Is it NC or bust for SC this year?

[EricLA]

Pretty good article IMHO. Some pretty good questions and well written by Greg Hadley at The State. Gotta love this part of his article:

"Fans are riding high off the team’s glorious 2017 run. Expectations are lofty. Staley is bringing in a solid crop of freshmen and has transfers in Alexis Jennings and Lindsey Spann who should contribute right away. A repeat is not completely out of the question.

But it seems extraordinarily unlikely that the Gamecocks will dodge Connecticut two years in a row, and Staley has never bested Geno Auriemma’s squad. Can you really be considered the best women’s college team in the country if you haven’t beaten the Huskies?"
http://Fans are riding high off the...asketball/article179479306.html#storylink=cpy
NC or bust and 3 other questions facing SC

 

[stwainfan]

They did lose three key players.

 

[TitleTown]

I just don't get the hype about SC this year. Don't get me wrong, they will still be a good team, but nowhere near what they were last year. You just don't lose your #2, #3, and #4 scorers and not miss a beat.

 

[nwhoopfan]

I think NC or bust is much for applicable to UConn than South Carolina this year. A program with only a very short recent history of relevance in women's hoops probably isn't really going to heap that kind of expectation on themselves.

 

[bballnut90]

With or without Davis and Gray, it's going to take a miracle for anyone to touch the Huskies this year. Wilson is a good player but she isn't transcendent a la Parker, Taurasi or Moore. SC got lucky with Mississippi State's win last year...I just don't see lightning striking twice.

 

[SCGamecock]

I just don't get the hype about SC this year. Don't get me wrong, they will still be a good team, but nowhere near what they were last year. You just don't lose your #2, #3, and #4 scorers and not miss a beat.

What hype? Have you been checking the preseason polls.. we're ranked modestly in a few of them... one even had us outside of the top ten.

I agree, we're not world beaters.. but we will still be a top 10/15 team. Any hype we're receiving is the hype a team typically receives coming off a title.. or the hype from Wilson still being on roster.

 

[SCGamecock]

If anybody's receiving hype it's UConn (deservedly so depending on who you ask)... you'd think they were in the SEC judging by how much they're talking about the Huskies at SEC WBB Media Days.

 

[donalddoowop]

I just don't get the hype about SC this year. Don't get me wrong, they will still be a good team, but nowhere near what they were last year. You just don't lose your #2, #3, and #4 scorers and not miss a beat.

Uconn did, but it was 1, 2, and 3.

 

[DriveLH]

I just don't get the hype about SC this year. Don't get me wrong, they will still be a good team, but nowhere near what they were last year. You just don't lose your #2, #3, and #4 scorers and not miss a beat.

Really? We lost 1,2,and 3 and had an OK year last year.

 

[huskeynut]

Well I'm going to defend SC here. My niece would be in shock!!!

Dawn has built the winning culture. The expectations are there and are probably the same as UConn's - league regular season title, league tournament title and the nationl championship.

Every team graduates key players. Can the coach fill those gaps? I believe Dawn can and will. Team chemistry - every time a player graduates and another comes in the team chemistry changes. But if the culture, work ethic are there, the chemistry will form.

If I was an opposing coach, I would not sleep on SC - even Mississippi State. I fully expect SC to be a top 5 team all season and make the FInal Four again.

 

[SCspur]

One game at a time. Dawn knows what she has and has been pretty blunt saying that this team won't be as talented as last years but if they learn their roles and gel together as a team they will be a tough out.

A good foundation of Harris, Wilson, Cuevas-Moore, and Jennings is a start. I think the other players will follow suit. Also dawn stated at SEC media day that they will seek a waiver for Te'a Cooper to get immediate eligibility to play this year. If the NCAA grants her waiver having cooper in the backcourt will make this team dangerous.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

they will seek a waiver for Te'a Cooper to get immediate eligibility to play this year

If your name has Carolina in it anything is possible with the NCAA apparently. Getting kicked off a team is a hardship isn't it?

 

[Plebe]

If anybody's receiving hype it's UConn (deservedly so depending on who you ask)... you'd think they were in the SEC judging by how much they're talking about the Huskies at SEC WBB Media Days.

Ha yes, I noticed that as well. Dawn was asked specifically about her continued series with UConn (Dawn said that they want to continue playing UConn in hopes of continuing to close the gap), but of course much of the UConn talk was reveling in the memory of MSU's upset win.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

No one in Columbia expects to repeat and I’d count Dawn in that group based on what she has said about the team.

That doesn’t mean that the expectation isn’t to compete for the SEC.

