Charlie Creme's Way-Too-Early Top 25

[Gamecockfan77]

The biggest difference between SC and Iowa is not coaching but rather talent! I don’t care if she did have Clark, getting Iowa to the title game in consecutive years with that roster was a masterful coaching job. Dawn deserves her plaudits as the current queen of the hill but make no mistake, it’s the talent that separates those two teams, not the coaching!

Arguably Bluder's "great coaching" was just having Caitlin Clark.

Otherwise they have been blown off the floor.

Granted, I wouldn't argue that any more than I'd argue that Staley has dominated NCAAw for five years because she's just got better players.

Huge amount of coaching goes into it.

 

[packwrap]

Arguably Bluder's "great coaching" was just having Caitlin Clark.

Otherwise they have been blown off the floor.

Granted, I wouldn't argue that any more than I'd argue that Staley has dominated NCAAw for five years because she's just got better players.

Huge amount of coaching goes into it.

What I respect about Dawn, is she took the great talent she had with Wilson, and built on that to keep adding more, thereby building a program. She's also an excellent in game coach.

It sounds simple, but it isn't easy. I thought Graves would do similar at Oregon building off Ionescu (and Nike support), but it didn't happen.

Bluder has had Iowa in top third of Big10 for years. I would not put them in my pre season top 25, but would not be shocked if they creep back in by year end.

She made the most of Clark for sure.

 

[Steelerone]

Tell me how good any recruiting class is in about two years. Our standing at the end of the season is going to depend on only one thing - rebounding. We have the shooters, we have the ball handlers, we have ample talent in the backcourt. But in order for these people to be able to function they have to have the ball and there, as Mr. Shakespeare so eloquently put it, is the rub.

 

[Cuango]

The Uconn guards are not better than the South Carolina guards, and if the Notre Dame guard that sat out, comes back and plays like her old self, they're guards maybe better as well. Don't know how you could say they're better than Carolina!

Let’s see… Paige is better than anyone on SC. Azzi is at least as good as anyone on SC. Ash & Raven are basically a wash. KK & Fulwiley are close with Fulwiley having the edge. Aubrey is better than Bree. Caroline at least even with Kitts. Sarah is at least as good as Edwards. Ice will be at least a wash with Feagin. Jana (my guess) will be at least a wash with Watkins and better than Tac. Allie a wash with Madison. Then we have Q, Morgan Yanna & Kaitlyn, (who is likely as good a pg as anyone on SC’s roster) as well! I think it’s pretty clear that UConn, assuming full health, has the best roster (on paper) in all of women’s basketball. SC clearly has a great one as well. Who wins? Well, paper means squat so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m assuming everyone is fully healthy.

Health, more than anything, will determine if we will finally see an even competition between the two colossi of women’s basketball next season. SC can ( and deserves to) crow about their dominance for the past three years but let’s not forget, UConn, their chief rival, has been essentially playing with one hand tied behind their back since 2021! Yuck it up! You deserve it, but the truth is, if UConn had been fully healthy all that time, things might have been a little different.

My money, obviously, will be on UConn but let’s not forget, there are at least 4, perhaps as many as six other teams that have the talent to win it all next year! I would put them in this order; SC, ( Defending champion) UConn, USC/ND, UCLA, Texas, LSU, Duke, NCState, Oklahoma, Louisville. Everyone through Texas could be next year’s champion. The other five will need anywhere from a little to a lot of help.

 

[yhun89]

Let’s see… Paige is better than anyone on SC. Azzi is at least as good as anyone on SC. Ash & Raven are basically a wash. KK & Fulwiley are close with Fulwiley having the edge. Aubrey is better than Bree. Caroline at least even with Kitts. Sarah is at least as good as Edwards. Ice will be at least a wash with Feagin. Jana (my guess) will be at least a wash with Watkins and better than Tac. Allie a wash with Madison. Then we have Q, Morgan Yanna & Kaitlyn, (who is likely as good a pg as anyone on SC’s roster) as well! I think it’s pretty clear that UConn, assuming full health, has the best roster (on paper) in all of women’s basketball. SC clearly has a great one as well. Who wins? Well, paper means squat so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m assuming everyone is fully healthy.

