Interesting Opening Day/Week Games | Page 2 | The Boneyard

Interesting Opening Day/Week Games

Well, tOSU battled back but they could not overcome USC.
 
Freshman guards on opening day have been brilliant all day. Juju. Hidalgo. With 30! Fulwiley off the bench . Wow.

Makayla and LSU still to come
 
Their supposed star McMahon did not have a good game.
I was wondering what was up (only watched the 2nd half and with the sound off). Did the announcers talk about it at all?
 
Sounds weird to say about a team that was the best in the nation last year, but I think this team has a higher ceiling. Last year's team was great but flawed. Against a top tier opponent, they were always prone to a tight whistle or awful shooting.

This year's team looks like a better shooting team. They may not have the automatic buckets inside, but Cardoso isn't much of a step down from Boston. Last year's team lived on the O boards. This year's team can actually make first shots. I'm not sure that Fulwiley is a shooter, but she's quick, a tenacious defender, and a gifted distributor. I've seen her listed at between 5'6" and 5'10". I think she's on the taller side of that.
 
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JuJu Watkins(the real deal) has 16 points at the half. Plus 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block in USC's 46-28 lead at the half. Game is on Tru TV
I really wanted to land JuJu and wondered aloud whether SoCal might not be a rising force.
 
This year's team looks like a better shooting team. They may not have the automatic buckets inside, but Cardoso isn't much of a step down from Boston. Last year's team lived on the O boards. This year's team can actually make first shots. I'm not sure that Fulwiley is a shooter, but she's quick, a tenacious defender, and a gifted distributor. I've seen her listed at between 5'6" and 5'10". I think she's on the taller side of that.

She's definitely around 5'10.
 
This year's team looks like a better shooting team. They may not have the automatic buckets inside, but Cardoso isn't much of a step down from Boston. Last year's team lived on the O boards. This year's team can actually make first shots. I'm not sure that Fulwiley is a shooter, but she's quick, a tenacious defender, and a gifted distributor. I've seen her listed at between 5'6" and 5'10". I think she's on the taller side of that.
She is a hot/cold shooter from 3. Today was an off day. I expect more consistency as she matures but she has the touch. She made a logo 3 in the charity event against Rutgers and I believe was 3-6 from downtown up until junk time.
 
South Carolina is much more watchable than in past years. They are big, fast, and athletic. I think they are a top 2-3 team, possibly better than LSU. They added a certified shooter in PaoPao. They are beatable, but they are really, really good.
Couldn't agree more. Maybe not quite as good defensively or on the boards, but much better/more balanced offensively with (maybe mostly the same thing) much better passing all around. I'm also pleased to see Tehina looking like her best former self after a really difficult last season in Eugene for many different reasons. The move has obviously been very good for her, as it has, I believe, for Dawn as well, since I don't think she's had a point guard on the roster like Tehina since Harris.
 
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I’ve got good news and bad news.
The good? SC smokes Notre Dame!
The bad? SC smokes Notre Dame!:rolleyes:
Clearly “The reports of SC’s decline have been greatly exaggerated!” I’ve been pretty critical of all the pundits who are saying Dawn will have to step back and regroup now that she lost Boston and three other of her top line players. I think this SC team is better than they were last year! Those people who were looking forward to a slightly less menacing presence at the top of the SEC need to reevaluate quickly!
I realize ND is still missing their stud leader in Miles but let me tell you, they have another stud in Hidalgo, who merely produced 31, 4, 3, 3 in her first game against one of the best teams in the country! So, no tears for ND but perhaps some concern for the (at least slightly) unexpected juggernaut that is South Carolina! Kim better be paying attention because her road to a repeat suddenly looks waaaay more difficult! In addition, those who are savoring thoughts of another possible undefeated season at UConn may need to reevaluate the likelihood of that happening. Not that it can’t but only that it may he a bit more difficult to accomplish such a feat!
Finally, it seems everywhere you look these days, you find truly great players scattered around the country! JuJu just made her debut at USC and led the 21 ranked Trojans to an upset over the #7 Buckeyes. Iit’s getting scary out there!
 
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This year's team looks like a better shooting team. They may not have the automatic buckets inside, but Cardoso isn't much of a step down from Boston. Last year's team lived on the O boards. This year's team can actually make first shots. I'm not sure that Fulwiley is a shooter, but she's quick, a tenacious defender, and a gifted distributor. I've seen her listed at between 5'6" and 5'10". I think she's on the taller side of that.
Not sure about them being a better shooting team. PaoPao is a great shooter but as a team they were 31% from 3 and under 70% from the free throw line. Still might be a pain point for them. They are definitely playing a faster pace and will be a better team offensively in terms of first shot. They are very well constructed this year so there won't be too many bad match ups for them.
 