It’s a strange question and a somewhat adversarial one honestly for the paper to ask.

This team doesn’t have guards that can do what Gray and Davis could do and Alexis Jennings isn’t Alaina Coates.

That doesn’t mean it can’t over achieve like Dawn’s earlier squads.

 

[YellwJcket999]

Really? We lost 1,2,and 3 and had an OK year last year.

LOL... We are more than fans, we are fanatics.

An undefeated regular season and a final four appearance (a couple of free throws shy of the championship game) is just OK. Sheesh.
It sounds like its NC or bust for Uconn.----------------------------> and for me it is. But hey off the top of my head I think we have been to the final four 11 years in a row and 16 out of the last 18 years. I say last year was business as usual.

 

[tomcat]

What hype? Have you been checking the preseason polls.. we're ranked modestly in a few of them... one even had us outside of the top ten.

I agree, we're not world beaters.. but we will still be a top 10/15 team. Any hype we're receiving is the hype a team typically receives coming off a title.. or the hype from Wilson still being on roster.

Nice, realistic assessment. I see SC as maybe Top 5 right now, with a lot to prove. If that old intangible, chemistry, works for Dawn, she could have a helluva year. Otherwise, I don't see them touching UConn this year.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Living in the D.C. area, I can attest to the change in expectations after Maryland won the 2006 championship. Many of the locals figured that they had gotten over the hump and would repeat multiple times. The uneducated didn't realize it was a down year for both Tennessee and Connecticut. The Terps did make the Final Four twice this decade, but have not made the title game. Winning a championship is harder than some people think it is. It will be interesting to see what happens with S.C. If anyone thinks that Dawn is Geno's equal and S.C. is UConn's equal, they likely will be disappointed.

 

[YellwJcket999]

I think Dawn is a heckuva coach. She definitely makes the most of what she has. I followed her in college, had a chance to meet her during the Atlanta Olympics.
I've hoped and cheered for her coaching success. She is a class act who is very involved in the lives of her players. She's not just about getting good players and winning. She often takes misfits and make them into better people. For that I applaud her.







She is still going to loose when the Huskies come down south.

 

[bballnut90]

I don't think they can compete for a title, but I do think SC is going to be a Final Four favorite and could play in the title game....they still have a good crew coming back even without their 3 graduated players. They return 2 solid guards in Harris and Cuevas Moore, plus they still have Wilson who is the favorite for POY entering this season. It's also worth noting, they looked like a better team without Coates so I'm not sure her loss will be that significant. Great player, but the offense was better spaced and it allowed other players to get more touches and shine. For any old timers, I imagine SC will be similar to the LSU teams in 2007 and 2008 (without the Pokey Chatman drama). They'll have a good big player, a lot of inconsistent shooters and very good defense. It will not be pretty basketball and they'll win a lot of games by small margins, but they'll have a good team and should put themselves in a good position to make the Final Four.

Most significant is that as much as SC loses, most other top teams do not look all that strong next year. And over the last several years, if you look at the last poll going into the NCAA Tournament, it's pretty eery how consistently we've seen the same teams in the top spots without any parity:

2014 Final Poll before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (31) 34-0 799
2 Notre Dame (1) 32-0 769
3 Tennessee 27-5 709
4 Louisville 30-4 696
5 Stanford 29-3 676
6 Baylor 29-4 652
7 West Virginia 29-4 603
8 South Carolina 27-4 573
9 Maryland 24-6 539
10 Duke 27-6 513

2015 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-1 800
2 Notre Dame 31-2 766
3 Maryland 30-2 728
4 South Carolina 30-2 713
5 Tennessee 27-5 664
6 Baylor 30-3 645
7 Florida State 29-4 611
8 Louisville 25-6 552
9 Arizona State 27-5 524
10 Oregon State 26-4 497


2016 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-0 800
2 South Carolina 31-1 756
3 Notre Dame 31-1 746
4 Baylor 33-1 706
5 Maryland 30-3 670
6 Oregon State 28-4 637
7 Texas 28-4 602
8 Louisville 25-7 560
9 Ohio State 24-7 502
10 Florida State 23-7 468


2017 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-0 800
2 Notre Dame 30-3 763
3 Maryland 30-2 736
4 South Carolina 27-4 696
5 Baylor 30-3 671
6 Stanford 28-5 632
7 Mississippi State 29-4 601
8 Oregon State 29-4 587
9 Duke 27-5 530
10 Ohio State 26-6 486


South Carolina, UCONN, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Maryland have been so steady over the last 4 years and most off-seasons they suffer a major loss or two but still have good key performers returning. SC is in the same boat, as they lose the wings and Coates, but they have the same guard play, same coaching staff, and most importantly, the same star player coming back. They'll be a top 5 team again this year.