Health, more than anything, will determine if we will finally see an even competition between the two colossi of women’s basketball next season. SC can ( and deserves to) crow about their dominance for the past three years but let’s not forget, UConn, their chief rival, has been essentially playing with one hand tied behind their back since 2021! Yuck it up! You deserve it, but the truth is, if UConn had been fully healthy all that time, things might have been a little different.

My money, obviously, will be on UConn but let’s not forget, there are at least 4, perhaps as many as six other teams that have the talent to win it all next year! I would put them in this order; SC, ( Defending champion) UConn, USC/ND, UCLA, Texas, LSU, Duke, NCState, Oklahoma, Louisville. Everyone through Texas could be next year’s champion. The other five will need anywhere from a little to a lot of help.

Sarah is better than Edwards from what I’ve seen. In their last matchup in HS, Sarah dominated the glass with 17, Joyce had 9. Point wise, very close, however Sarah’s mainly came from the 3. (7-10) So in addition to being a capable forward, she’s a tall sharpshooter. Edwards from what I can tell doesn’t shoot the 3 consistently but she is dominant in the paint.
In relation to this thread, UCONN should be a safe #4-5 at the start. There’s just too much dominance on the (healthy) roster.

 

[Reypl21]

Let’s see… Paige is better than anyone on SC. Azzi is at least as good as anyone on SC. Ash & Raven are basically a wash. KK & Fulwiley are close with Fulwiley having the edge. Aubrey is better than Bree. Caroline at least even with Kitts. Sarah is at least as good as Edwards. Ice will be at least a wash with Feagin. Jana (my guess) will be at least a wash with Watkins and better than Tac. Allie a wash with Madison. Then we have Q, Morgan Yanna & Kaitlyn, (who is likely as good a pg as anyone on SC’s roster) as well! I think it’s pretty clear that UConn, assuming full health, has the best roster (on paper) in all of women’s basketball. SC clearly has a great one as well. Who wins? Well, paper means squat so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m assuming everyone is fully healthy.

Health, more than anything, will determine if we will finally see an even competition between the two colossi of women’s basketball next season. SC can ( and deserves to) crow about their dominance for the past three years but let’s not forget, UConn, their chief rival, has been essentially playing with one hand tied behind their back since 2021! Yuck it up! You deserve it, but the truth is, if UConn had been fully healthy all that time, things might have been a little different.

My money, obviously, will be on UConn but let’s not forget, there are at least 4, perhaps as many as six other teams that have the talent to win it all next year! I would put them in this order; SC, ( Defending champion) UConn, USC/ND, UCLA, Texas, LSU, Duke, NCState, Oklahoma, Louisville. Everyone through Texas could be next year’s champion. The other five will need anywhere from a little to a lot of help.

You can say Paige and Azzi are better than everyone and these players match up with those ones. Blah blah blah. But the game isn't as simple as that. South Carolina's team speed is hard for anyone to match, and no one last year did. I think their bigs are really what separated them last season, and now with Cardoso gone they are brought back down to the pack a little bit more. They still have size/athleticism, but you can't replace a mobile 6'7.
With that being said, UConn played them last season without Cardoso and you seen what happened. South Carolina had a lot of Freshman and Sophomores last year who should get better. Dawn shows she will utilize her bench, and so she has a deep team that all have confidence and play hard. Plus all of them are athletes. Then you add their freshman class of more elite athletes and size. Regarding health, I really think Dawn's minute distribution helps keep her players healthy. I think South Carolina's roster is the deepest, most athletic, and scariest roster in the country still. Especially considering they have kept their nucleus in tact. The way they defend is stifling.

 

[RadfordRam]

Let’s see… Paige is better than anyone on SC. Azzi is at least as good as anyone on SC. Ash & Raven are basically a wash. KK & Fulwiley are close with Fulwiley having the edge. Aubrey is better than Bree. Caroline at least even with Kitts. Sarah is at least as good as Edwards. Ice will be at least a wash with Feagin. Jana (my guess) will be at least a wash with Watkins and better than Tac. Allie a wash with Madison. Then we have Q, Morgan Yanna & Kaitlyn, (who is likely as good a pg as anyone on SC’s roster) as well! I think it’s pretty clear that UConn, assuming full health, has the best roster (on paper) in all of women’s basketball. SC clearly has a great one as well. Who wins? Well, paper means squat so I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I’m assuming everyone is fully healthy.