Good think Duke won handily earlier, cuz @triaddukefan is probably being caused some pain by what Va Tech is doing to High Point. That's the good and the bad about having so many teams to root for. Some are gonna win, some are gonna lose on any given day.
 
Well, the SC ND game was an eye opener for me, I thought ND would upset SC. I knew Cardoso would be a handful but the Freshman PG was amazing. They looked FF or even NC capable to me.
LOL. Accessed a 1:54 YouTube video of USC's 29-point pummeling of ND. Low and behold, every single second showed a Notre Dame score, rebound or steal. What's that about (I'm wondering)? Well, at the end I realize the video was "ACC Highlights".

Highlights?
 
I also didn't really follow the hype around Ohio State and well yeah.

Ohio State started off rough last season and finished strong. Not to mention, much different roster than last year with Mikesell graduating. Outside shooting from 3 may be a challenge this season.

Another thing to consider is that the team also has to adjust to the new rules. For example McMahon was tagged with two offensive fouls, which likely wouldn't have been called against her last season. She has to adjust her style of play and that's going to take time.
 
Ohio State started off rough last season and finished strong. Not to mention, much different roster than last year with Mikesell graduating. Outside shooting from 3 may be a challenge this season.

Another thing to consider is that the team also has to adjust to the new rules. For example McMahon was tagged with two offensive fouls, which likely wouldn't have been called against her last season. She has to adjust her style of play and that's going to take time.
Starting 19-0 and being ranked 2 in the country is starting rough?
 
Well this is surprising. Jeff Judkins was the head coach at BYU for 20+ years. I assumed he retired after leaving there at the end of last season. He didn't. He's now an assistant coach at Utah. Huh.
 
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Good think Duke won handily earlier, cuz @triaddukefan is probably being caused some pain by what Va Tech is doing to High Point. That's the good and the bad about having so many teams to root for. Some are gonna win, some are gonna lose on any given day.

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We kept them under 100. No one scores 100 on my Panthers, except for UConn in 2021.
 
Mark Campbell's debut at TCU, got a nice little 30 pt/11 rebound game from Arizona transfer Maddie Conner. TCU beat Oral Roberts by 20.
 
Refs are in mid season form in Salt Lake City. 30 fouls called...at halftime. Pili has 26 for the Utes on a mere 7 FGA. That is hard to do.
 
Starting 19-0 and being ranked 2 in the country is starting rough?

If I recall correctly, most panned their non-conference even with credible wins. Injuries to key players like Greene and Sheldon had some wondering how long the run would last.

Conference play, some questionab losses, including their blowout loss to Iowa at the Big 10 finals, had people skeptical as to how well they'd do during the tournament.
 
Okay, I saw highlights of USC-Ohio St. Watkins is SMOOTH. She looks like she has that something special that very, very few players possess.
Physically imposing presence, too. I was really impressed. Didn’t know what to expect - Bueckers and Clark set the freshman bar so ridiculously high that I wasn’t sure Watkins would live up to the hype. But she looked as good as advertised.

USC looks to have made some interesting positional changes after robbing the Ivy League blind. Playing Watkins as a 3/4 and moving Marshall to the 5, where she is incredibly gifted defensively.

Ohio State started 19-0 last year. USC could have a special year in a wide-open PAC.
 
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Missisippi Valley St. lit up Utah for 24 first quarter points. They've scored 19 since, and the game is almost over. Getting boat raced by 60. Pili didn't return for the 2nd half, got poked in the eye.
 
Okay, I saw highlights of USC-Ohio St. Watkins is SMOOTH. She looks like she has that something special that very, very few players possess.
Watkins looked REAL smooth out there. What a way to make an entrance!! Watkins is going to be a problem, in a good way. Well done, USC and Coach Gottlieb.
 
Don't look now, but My Aggies of NCA&T lead UGA 37-36 in the third period. We led 33-25 at the half.
I expect those crooked $EC refs will play a factor from here on out.
 
An hour into the season and I'm ready to make a declaration. Duke may be better than last year, definitely a top 25 team at least. Shout out to @triaddukefan . They hit their freshman class out of the park. I didn't remember they had Delaney Thomas. I remember hearing about her years ago when she hooped with Azzi Fudd

I picked us #10 in the ACC in the preseason. I made it down to watch the scrimmage in person.... may have to adjust my expectations up a bit. Not ready to call us a Top 25 team, see me at the end of December.
 
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