Christyn Williams's Final 2: UConn and SC

[Hope]

Meg and Christyn. I think the word is “unstoppable.” And Christyn knows it.

Unstoppable? I'm trying to recall the last time I came across that word in print.

 

[SCGamecock]

IMO Vic Schaefer best coach in the SEC! I have been a fan of Dawns since her Virginia days! A great player but an average coach for now.

Your “best coach in the SEC” hasn’t beaten SC or Dawn in 10+ tries and lost to her three times last year, including twice after the lost of their #2 offensive option. What?

Schaefer is often called the best defensive coach in the league even though Dawn’s defenses consistently outclass and outrank his in most defensive categories year after year after year... Look I don’t mind believing that Schaefer is a great coach, because he is. He’s very good.. but the best in the SEC? What exactly are we basing these statements on? Where are the receipts? Are we calling him the best coach regardless of the facts or are we presenting actual evidence? OR, is he the best because he figured out the key to beating UConn is a 6’7 post player and a 5’4 point guard? That’s literally the only thing I could find.

...But he’s the best coach, so he’ll eventually figure out how to beat the 2nd or 3rd best coach in the league, right?

 

[sharris952]

I would be shocked if Christyn Williams didnt come to UConn for a couple of reasons. One UConn is at a different level and with this years freshman class added to the existing upper classman there is no question UConn is set to win multiple NC's in the future and there is no other team close. Some posters mentioned SC had a former Tenn coach added to the coaching staff. Well perhaps CW was interested in Tenn because of their former asst coach and because of what Tenn once was . Tenn is no longer a threat. With that said SC is not what Tenn once was so I cant count SC in and as good as SC was last year they are no UConn.

As far as bigs. We had Collier playing the post last season and we were undefeated in the regular season so let Baylor and Texas load their teams with height and let that height sit on the bench until those girls realize if they want playtime and exposure and a future in BB they need to transfer to a team that needs height. Stockpiling height when lineups only need one or 2 post players is silly. Only make sense.

Time will tell. The coach that is at SC was the lead recruiter for the class that Tenn just signed. And though UConn has in the past been on another level, the last 4 years was more the result of great coaching with a generational player, Breanna Stewart. Last year's UConn team was not invincible and therefore had to work to win in the 4th qtr of some big games last year and eventually lost in the final four. No disrespect, but nowadays some players like to competition and to be on a team that can either beat the supposed bully or rival the them. South Carolina present this challenge if they get these two players, given the existing talent on their team. If we don't Dawn will continue to pursue talent. No matter UConn may think of Dawn, she doesn't back down from a challenge.

 

[sharris952]

IMO Vic Schaefer best coach in the SEC! I have been a fan of Dawns since her Virginia days! A great player but an average coach for now.

Puhleeez. If Vic is the best coach, then Dawn is his mother or proverbial Daddy. She has beaten him 10 times in a row. She loses a star player and beats him for an SEC title without her. She, then for good measure, beat him again after his team was making a big run of knocking off 2 #1 seeds and defending champion UConn, again without one of her best players. If, Vic is the best coach, I will continue to endorse the coach #2 in your eyes. I like the results better. Take of the hatoraid.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Puhleeez. If Vic is the best coach, then Dawn is his mother or proverbial Daddy.

It has to be said that Schaefer lacks one high school AA on his roster, I believe. Plus, he keeps winning despite a 37% shooter taking by far the most shots on the team. Staley's really good but that's awfully impressive.

 

[Charliebball]

Your “best coach in the SEC” hasn’t beaten SC or Dawn in 10+ tries and lost to her three times last year, including twice after the lost of their #2 offensive option. What?

Schaefer is often called the best defensive coach in the league even though Dawn’s defenses consistently outclass and outrank his in most defensive categories year after year after year... Look I don’t mind believing that Schaefer is a great coach, because he is. He’s very good.. but the best in the SEC? What exactly are we basing these statements on? Where are the receipts? Are we calling him the best coach regardless of the facts or are we presenting actual evidence? OR, is he the best because he figured out the key to beating UConn is a 6’7 post player and a 5’4 point guard? That’s literally the only thing I could find.

...But he’s the best coach, so he’ll eventually figure out how to beat the 2nd or 3rd best coach in the league, right?

isn't it fair to say that South Carolina has had superior talent to Schaefer's teams over the past few years? As Geno always says, you can't win without talent no matter how good a coach you are...............