Health, more than anything, will determine if we will finally see an even competition between the two colossi of women’s basketball next season. SC can ( and deserves to) crow about their dominance for the past three years but let’s not forget, UConn, their chief rival, has been essentially playing with one hand tied behind their back since 2021! Yuck it up! You deserve it, but the truth is, if UConn had been fully healthy all that time, things might have been a little different.

My money, obviously, will be on UConn but let’s not forget, there are at least 4, perhaps as many as six other teams that have the talent to win it all next year! I would put them in this order; SC, ( Defending champion) UConn, USC/ND, UCLA, Texas, LSU, Duke, NCState, Oklahoma, Louisville. Everyone through Texas could be next year’s champion. The other five will need anywhere from a little to a lot of help.

Azzi Fudd hasn't come close to her billing, I wouldn't trade any guard on Carolina for her. No one on UConn has the athletic ability of Fulwiley and you know it. KK Arnold as good as Raven? Your fandom is showing in your posts. Carolina is the most talented team in America. Go back and watch the Uconn/Carolina game from a few months ago.

 

[MdStang]

The Uconn guards are not better than the South Carolina guards, and if the Notre Dame guard that sat out, comes back and plays like her old self, they're guards maybe better as well. Don't know how you could say they're better than Carolina!

I actually posted my opinion prior to the Chen signing, so that actually seals the deal:

Paige - Outstanding 2 way player, 1st team AA and former national POY, probable WNBA #1 pick if she declares in 25. SC has some great guards but no one at this level.

Chen: former Ivy League POY, scorer at all 3 levels, willing defender, can play PG or SG

Azzi: If healthy potential AA and maybe the best 3 point shooter in the country. Before being injured 2 years ago was averaging 27 PPG

KK: Super quick defender and facilitator

Ashlynn: BE ROY, high percentage shooter and good defender

Caroline: If healthy a good 3 point sniper, can also score in the paint. Sneaky passing lane defender and shot blocker

Q: Streaky but effective shooter, quick with a nose for the ball

Morgan: McD AA, tall ball handling PG, can also play SG and SF. High court awareness.

Allie: another McD AA, deadly 3 point shooter

Sarah: can play SG if needed, very good outside shooter

Again, I gave props to both So. Carolina and ND. They have outstanding guards. I just think UConn is a little better. And I believe most posters on this board agree.

 

[yhun89]

The Uconn guards are not better than the South Carolina guards, and if the Notre Dame guard that sat out, comes back and plays like her old self, they're guards maybe better as well. Don't know how you could say they're better than Carolina!

How are UCONN’s guards worse than SC?

Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better.
Ash and Bree are equal defensively and offensively, though I think Ash’s midrange is better.
KK and Milaysia are basically equal as well, both shoot the 3, quick on their feet, good defenders, can pass.
PB is 10x better than any guard on SC. No one comes close to her versatility and offensive ability. Even against SC’s best defenders, PB dropped 20 points.
Raven and Nika last year were only separated by offensive ability, but Nika wasn’t an offensive minded player.

UCONN and SC guards are not better or worse than each other. They’re neck and neck. They’re all great at offense and defense. Next year we’re getting another sharpshooter (or two technically) and a tall guard who can play SF. If anything, we’re near equal.

 

[Huskie2018]

Do you see the World Exposure Report way to early poll that was posted yesterday?

Women's NCAA basketball's Way-Too-Early Top 25 for 2024-25

 

[Bone Dog]

Te-Hina didn’t need to be great for SC to go undefeated. She merely needed to be good, which she was, and she filled the gap in perimeter shooting. This is true of the whole roster. Lots of very athletic kids who could be great, but Dawn merely needed them to be good. She put together a heckuva a roster. The loss of Kamila may put a little more pressure on these kids, but I don’t think it will be insurmountable.

To my mind, the players with the most potential to shine next season are not Milaysia Chloe Raven Sakima Adhel Bree and Te-Hina. I expect the stars to be Tessa and Watkins.

Tessa may even be the key to the next few seasons for Dawn. I saw a few of her HS games and watched an amazing evolution from that time. This kid has a very high ceiling. She’s not just a cog in Dawn’s machine. Like Paige, she’s a resourceful talented kid who is used to carrying a team. Watkins may be the best pure athlete in D1, a great defender and a pretty good scorer. They’ll be the twin pillars for SC next season.

