ACC/SEC Challenge Week: Pick 'Em

[Tngamecock]

LSU looked better than SCar tonight. Hard to see this SCar team winning in BR but it's early yet. Chance to get better.

last night was an excellent lesson

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Rough night for South Carolina that I suspect was more than a fluke. The Notre Dame and Maryland wins were and are solid but both look less valuable now. That said, I thought this was going to be a barnburner from the moment it was scheduled. Throw it all out when it comes to a rivalry.

For South Carolina:

• Not Raven Johnson’s best night although I continue to be impressed with her defensive performance. Made some really poor decisions with the ball and bricked a handful of key free throws. She didn’t look rattled to me, it was just a bad day at the office.
• Chloe Kitts might’ve been the MVP of this game. Broke open the floor with a couple of midrange jumpers and was SC’s best option at the line. Rotated very well defensively. Did a decent job on Ustby, she’s a tough cover (more on that below).
• Excellent breakout game for Hall and had a massive late block on Ustby on a drive that could have tied the game.
• Watkins made an impact but is foul-prone. Wonder if that’s why she’s not starting.
• Cardoso was a nonfactor offensively although UNC sold out to make sure that happened. It didn’t necessarily show in the stat sheet but I thought Gakdeng outplayed her. I think Kamilla is just reserved by nature but at times she seems passive to me and she’s too important and skilled for that to happen regularly.
• PaoPao’s shooting is a difference-maker for this team.
• I’m not sure SC is truly the best team in the country right now after watching LSU tonight but gritty wins like this go a long ways in March. They started hot, let’s see what happens from here.

For North Carolina:

• Ustby is a player I’m taking at the top if I’m building a team. She has no shot but does everything else very well. I think she’s easily their best player. For those that have heard of incoming Duke recruit Toby Fournier, I think Ustby is a good player comparison for what she could become. Underratedly athletic at the 4 spot.
• Gakdeng is a beast. I hadn’t seen much of her at Boston College but she’s skilled and played great defense. She’s 6’3” but a LONG 6’3”. Terrific athlete and got a lot of big boards off pure hustle and want-to.
• I have never been a huge Deja Kelly fan but I do see why she’s so valuable to UNC. She’s not efficient but draws a lot of contact and can get to the line easily. She carried them in the first half, it just didn’t hold up after the break. Took a hard fall, hope she’s all good.
• Donarski was never ISU’s go-to but she looks a little underutilized to me, especially given her defensive reputation.

Other thoughts:

• The brawl in the first half definitely added to the tension of the game, especially late. Just seemed like there was some fire between both teams which isn’t a bad thing if it’s kept under control. I was a little mystified Ustby didn’t come away with a tech given she appeared closely involved in the origin.
• Not sold on Banghart as a coach. Defensively they’re very good but I think the collective whole is less than the parts when it comes to scoring the ball.
• UNC v. UConn could be a very interesting and entertaining game. Tar Heel’s defense will keep them in a lot of games.

Yeah, but Notre Dame hasn't lost since we played.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

View attachment 93560

I was hoping SCar would pummel Chapel Hill, but figured it would be a lot closer than expected. They always play tight games.... in the 2013-14 season that SCar was a #1 seed for the first time... they lost twice to baby blue.. once in the regular season, and got knocked out by them in the Sweet 16. The very next season, #1 seed Scar won in the sweet 16 here in Greensboro, a game that was tooth and nail until the buzzer. 2022... Chapel Hill gave the Chickens their toughest game in the tournament in the Sweet 16 in Greensboro. Hopefully next year they have a rematch in Columbia.. all of the Tar heels can return from this years team. Utsby and Kelly have a covid year to use. I don't see either being a high draft pick, so they might as well return to school.

Concerning Gakdeng.... of all of the transfers last year, she was #1 on my wish list for Duke.... pained me that she opted to go down the road instead. Fortunately, we picked up her former teammate Mair, who was the #2 player on my wish list.

That USC team played well over its head to get a 1 seed, imo, but didn't matchup with that UNC team very well. That's the UNC team that broke into a thousand pieces after. We got Gray and a title out of it.

 

[DallasDomer]

Did you attend UNC fake classes?

15 + Stan + Cal + SMU = ?

Nobody can take a joke anymore....