 

[HuskyMJ]

It has to be said that Schaefer lacks one high school AA on his roster, I believe. Plus, he keeps winning despite a 37% shooter taking by far the most shots on the team. Staley's really good but that's awfully impressive.

Recruiting is a big part of evaluating a college coach. Too many people try to separate it, I don't get it.

 

[HuskyMJ]

isn't it fair to say that South Carolina has had superior talent to Schaefer's teams over the past few years? As Geno always says, you can't win without talent no matter how good a coach you are.....

Well how good of a coach are you if you can't get said talent you need to win with?

 

[Sluconn Husky]

Recruiting is a big part of evaluating a college coach. Too many people try to separate it, I don't get it.

If you really wanna break Staley's resume down, her greatest success came after she received two highly-rated transfers. Nothing wrong with that, but outside of Tyasha Harris and hometown girl A'ja Wilson has she done a ton in the recruiting department?

 

[HuskyMJ]

If you really wanna break Staley's resume down, her greatest success came after she received two highly-rated transfers. Nothing wrong with that but outside of Tyasha Harris and hometown girl A'ja Wilson, has she done a ton in the recruiting department?

I don't see huge differences, its all procurement of players. Isn't recruiting a transfer still recruiting? They take official visits, are wooed by numerous schools. I assume the South Carolina transfers had a lot of suitors.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

I don't see huge differences, its all procurement of players. Isn't recruiting a transfer still recruiting? They take official visits, are wooed by numerous schools. I assume the South Carolina transfers had a lot of suitors.

That's fine but what percentage of yearly rosters are made up by transfers? It's great to get some but nobody is having sustained success because of them.

 

[HuskyMJ]

That's fine but what percentage of yearly rosters are made up by transfers? It's great to get some but nobody is having sustained success because of them.

Maybe South Carolina will be the first? I don't really know for sure. Kaela Davis, Allisha Gray, Alexis Jennings, Lindsey Spann, Te'a Cooper, who knows who they will get next year. My hunch is she will supplement the transfers with improved high school recruiting, like they have one highly rated 2018 commit, maybe they can get Williams or Nelson-Ododa but if not I think with the national championship they are well positioned to get some good players in 2019. We will see whether the new recruiting coordinator Law will help with that regard.

 

[sharris952]

It has to be said that Schaefer lacks one high school AA on his roster, I believe. Plus, he keeps winning despite a 37% shooter taking by far the most shots on the team. Staley's really good but that's awfully impressive.

But that is just it, Recruiting is a part of being a good coach and Dawn has accomplished that skill to a certain extent. Also she was able to set a level of discipline that does not have a player taking those crazy shots. She also corralled and meshed two players into an already successful team to win a Championship. One of those players, was one that most other fan bases thought would destroy the chemistry of our team and put up shots similar to the one you mention. By the time that Miss. St. and South Carolina played in National Title Game, Miss. St was supposed to have more depth as Coates was back home. Therefore that does not excuse him if he is such a better coach than Dawn.

 

[SCspur]

Looking at both rosters, I would say Williams has a better chance to win at Uconn. Also Dawn hasn’t signed an elite player since 2014, she got lucky with 2 high level transfers, but Williams has to think about who she will be playing with for the next four years.

In terms of elite level talent I would say SC has a good mixture of talent on the roster to support two superstars( ala. CW, ONO) as well as Victaria Saxton who is the sleeper of the class IMO.

Ty Harris was rated #28 in the nation #9 overall point guard but she's clearly in the upper echelon of her class. Leading her team to a national championship as well as having a big summer on the U19 team. She is primed for a big sophomore campaign and will surprise a lot of people. CW has also been on record stating that she is would like to play with Harris and Destanni Henderson.

 

[DeeHusky]

Like Baylor's loss gave Uconn one in 2013.

Yes, it did give them that one, there's 10 more to bag that one up! & I'm pretty sure that UConn would've contested Baylor well had they played because there wasn't much gap between UConn & Baylor that year. Baylor only had Sims and Griner; everyone else was ineffective. UConn had Dolson, Faris, Hartley, Mosqueda-Lewis, Stewart, who by the way was new and improved by the time the NCAAs rolled around. So that game could've went either way. Whereas, had UConn played South Carolina 10/10 UConn would've beat them every single time and you would not be Nat'l champions and Mississipi State as well! Simply because of the fact that UConn's guards are a lot smarter, stronger, and consistent - they would win every game against S. Carolina. To say Dawn is one of the best guards in the history of the game, she doesn't do a really good job with guard play at all. All of her teams have been post first with very stagnant guard play. With that being said - Defend your championship! We don't have anything to lose this year!

