SC vs Notre Dame 11/26/17

[Bliss]

Wow what a jerk! Academics are not good? Better than most of the P5. Too cold? No more so than your average B1G school. Bad location? Yeah it really really sucks to be located in suburban Connecticut between NYC and Boston in one of the top media markets in the country. It would definitely be so much better if we could be in a place where the nearest city is several hours away and surrounded by cornfields and cows for miles.

But, but I like cornfields and cows for miles.

 

[HuskyNan]

Kenny Kallina is in general an @sshat who makes factually incorrect statements and gets embarrassed by the truth when people respond with facts on his Twitter. He's also the leader of the UConn ESPN conspiracy, UConn is bad and Geno wins b/c he has "all the best players." The other week he was posting nonsense about why would anyone go to UConn b/c of the academics are not good, it's cold in CT, bad location, etc.. It's best to only look at Kallina for comedy relief and be humored by someone chasing windmills.

I know who he is.

 

[noirwestern]

Wading through the thready obstacle course that makes up a certain opposition team's board I came across a few devoted to Jessica Shepard where she's compared to the infamously physical player Dolson - except that Shepard is more, "athletic". I can think of a lot of things to say about JS but short of a game against old ladies with walkers can't imagine a situation where I'd use the word athletic to describe her skill set that starts and stops at the word, "tall".

 

[Rixxx]

Yes, the "Bench" is tough to navigate?

 

[RockyMTblue2]

A look at Shepard for those who don't know her:

 

[noirwestern]

True, she's a big frog in a small pond. She's a little harder to see in this clip.

 

[noirwestern]

And this isn't fair but still fun to watch... I think she was playing in it but kind of hard to tell.

 

[JoePgh]

True, she's a big frog in a small pond. She's a little harder to see in this clip.

There were some nice Molly Bent highlights in that clip. Based on the clip, she got more done than Jessica Shepard!

 

[Florida Fan]

Good game by Both teams. I'm not very happy with Dawns coaching this game. ND just had way too many Offensive rebounds and a majority of their players were shorter then ours. Hopefully SC doesn't fall to far but this lost was needed. A young team that didn't give up and missing SR leader Cuevas-Moore and Transfer Tea Cooper. Good luck to ND the rest of the way as to my Gamecocks we need ALOT OF WORK! Wilson can't do it by herself and this lost just assured this team of that.

Don't know about Cooper and Cuevas-Moore, but Dawn has a way to go to out coach Geno, Muffet or Tara.

 

[SCspur]

Don't know about Cooper and Cuevas-Moore, but Dawn has a way to go to out coach Geno, Muffet or Tara.

Try again she outcoached Tara last year in the FF when it mattered most. Not that it matters now but Shepard shouldn't even have been eligible. She only scored 10 points in the game but if SC had Cooper eligible and Cuevas-Moore healthy I can guarantee the outcome would have been different. No doubt in my mind SC will face ND again in the tourney and I can guarantee you Dawn will be ready.

 

[USFMB]

Try again she outcoached Tara last year in the FF when it mattered most. Not that it matters now but Shepard shouldn't even have been eligible. She only scored 10 points in the game but if SC had Cooper eligible and Cuevas-Moore healthy I can guarantee the outcome would have been different. No doubt in my mind SC will face ND again in the tourney and I can guarantee you Dawn will be ready.

I agree with you about Shepard not having to sit out a year.

She scored 15 and had 8 rebounds against USF.

Meanwhile our transfer was not eligible.

Considering we lost by 10, Shepard being allowed to play tipped the game in their favor.

I think you will beat them next time.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Pretty good look at the game from the State: A’ja Wilson needs help from her guards, and other lessons from USC’s Notre Dame loss

But still no one has dealt with the uneven nature of Wilson's scoring (18 of 31 in the 4th quarter; 5 in the first half, 8 in the 3rd quarter). It puzzles me. I suspect that not being able to see the game has something to do with that!

 

[Orangutan]

I like that Jessica Shepard apparently gives fans of many different teams a new reason to hate ND. The same old gripes about Muffet or perceived "flopping" were getting stale.

 

[Orangutan]

Try again she outcoached Tara last year in the FF when it mattered most. Not that it matters now but Shepard shouldn't even have been eligible. She only scored 10 points in the game but if SC had Cooper eligible and Cuevas-Moore healthy I can guarantee the outcome would have been different. No doubt in my mind SC will face ND again in the tourney and I can guarantee you Dawn will be ready.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I like that Jessica Shepard apparently gives fans of many different teams a new reason to hate ND. The same old gripes about Muffet or perceived "flopping" were getting stale.