The interesting thing is that Dawn has built teams around bigs throughout her career. But this one may end up playing a smaller lineup and still be the best one yet. They won’t falter because they lack a talented big. They will be big enough and quicker than any team they face.

A team like UConn will only beat them by being more tenacious on defense and having a hot shooting night. To do it, a lot of young parts will have to be clicking by that point in the season, especially Jana and Sarah. We know it’s possible. Geno has done it before with young teams. Whichever way it turns out, I expect this to be the best game of the season.

 

[visitingcock]

This south carolina vs uconn debate is so bias prone that it can never be decided between fans of the two programs.

Here is an example: @Fanofball said: "Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better."

My admittedly-biased opinion: Azzi has always been a defensive liability for uconn. Has been a target for our offense. Slow, poor lateral movement. Came to the program with insufficient training and injury has limited improvement. Has never had a full year of practice and play to get it together. Tehina came to our program with poor defensive training. Improved greatly by the end of her first year of practice and play. Now an adequate (though not excellent) defender.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Depends on your biased opinion. But, as long as we keep it polite, carry on.

It would be interesting to poll knowledgeable non-uconn and non-scar fans on the question of which team has the most talent.

PEACE all!

 

[Bone Dog]

Here is an example: @Fanofball said: "Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better."

My admittedly-biased opinion: Azzi has always been a defensive liability for uconn.

I take your overall point and agree. But I suspect you missed @Fanofball’s point. Yes, Azzi is not equivalent to Nika with a better shooting stroke. Te-hina is also not a great defender and her size makes her a target for opposing offenses. But both are better than that fact. They are clever resourceful players.

Now personally, speaking as a fan, I think Azzi has a greater upside if the injury bug can leave her alone for a couple seasons. We’ve seen what Te-hina at her best can do across a full season on the best team in D1 and no one would mistake that for what Azzi began to show us two seasons ago. But for all any of us knows, we may never get to see that potential realized, and that would be a huge loss for WCBB.

Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing next years version of SC even more than last season’s. Kamila was a great asset, but I expect the team to be better without her, and not merely because Sakima and Adhel to fill the gap. This will be Watkins’s year to shine. I expect her to be amazing.

My views of UConn’s season are quite different. I think they could turn out to be better than SC. But a lot of things have to break the right way for that to happen. Dawn only needs her players to avoid injury to have a great season. That’s how great the team she’s put together is. She doesn’t need to pull any rabbits out of hats. Geno does. Fortunately for fans of both teams, he’s already shown he’s capable of many a magic trick.

 

[oldude]

This south carolina vs uconn debate is so bias prone that it can never be decided between fans of the two programs.

Here is an example: @Fanofball said: "Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better."

My admittedly-biased opinion: Azzi has always been a defensive liability for uconn. Has been a target for our offense. Slow, poor lateral movement. Came to the program with insufficient training and injury has limited improvement. Has never had a full year of practice and play to get it together. Tehina came to our program with poor defensive training. Improved greatly by the end of her first year of practice and play. Now an adequate (though not excellent) defender.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Depends on your biased opinion. But, as long as we keep it polite, carry on.

It would be interesting to poll knowledgeable non-uconn and non-scar fans on the question of which team has the most talent.

PEACE all!

I think Azzi is underrated defensively. When healthy, she’s a solid, but not great defender, with surprisingly quick hands. I’ve frequently seen her strip the ball from opponents and block shots. If Azzi can get healthy and stay healthy, she will not be a defensive liability for the Huskies.

 

[sharris25]

How are UCONN’s guards worse than SC?

Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better.
Ash and Bree are equal defensively and offensively, though I think Ash’s midrange is better.
KK and Milaysia are basically equal as well, both shoot the 3, quick on their feet, good defenders, can pass.
PB is 10x better than any guard on SC. No one comes close to her versatility and offensive ability. Even against SC’s best defenders, PB dropped 20 points.
Raven and Nika last year were only separated by offensive ability, but Nika wasn’t an offensive minded player.