 

[SCGamecock]

If you really wanna break Staley's resume down, her greatest success came after she received two highly-rated transfers. Nothing wrong with that, but outside of Tyasha Harris and hometown girl A'ja Wilson has she done a ton in the recruiting department?

... and if we want to break it down further than that then we can discuss the success SC has had before Allisha Gray and Kaela Davis even suited up for South Carolina. SC had a stranglehold on the SEC before those two, heck before Wilson even. A'ja wasn't on campus when we won our first SEC championship... back when we had players like Lisa Welch, Tina Roy, Asia Dozier, Kadijiah Sessions, Tiffany Mitchell, Elem Ibiam, Ieshia Walker, LaKiesha Sutton, Ashley Bruner.. none of those were all-american caliber players, but Dawn overachieved with them and won big games... the winning with those players led to Coates, Wilson, Gray, Davis, Harris, etc..

We have good players now, so it's easy to look at them and say "oh yeah, Dawn should win.. she has the best players in the league".. but what about when SC didn't have the best players in the league.. what was the cause for winning back then? Vic does a tremendous job developing talent, but lets not overlook Dawn's ability to develop as well just because she's getting "better" talent than Vic is now.

 

[SCGamecock]

Yes, it did give them that one. There's 10 more to bag that one up! & I'm pretty sure that UConn would've contested Baylor well had they played because there wasn't much gap between UConn & Baylor that year. Baylor only had Sims and Griner; everyone else was ineffective. UConn had Dolson, Faris, Hartley, Mosqueda-Lewis, Stewart, who by the way was new and improved by the time the NCAAs rolled around. So that game could've went either way. Whereas, had UConn played South Carolina 10/10 UConn would've beat them every time and you wouldn't not be Nat'l championships and Mississipi State as well! Defend your championship! We don't have anything to lose this year! Watch out for Gabby, Napheesa, and Lou this year btw.

I'm sure you went into that Mississippi State game thinking you'd beat them 10/10 times too. The tournament is funny, strange things happen.

You mentioned UConn having so and so.. and Stewart being "new and improved".. but did you stop and wonder if maybe SC was new and improved in the tournament? Maybe SC was playing different.. finding a new groove, figuring out what works. Who knows what the outcome would've been. All I know is Wilson was playing with a rage and a fury that I'm not sure anybody was stopping those last two games of the tournament..

 

[sharris952]

Yes, it did give them that one, there's 10 more to bag that one up! & I'm pretty sure that UConn would've contested Baylor well had they played because there wasn't much gap between UConn & Baylor that year. Baylor only had Sims and Griner; everyone else was ineffective. UConn had Dolson, Faris, Hartley, Mosqueda-Lewis, Stewart, who by the way was new and improved by the time the NCAAs rolled around. So that game could've went either way. Whereas, had UConn played South Carolina 10/10 UConn would've beat them every single time and you would not be Nat'l champions and Mississipi State as well! Simply because of the fact that UConn's guards are a lot smarter, stronger, and consistent - they would win every game against S. Carolina. To say Dawn is one of the best guards in the history of the game, she doesn't do a really good job with guard play at all. All of her teams have been post first with very stagnant guard play. With that being said - Defend your championship! We don't have anything to lose this year!

I know UConn has dominated the last decade with Championships, but sometimes the arrogance is boorish. Aja Wilson was playing like a beast in the tournament and she dominated the frontline that took down UConn two nights before the Nat. Championship Game. Also, during the regular season game last year, UConn won the game at home by 11 but the two transfers both had terrible games as they were still adjusting to their new roles.
By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

 

[asuwish]

If she is thinking winning and teamates Uconn has Walker ahead of her and possibly Brunnelle and a big class behind her. If the girl from Australia of Georgia committed it probably would not hurt, but I hope somebody told her with so many transfers who knows who graduates with you just look at the UNC class a few years ago when everyone left

 

[Carnac]

Dawn hiring Jolette Law from Tennessee that was their chief recruiter was genius. If recruiting was a deficiency in Dawn's program, Law can button that up. Law has D-1 head coach experience. If she was able to make Tennessee attractive to potential recruits, doing the same thing for South Carolina should not be difficult given the fact that the Gamecocks have a recent history of success, not to mention winning a NC last year.

