOW ME MY OPINION, I allow yours!!

 

[triaddukefan]

Truthfully,I don't care who is #1 at the start of the season, only who is #1 at the end. Let other teams toot their horns all year if they want. We don't need too

Maybe not, but yall do anyway

 

[uconnell]

Maybe not, but yall do anyway

Maybe we do, but not on another team's message board.

 

[triaddukefan]

Maybe we do, but not on another team's message board.

Im sure its happened before

 

[CocoHusky]

\

Not to continue a running dialogue over a non issue---but "inference" by nature says this is how YOU see it, not what was said--and I didn't say it. Also this positing as all is just an opinion--and MY OPINION was neither Wilson or Coates impressed me. It's like my opinion is that KIAH should have been Recruit of the Year and a group selected her. Now the interesting thing is that --like MVP of Wilson and ROY of Loyd that was the OPINION of those who selected them--certainly my OPINION is as valid as theirs.
Saying that they did not impress me takes a leap of judgement to arrive at a conclusion that they were dishonored in any way by my opinion--if they were maybe they had no honor to start.--impressive they were to you--not to me--ALLOW ME MY OPINION, I allow yours!!

My apologies for making the inference. It was/is not ever my intent to deny you or anyone else an opinion. I disagree with your opinion that Wilson and Coates were not impressive during thier international tournaments this summer.

 

[2Husky]

I hope they do finish in the top 15. I hope they go really far in the NCAA Tournament. I just don't think that in the pre-season they are a #15. Top 25 yes, #15, not just yet. Even with Courtney coming back and Jose having a great recruiting year, I think they have some things to prove to the AP and coaches poll voters.

I don't understand this line of thinking about a preseason ranking. They haven't done enough in the preseason to be top15? no one has done anything yet. I think preseason polls are best thought of a prediction of how the season will go, mostly based on returning talent and recruiting. Coaching is also a factor; teams like louisvillle tend to enjoy higher rankings because they have overachieved in the post season. Once we start playing games and getting results the polls can be adjusted based on that. And teams that are over or under rated will have their positions adjusted. I don't think SC is capable of beating UConn, certainly not in April (unless there are injuries), so I don't think its right for this poll to have them #1. But USF should probably be a sweet 16 team, so ranking them in the top 15 makes sense. lets not forget USF gave UConn their 3rd toughest game last year.