UCONN and SC guards are not better or worse than each other. They’re neck and neck. They’re all great at offense and defense. Next year we’re getting another sharpshooter (or two technically) and a tall guard who can play SF. If anything, we’re near equal.

*First of all Azzi as good of a shooter as she is has never shown hereself to be impactful or a menace on defense, especially in games outside of your conference. Pao Pao's defense improved tremendously under the tutelage of Dawn and is staying a year basically to ensure that she is more impactful. Let's not forget 6'1 Tessa Johnson who is also a dead eye shooter but more athletically able to drive and get midrange shots at a high clip as displayed the entire NCAA tournament
*As far as Ashlyn and Bree, Bree's defense is stronger and she is the better 3pt shooter, and is 6'1 so switches and mismatch scenarios are much less likely with her and she is a better rebounder
* Anyone that says Milaysia and KK are equal is just showing implicit Bias. Milaysia has consistent stretches every game with the exception of maybe 3 games where she could not be guarded by the best teams in the country even with limited minutes. Her ball handling in traffic is elite ,I can safely say she is a better scorer, is quicker with the ball, has elite vision on passes ( see SEC tournmament Championship and Final Foul Games for reference) and has a significantly better vertical than KK. (Prove me wrong) on any of these views.
*PB is the best guard on either team, but elite athletic defenders like Raven and Fulwilley, as well as lengthy eltie defenders like Hall slow her down significantly in big games of like talent. Where Paige is elite offensively, Raven is elite defensively. slight edge Paige.

• Feagin and Kitts have displayed more effectiveness and trust of skills to impact a real game with big time implications than Shade, Patteson, or Enalfy who has yet to even compete in college.
• Strong and Edwards would be a wash. Strong is a good shooter and instinctive passer, Edwards can guard 1-5, owns the paint, and has excellent athleticism and superior footwork. Edwards, however was MVP of he McDonalds AA Game, Nike Hoop Summitt, and Jordan Brand Game and chosen All Tournament of the U19 Gold Medal game this past summer featuring mostly college players. Strong has better perimeter abilities right now, but Edwards is the superior athlete and fits Dawn's system perfectly.

*Lastly, as Taurasi and Sue Bird stated during their final four shows and any coach with an eye would and has stated this year, Uconn has no Athelet Like Ashlyn Watkins. She displayed this when she battled the best big on Uconn last year n Aaliyah Edwards, who is now gone to the wnba. Geno stated as much during his post game press conference after the lost to SC this year. She dunks with ease, rebounds at a height level uncommon to many female players in college or pro and has a motor that doesnt quit.
* SC has a team of talent has shown dominance on the biggest stage and in college games, whereas other than Bueckers, Azzi and Shade, it seems some are using a lot of "ifs" and "potentially" when describing most of the Uconn players who have not shown it yet in a college game much less big time games.
*

 

[yhun89]

This south carolina vs uconn debate is so bias prone that it can never be decided between fans of the two programs.

Here is an example: @Fanofball said: "Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better."

My admittedly-biased opinion: Azzi has always been a defensive liability for uconn. Has been a target for our offense. Slow, poor lateral movement. Came to the program with insufficient training and injury has limited improvement. Has never had a full year of practice and play to get it together. Tehina came to our program with poor defensive training. Improved greatly by the end of her first year of practice and play. Now an adequate (though not excellent) defender.

Am I right? Am I wrong? Depends on your biased opinion. But, as long as we keep it polite, carry on.

It would be interesting to poll knowledgeable non-uconn and non-scar fans on the question of which team has the most talent.

PEACE all!

Thanks for shading me for no reason. I fully believe you've never watched Azzi Fudd on defense. "Slow?" She's constantly moving. She's constantly doing "foot fire" drill when she's on the court and doing jumping jacks in opponents' faces. She's the polar opposite of "slow."

Now here's my full opinion:
Watching Te-Hina's most recent defense in the title game against Gabby Marshall:

1. Half the time she was focused on triple teaming whoever had the ball instead of focusing on the literal sharpshooter she was supposed to be on. Leaving her wide open. At one point, she was about 8-9 feet away from Gabby.

2. She was in the paint trying to defend people a foot over her head for whatever reason and did not focus on Marshall again. Left open at the 3 once more.

3. She didn't move fast enough for who she was guarding. Gabby is scrappy and gets by people easily, that's what makes her a great defender. Te-Hina was jogging when she was on her at times.