COLUMBIA – University of South Carolina women’s basketball head coach Dawn Staley announced today the hiring of Jolette Law as an assistant coach. Law’s resume includes five seasons as a head coach at Illinois, and the Florence, S.C., native most recently spent five seasons as an assistant coach at Tennessee.

“I am excited to welcome Jolette to the Gamecock family,” Staley said. “Her experience as a head coach and recruiter will be instrumental as we continue to compete for and win championships. Her basketball knowledge, energy and passion for the game are invaluable additions to our program.”

 

[donalddoowop]

You're right, and I would never say they were entitled to one. What I would say is that UConn was the best team in the nation last season. There was little to no gap between UConn and Baylor by the end of 2013.

I was not aware of that. I had no idea Uconn could compete with Baylor that season. I believe that was because I had just recently started following Uconn again. The SLU Billikens men's team had garnered most of my attention during that time.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

But that is just it, Recruiting is a part of being a good coach and Dawn has accomplished that skill to a certain extent. Also she was able to set a level of discipline that does not have a player taking those crazy shots. She also corralled and meshed two players into an already successful team to win a Championship. One of those players, was one that most other fan bases thought would destroy the chemistry of our team and put up shots similar to the one you mention. By the time that Miss. St. and South Carolina played in National Title Game, Miss. St was supposed to have more depth as Coates was back home. Therefore that does not excuse him if he is such a better coach than Dawn.

sharris952- - - Being a "great recruiter" doesn't make a great coach! Look at Sylvia Hatchell, Muffet McGraw, Andy Landers, Gail Goestenkors, Brenda Frese, Joanne P. McCallie, Kevin McGuff, Holly Warlick, etc.! It'll be interesting to see what Karen Aston at TX does now with some elite recruits! Will she dominate the Big 12 and make the Final Four?
Hatchell & McGraw have one Championship each and are lucky to have those!
Dawn should thank Vic Shaeffer and MissSt on bended knee for beating UCONN or Dawn and SoCar would still be searching for their 1st Championship! UCONN would have beaten SoCar in the finals by 20+ points! And you can bet the ranch on that.

 

[Alydar]

I know UConn has dominated the last decade with Championships, but sometimes the arrogance is boorish. Aja Wilson was playing like a beast in the tournament and she dominated the frontline that took down UConn two nights before the Nat. Championship Game. Also, during the regular season game last year, UConn won the game at home by 11 but the two transfers both had terrible games as they were still adjusting to their new roles.
By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

When you elect to come to another team's board you have to expect to encounter some arrogance, especially considering the history between the teams. What is also arrogant is the Gamecock fans who have been telling UConn fans every year how the Huskies would lose in long and detailed posts. Three years ago we were told about the tremendous depth of SC's awesome front line would wear down UConn. The reality was Wilson/Coates/Ibiam waving to the sideline to be taken out as they were unable to keep up with the pace of UConn, who had 4 players going 35+ min. and still ran SC off the court. The next year UConn fans were assured that the sellout crowd at SC would provide all the energy needed to lead the gamecocks to victory. How did that work out? Last season, same thing. Without Stewart & Tuck Wilson would dominate. The one who dominated was Williams. Three years of bluster. And now SC fans are chirping (yes, chirping) about how "this year" would be different. Now I have no problem with that, I enjoy spirit in the fans of UConn's opponents. But for you to start in about what Wilson and the two transfers "would have done" I have to laugh. See you in February. And good luck in the SEC.

 

[RSHERMVIKES]

I know UConn has dominated the last decade with Championships, but sometimes the arrogance is boorish. Aja Wilson was playing like a beast in the tournament and she dominated the frontline that took down UConn two nights before the Nat. Championship Game. Also, during the regular season game last year, UConn won the game at home by 11 but the two transfers both had terrible games as they were still adjusting to their new roles.
By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

sharris952- - - -Where has SoCar been the last 4-5 games of the series vs UCONN? The BY hears a lot of bragging and big talk from SoCar fans beforehand who turn humble quickly after UCONN hands Dawn & SoCar their butts after they knock them off!
Your opinion is not backed up by facts! It's not bragging if you can do it! As I said in another post here, "Dawn & SoCar should thank Vic Shaeffer and MissSt on bended knee for knocking off UCONN, because if UCONN made the Finals vs SoCar they would have won by 20+ points and Dawn would still be searching for her 1st Championship!"
SoCar is the RED SOX of WCBB. Their fans think their 9 Championships make them the equal to the NY Yankees 27 titles!
When Dawn & SoCar have 11+ titles then talk to the BY and UCONN about how great you are, other-wise SoCar is just another Wanna-be pretender!

