Wow what a start for South Carolina. They looked incredibly sharp and played brilliant basketball. Yes, Notre Dame is not nearly as good as when they had Olivia Miles but South Carolina was brilliant. Going through the standouts (there are many):
1. Kamilla Cardoso is a force, plain and simple. She was unstoppable once they started looking for her in the 2nd half and was dominant defensively. If she can play like this consistently, she'll be a contender for NPOY. 20 points, 15 rebounds, 5 blocks in just 24 minutes.
2. Raven Johnson was brilliant running the show. Her shot looked better, she picked her moments well and was aggressive in looking for her bigs inside. Great passing and just a great job running the offense.
3. Pao Pao is a terrific fit for SC with her shooting and PG/playmaking skills too. There is far less pressure on her in Columbia than there was in Oregon, so I think she'll thrive in her role as a shooting guard.
4. Milaysia Fulwiley was the breakout star of the game. She looks like Kyrie Irving with her speed and athleticism. I'm not sure I've ever seen a guard with her explosiveness before in the women's game. She also seems like a mature player in her decision making and never forced the issue. 17 points, 6 assists, 6 steals, 1 TO. Jumpshot was a little wild but she's shot well in other games. She is going to be unbelievably fun to watch. As a freshman I wouldn't expect this type of showing each night but she is going to be a star and draw in a lot of fans. And I have no idea how she was ranked just the 13th best player coming out of HS.
5. Feagin/Watkins both looked excellent. Watkins is more of a defensive presence, Feagin is smooth around the rim. They combined for 19/9/4 blocks on 9-13 shooting. Can't ask for more from backup posts.
6. Jah looks like a prototypical SC player--good athlete, hard worker, will probably develop into a best of a defender for Dawn.
Overall this was as good offensively as I've ever seen SC play. Their defense and rebounding are not up to the level they were at a year ago but I think this team has title potential. Better balance with perimeter scorers, more creative passing and ultimately much better spacing for their bigs inside will make them tough to stop.
For Notre Dame:
1. Hidalgo was BY FAR their best player on the court tonight. She played great in the first quarter and was extremely active defensively. The offense slowed down and her productivity dropped as the night went on but a really promising showing for a freshman.
2. Westbeld had some nice moments in the game. Marshall also looked very good and had some nice face up shots.
Not a lot else to say on ND. They miss Miles but everyone else needs to step up. If Miles can come back this year they could be a dangerous squad, as a backcourt of her/Hidalgo/Citron has great potential.