In conclusion: Te Hina is an average defender, and the main flaw in her defense is not staying with who she's supposed to be on. Even if she went over to triple team Clark, she should know that Clark's main assist is passing to whatever teammate is left open when she draws multiple defenders. She left Gabby open at the 3 probably 10 times.

 

[Cuango]

You can say Paige and Azzi are better than everyone and these players match up with those ones. Blah blah blah. But the game isn't as simple as that. South Carolina's team speed is hard for anyone to match, and no one last year did. I think their bigs are really what separated them last season, and now with Cardoso gone they are brought back down to the pack a little bit more. They still have size/athleticism, but you can't replace a mobile 6'7.
With that being said, UConn played them last season without Cardoso and you seen what happened. South Carolina had a lot of Freshman and Sophomores last year who should get better. Dawn shows she will utilize her bench, and so she has a deep team that all have confidence and play hard. Plus all of them are athletes. Then you add their freshman class of more elite athletes and size. Regarding health, I really think Dawn's minute distribution helps keep her players healthy. I think South Carolina's roster is the deepest, most athletic, and scariest roster in the country still. Especially considering they have kept their nucleus in tact. The way they defend is stifling.

How many of UConn’s players were sitting on the bench? Azzi, Caroline, Aubrey, Jana, and Yanna! That is (conservatively) 50 points! Oh, and by the way, UConn can defend too! Hopefully, UConn can finally have a healthy roster for the next few seasons and these questions will be answered on the court. I freely admit SC has been the alpha team for the past few years and they deserve their kudos but they have done that absent the other big dog in women’s basketball. Might they have won anyway? Sure, but they might not have as well. I realize SC fans like to ignore that elephant in the room but ….. it’s a big elephant. Again, it doesn't detract from what SC has accomplished, all they can do is play the games, but once the game is played and the banners raised….a little perspective would be nice.

 

[yhun89]

*First of all Azzi as good of a shooter as she is has never shown hereself to be impactful or a menace on defense, especially in games outside of your conference. Pao Pao's defense improved tremendously under the tutelage of Dawn and is staying a year basically to ensure that she is more impactful. Let's not forget 6'1 Tessa Johnson who is also a dead eye shooter but more athletically able to drive and get midrange shots at a high clip as displayed the entire NCAA tournament
*As far as Ashlyn and Bree, Bree's defense is stronger and she is the better 3pt shooter, and is 6'1 so switches and mismatch scenarios are much less likely with her and she is a better rebounder
* Anyone that says Milaysia and KK are equal is just showing implicit Bias. Milaysia consistent stretches each game with the exception of maybe 3 games where she could not be guarded by the best teams in the county. I can safely say she is a better scorer, is quicker with the ball, has elite vision on passes ( see SEC tournmament Championship and Final Foul Games for reference) and has a significantly better vertical than KK. (Prove me wrong) on any of these views.
*PB is the best guard on either team, but elite athletic defenders like Raven and Fulwilley, as well as lengthy eltie defenders like Hall slow her down significantly in big games of like talent. Where Paige is elite offensively, Raven is elite defensively. slight edge Paige.

• Feagin and Kitts have displayed more effectiveness and trust of skills to impact a real game with big time implications than Shade, Patteson, or Enalfy who has yet to even compete in college.
• Strong and Edwards would be a wash. Strong is a good shooter and instinctive passer, Edwards can guard 1-5, owns the paint, and has excellent athleticism and superior footwork. Edwards, however was MVP of he McDonalds AA Game, Nike Hoop Summitt, and Jordan Brand Game and chosen All Tournament of the U19 Gold Medal game this past summer featuring mostly college players. Strong has better perimeter abilities right now, but Edwards is the superior athlete and fits Dawn's system perfectly.