 

[donalddoowop]

I don't think they can compete for a title, but I do think SC is going to be a Final Four favorite and could play in the title game....they still have a good crew coming back even without their 3 graduated players. They return 2 solid guards in Harris and Cuevas Moore, plus they still have Wilson who is the favorite for POY entering this season. It's also worth noting, they looked like a better team without Coates so I'm not sure her loss will be that significant. Great player, but the offense was better spaced and it allowed other players to get more touches and shine. For any old timers, I imagine SC will be similar to the LSU teams in 2007 and 2008 (without the Pokey Chatman drama). They'll have a good big player, a lot of inconsistent shooters and very good defense. It will not be pretty basketball and they'll win a lot of games by small margins, but they'll have a good team and should put themselves in a good position to make the Final Four.

Most significant is that as much as SC loses, most other top teams do not look all that strong next year. And over the last several years, if you look at the last poll going into the NCAA Tournament, it's pretty eery how consistently we've seen the same teams in the top spots without any parity:

2014 Final Poll before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (31) 34-0 799
2 Notre Dame (1) 32-0 769
3 Tennessee 27-5 709
4 Louisville 30-4 696
5 Stanford 29-3 676
6 Baylor 29-4 652
7 West Virginia 29-4 603
8 South Carolina 27-4 573
9 Maryland 24-6 539
10 Duke 27-6 513

2015 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-1 800
2 Notre Dame 31-2 766
3 Maryland 30-2 728
4 South Carolina 30-2 713
5 Tennessee 27-5 664
6 Baylor 30-3 645
7 Florida State 29-4 611
8 Louisville 25-6 552
9 Arizona State 27-5 524
10 Oregon State 26-4 497


2016 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-0 800
2 South Carolina 31-1 756
3 Notre Dame 31-1 746
4 Baylor 33-1 706
5 Maryland 30-3 670
6 Oregon State 28-4 637
7 Texas 28-4 602
8 Louisville 25-7 560
9 Ohio State 24-7 502
10 Florida State 23-7 468


2017 Final Poll Before NCAAs:
1 Connecticut (32) 32-0 800
2 Notre Dame 30-3 763
3 Maryland 30-2 736
4 South Carolina 27-4 696
5 Baylor 30-3 671
6 Stanford 28-5 632
7 Mississippi State 29-4 601
8 Oregon State 29-4 587
9 Duke 27-5 530
10 Ohio State 26-6 486


South Carolina, UCONN, Notre Dame, Baylor, and Maryland have been so steady over the last 4 years and most off-seasons they suffer a major loss or two but still have good key performers returning. SC is in the same boat, as they lose the wings and Coates, but they have the same guard play, same coaching staff, and most importantly, the same star player coming back. They'll be a top 5 team again this year.

You say you don't think SC can compete for a NC but should be a Final Four favorite and could play in the NCAA title game. That sounds very much like competing for a NC, imo.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Dawn does state as noted above that she wants UConn, Duke and Maryland series to be renewed. Lots of Gamecocks content available on this page: More rounds coming in South Carolina-Connecticut series?

Like this one: Is it national championship or bust, and 3 other questions facing South Carolina

Some short videos too.

 

[triaddukefan]

The thread title confused me for a second...... Is it North Carolina or bust for South Carolina?

 

[DriveLH]

LOL... We are more than fans, we are fanatics.

An undefeated regular season and a final four appearance (a couple of free throws shy of the championship game) is just OK. Sheesh.
It sounds like its NC or bust for Uconn.----------------------------> and for me it is. But hey off the top of my head I think we have been to the final four 11 years in a row and 16 out of the last 18 years. I say last year was business as usual.

I don't do emojis and was being sarcastic. However, just because SC lost a lot doesn't mean they can't compete. While I am not comparing Wilson to DT, we lost much more than SC before Diana's junior year, and we did OK!

 

[bballnut90]

You say you don't think SC can compete for a NC but should be a Final Four favorite and could play in the NCAA title game. That sounds very much like competing for a NC, imo.

I should've said I don't think SC can win the title but I think they can make it to the title game.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

SC will be there towards the end of the tournament, likely EE and maybe even FF if the players are healthy. Wilson alone will get this team a lot of wins and their backcourt is solid. They need some new pieces to step up and play well for them to truly be at a high level. Dawn has proven she's a great coach and gets a lot out of her players. SC will be towards the top of the polls and SEC for the entire year.