 

[eebmg]

I know UConn has dominated the last decade with Championships, but sometimes the arrogance is boorish. Aja Wilson was playing like a beast in the tournament and she dominated the frontline that took down UConn two nights before the Nat. Championship Game. Also, during the regular season game last year, UConn won the game at home by 11 but the two transfers both had terrible games as they were still adjusting to their new roles.
By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

Three decades

SC is a very good team and Aja is a NPOY candidate but they still have alot to prove in my opinion. SC's win over Stanford was greatly helped when Carlie Samuelson went down and took the heart out of Stanford ( they were blitzing SC at the time) while Miss St was a shell of a team after the emotional drain of beating UConn.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Almost 3 weeks to go. Can we get to 1,000 posts in the thread??

 

[DeeHusky]

I'm sure you went into that Mississippi State game thinking you'd beat them 10/10 times too. The tournament is funny, strange things happen.

You mentioned UConn having so and so.. and Stewart being "new and improved".. but did you stop and wonder if maybe SC was new and improved in the tournament? Maybe SC was playing different.. finding a new groove, figuring out what works. Who knows what the outcome would've been. All I know is Wilson was playing with a rage and a fury that I'm not sure anybody was stopping those last two games of the tournament..

Mississippi State got lucky. Had they played them again, they would be them 10/10 they would beat them all 10! As well as South Carolina.

Are you not aware of the big leap Stewart made her freshman year of the NCAA tournament that garnered her preseason poy awards for that next season & beyond? Not to discredit A’ja, but she was not playing any different in the tourney than she had all year. Not saying she was bad either, it’s just that Stewart was not as effective as she was her freshman regular season like she was post season. Maybe when Coates went down is what you are saying. That made the offense better because Coates was taking up space. As far as anybody stopping them (I had to laugh at you on this one.) That Stanford game wasn’t that much of a point differential to get to the championship. They didn’t completely demolish teams to say anybody couldn’t stop them. Certainly Baylor would’ve been a good match up, Miss St was good a match up, UConn certainly could’ve stopped them. etc

 

[DeeHusky]

I know UConn has dominated the last decade with Championships, but sometimes the arrogance is boorish. Aja Wilson was playing like a beast in the tournament and she dominated the frontline that took down UConn two nights before the Nat. Championship Game. Also, during the regular season game last year, UConn won the game at home by 11 but the two transfers both had terrible games as they were still adjusting to their new roles.
By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

What beast was she playing like? She played her normal game, which is great don’t get me wrong, but nothing was different. Except for Coates not being in the lineup. Gray and Davis both played inconsistent ALL season long, nothing has changed. Gray had the better season of the two and started playing a little better, but nothing really had changed. Their games didn’t flourish the way they could’ve because of Dawn’s offense being so post-oriented. You could see they were reluctant to take shots that they would normally take, had they been at their previous schools, all season long.

As far my opinion, you’re right. I think they were unbeatable, they are unbeatable, they will be unbeatable. Miss St got lucky. You and I both know that, you was just hoping for a loss. And you got it. Imagine winning 111 times in a row, what are you chances to lose? Oh that’s right? You can’t imagine that!

 

[Sluconn Husky]

By the tourney, they were playing at another level and it is most definitely not a given that the results would have been the same. I know, I know, you think UConn would have been unbeatable, but now we know that was not the case. So you have your opinion and we will have ours.

Nobody is really unbeatable. The Mississippi State game showed that even 21-point dogs can find ways to win. That said, South Carolina wasn't a powerhouse in the tourney either. They didn't have to play any of the four best teams besides themselves and were one possession from losing to an ASU team that finished the year unranked. I agree that us Husky fans can get overconfident, but it's hard to suggest UConn was likely to lose when they were one missed free throw against MSU from being 159-1.

 

[easttexastrash]

Miss St did not get lucky, either against Baylor or UCONN. They beat the two teams that most thought were the top teams in the tourney. Geno had a week to prepare for MSU and was beaten just like Baylor was. Give them the respect they deserve

I think everyone got lucky that Alexis Jones got hurt toward the end of the season and just didn’t have the same physical strength she had when she was playing AA caliber ball earlier in the season.