*Lastly, as Taurasi and Sue Bird stated during their final four shows and any coach with an eye would and has stated this year, Uconn has no Athelet Like Ashlyn Watkins. She displayed this when she battled the best big on Uconn last year n Aaliyah Edwards, who is now gone to the wnba. Geno stated as much during his post game press conference after the lost to SC this year. She dunks with ease, rebounds at a height level uncommon to many female players in college or pro and has a motor that doesnt quit.
* SC has a team of talent has shown dominance on the biggest stage and in college games, whereas other than Bueckers, Azzi and Shade, it seems some are using a lot of "ifs" and "potentially" when describing most of the Uconn players who have not shown it yet in a college game much less big time games.
*

Azzi has been impactful on defense in non conference games. Not standout, but impactful. Te-Hina had a below average defensive performance in the Chip leaving a sharpshooter open 10 times. Luckily, Clark found someone else to pass to, else Gabby would've dropped 20.

Let me reword KK and Milaysia: Offesively, Lay is better. Defensively, they're the same. Speed wise, they're the same. If you don't think KK isn't quick with the ball, you haven't seen her play enough. Against Notre Dame, she blew past their paint defense when she had the ball. A more accurate comparison would've been Aubrey because of their similar verticals and athleticism, but she's more of a forward.

Raven wasn't even the one guarding PB when they played, so there's no way to tell whether Raven would've slowed her down at all. Bree was the one to guard her, did a fine job, but Paige still got 20 points. We're comparing guards overall, not just their offensive capability, and Paige doesn't have a slight edge, she has a big one over Raven. More consistent offensively (see Raven's single digit points in the Chip), can play multiple positions, can block, can pass, lethal midrange, won POTY as a freshman. No argument to say Raven, or any guard on SC, is better in the slightest.
I wasn't even comparing forwards, so not sure what they have to do with anything. Ignoring the last few paragraphs.

The guard play is literally equal.
Azzi=TeHina
PB> Raven
Bree>Ash
Tessa=Azzi
PB>Bree
Lay>KK

 

[Bone Dog]

Feagin and Kitts have displayed more effectiveness and trust of skills to impact a real game with big time implications than Shade, Patteson, or Enalfy who has yet to even compete in college.

I agree with most of your analysis here. But this one you may have misunderstood. Feagin and Kitts are both very good. Kitts is probably a bit better on offense. On the other side, it’s all potential and little experience. All this is true.

But El-Alfy will not be matched up against Feagin or Kitts. It’s true that she will be raw next season and may not have pulled her game together in time for the SC game. But who will she really be playing against in that game? Tac and Walker for stretches, assuming they can get their games together in time. And Watkins, who will be a huge challenge for Jana. The problem won’t be that Watkins is strong. Jana will probably have very strong teammates beside her in Ice and Sarah and maybe even Ayanna. None of them are as athletic as Watkins, but Jana may be. She is very strong herself, quicker than most bigs, has excellent handles — maybe even better than Watkins — a decent perimeter shot, and best of all she loves mixing it up in the paint. This could be a great battle.

Will Jana win that matchup? I doubt it. Not this season. But I really hope she’s got her game going by then. It will be a great game if she does.

The simple fact is Dawn’s team is peaking right now. Geno’s roster is perhaps a year away from its peak.

 

[RadfordRam]

I actually posted my opinion prior to the Chen signing, so that actually seals the deal:

Paige - Outstanding 2 way player, 1st team AA and former national POY, probable WNBA #1 pick if she declares in 25. SC has some great guards but no one at this level.

Chen: former Ivy League POY, scorer at all 3 levels, willing defender, can play PG or SG

Azzi: If healthy potential AA and maybe the best 3 point shooter in the country. Before being injured 2 years ago was averaging 27 PPG

KK: Super quick defender and facilitator

Ashlynn: BE ROY, high percentage shooter and good defender

Caroline: If healthy a good 3 point sniper, can also score in the paint. Sneaky passing lane defender and shot blocker

Q: Streaky but effective shooter, quick with a nose for the ball

Morgan: McD AA, tall ball handling PG, can also play SG and SF. High court awareness.

Allie: another McD AA, deadly 3 point shooter

Sarah: can play SG if needed, very good outside shooter

Again, I gave props to both So. Carolina and ND. They have outstanding guards. I just think UConn is a little better. And I believe most posters on this board agree.

I think South Carolina is better, and it will all play out.

 

[RadfordRam]

How are UCONN’s guards worse than SC?

Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better.
Ash and Bree are equal defensively and offensively, though I think Ash’s midrange is better.
KK and Milaysia are basically equal as well, both shoot the 3, quick on their feet, good defenders, can pass.
PB is 10x better than any guard on SC. No one comes close to her versatility and offensive ability. Even against SC’s best defenders, PB dropped 20 points.
Raven and Nika last year were only separated by offensive ability, but Nika wasn’t an offensive minded player.

UCONN and SC guards are not better or worse than each other. They’re neck and neck. They’re all great at offense and defense. Next year we’re getting another sharpshooter (or two technically) and a tall guard who can play SF. If anything, we’re near equal.

KK Arnold is equal to Milaysia Fulwiley??? Are you out of your mind? Not one unbiased person would say this, the two aren't even comparable! You can have the UConn guards, I'll take Carolina's all day long.

 

[yhun89]

KK Arnold is equal to Milaysia Fulwiley??? Are you out of your mind? Not one unbiased person would say this, the two aren't even comparable! You can have the UConn guards, I'll take Carolina's all day long.

read my reworded version. Equal in defense/speed. Lay has the offensive advantage and the vision. I wasn’t able to edit it once I realized my mistake. Like I said in another post, Aubrey would’ve been the ideal comparison because of the vertical, athleticism, defense, and both being a spark off the bench, but she’s a forward. I understand where I was wrong.

 

[bballnut90]

How are UCONN’s guards worse than SC?

Azzi and Te-Hina are equal offensively, defensively Azzi is better.
Ash and Bree are equal defensively and offensively, though I think Ash’s midrange is better.
KK and Milaysia are basically equal as well, both shoot the 3, quick on their feet, good defenders, can pass.
PB is 10x better than any guard on SC. No one comes close to her versatility and offensive ability. Even against SC’s best defenders, PB dropped 20 points.
Raven and Nika last year were only separated by offensive ability, but Nika wasn’t an offensive minded player.

UCONN and SC guards are not better or worse than each other. They’re neck and neck. They’re all great at offense and defense. Next year we’re getting another sharpshooter (or two technically) and a tall guard who can play SF. If anything, we’re near equal.

I wont argue that Paige alone makes UCONN's backcourt competitive with anyone's in the country, but you're seriously underestimating how good South Carolina's guard play is, namely how good their chemistry is. Both Pao Pao and Johnson outplayed Bueckers head to head this year and were instrumental in their title run. Both are rock solid point guards and decision makers. They fill their role perfectly for South Carolina on both ends of the court. Then you have Fulwiley who is a rising star and the most athletic guard in the women's game, and Bree Hall who is a big physical wing that defends well and can knock down shots. it's a ridiculously good backcourt. And I haven't even mentioned Tessa Johnson yet who scored 19 in the title game and averaged double figures in the tournament. They all filled their roles perfectly for South Carolina this past year, and all 5 players are back next season which should make the transition seamless.

UCONN's backcourt is deep and talented (likely 10 players competing for 3 spots on the court) but has question marks surrounding health and playing time. We know Paige is starting, but we have no idea who else is or who is going to run the point between her or KK.
Fudd is coming off an ACL and is an enigma at this point. Both her and Griffin might not be fully healthy until the middle of next season. Shade/Arnold had solid rookie seasons but I'm not sure either is a projected starter next year, so their impact might be significantly reduced in 2024-25. And you have 3 newcomers in Chen/Chelli/Ziebell added to the mix, but I'm not sure anyone knows how playing time will unfold as only Bueckers is locked in as a starter. And you can't forget about Ducharme who has had glimpses of great play amidst injuries, and Samuels who is athletic but didn't get much playing time as a freshman. UCONN has a lot of talent on paper but no one knows what the depth chart and rotation will look like, or how healthy certain players might be. It could work out perfectly for UCONN, but right now it's a stark contrast from South Carolina's roster which was a well oiled machine this season and has all of their backcourt players returning.

 

[BRS24]

Today's update - Stanford and Oregon State drop out:

Women's Way-Too-Early Top 25: South Carolina stays No. 1, Maryland makes it in

With just over a month left until the season begins, where the best teams fall in behind the Gamecocks -- including the Terrapins.

www.espn.com

I'm a very visual person, so here's what it looks like (and yes, this is what all my WBB stat spreadsheets look like)
View attachment 100466

So, any thoughts on Stanford completely dropping off, and the 4 schools also considered? Do we have another NCSU on our hands for the upcoming season?