Don't be ridiculous. We don't need a reason to hate ND.

 

[j66kicker]

I like that Jessica Shepard apparently gives fans of many different teams a new reason to hate ND. The same old gripes about Muffet or perceived "flopping" were getting stale.

Nothing personal - much respect to you. But no reason is required beyond ND’s unrivaled and undeserved football arrogance, and the continued preferential treatment by the NCAA in all matters. Shepard is just the most recent example.

 

[UConnCat]

Pretty good look at the game from the State: A’ja Wilson needs help from her guards, and other lessons from USC’s Notre Dame loss

But still no one has dealt with the uneven nature of Wilson's scoring (18 of 31 in the 4th quarter; 5 in the first half, 8 in the 3rd quarter). It puzzles me. I suspect that not being able to see the game has something to do with that!

Another lesson for SC is that the 2019 recruiting class will be a huge one for Staley.

 

[Sven18]

Another lesson for SC is that the 2019 recruiting class will be huge one for Staley.

Explain? Who are they recruiting besides these ones known?
Players on their radar or listing them SC
#1 Brunelle- don't see her there.. I see her likely at UConn or ND, maybe MD or Duke..in that order
#2 Amihere - don't see her there either going on the type that picks SC
#7 Cooke - list UConn(no offer), SC, OSU, TN,MD(all offered). I think OSU most likely and then SC/MD equal likely
#14 Taylor -lists SC, Stanford, TX, TN, ND, OSU, Vandy

Who are they going to get in your opinion from these or other no listed (I surely missed some) that will make 2019 HUGE?

 

[UConnCat]

Explain? Who are they recruiting besides these ones known?
Players on their radar or listing them SC
#1 Brunelle- don't see her there.. I see her likely at UConn or ND, maybe MD or Duke..in that order
#2 Amihere - don't see her there either going on the type that picks SC
#7 Cooke - list UConn(no offer), SC, OSU, TN,MD(all offered). I think OSU most likely and then SC/MD equal likely
#14 Taylor -lists SC, Stanford, TX, TN, ND, OSU, Vandy

Who are they going to get in your opinion from these or other no listed (I surely missed some) that will make 2019 HUGE?

I didn't mean the 2019 class will be huge, I meant it needs to be huge. Wilson is leaving and Dawn's 2018 class is (so far) disappointing. Dawn needs to bring in an elite player or two in the 2019 class.

 

[SCGamecock]

Another lesson for SC is that the 2019 recruiting class will be a huge one for Staley.

Agreed. Dawn definitely needs to get her share of talent in the 2019 and 2020 classes.

 

[SCGamecock]

Explain? Who are they recruiting besides these ones known?
Players on their radar or listing them SC
#1 Brunelle- don't see her there.. I see her likely at UConn or ND, maybe MD or Duke..in that order
#2 Amihere - don't see her there either going on the type that picks SC
#7 Cooke - list UConn(no offer), SC, OSU, TN,MD(all offered). I think OSU most likely and then SC/MD equal likely
#14 Taylor -lists SC, Stanford, TX, TN, ND, OSU, Vandy

Who are they going to get in your opinion from these or other no listed (I surely missed some) that will make 2019 HUGE?

Dawn will get the players she's meant to get when she needs to get them.

No offense, but not being able to envision a player at a particular school isn't really a basis for anything other than YOUR perception of what you think a recruit values and where YOU think they should go. Sam Brunelle has visited South Carolina TWICE unofficially.. she visited SC twice already before she visited most of the schools in her top 12 once... you may not see her there, but she's obviously thinking about it.

Our recruiting struggles this particular year have been duly noted on the tBoneyard and our home board.. and part of that is due to the perception that coming off a national championship people are going to immediately expect you to begin recruiting better and while we didn't close on many of the players we recruited (perhaps it was too late?).. we did get several of them to think VERY hard on us. A lot of those recruits were players we probably had little to no shot with prior to the championship (Christyn Williams.. SC came out of nowhere to make her final 2) but we had momentum and gave them something to think about and they did. The title will benefit SC going forward and it's silly to think she'll get shut out like this every year.. she's too respected of a coach, too hard of a recruiter and SC offers too much as a program for that to happen every year. For 2018, we'll take an elite player in Henderson and a good player with room to grow in Saxton and hopefully continue growing as a program.

BUT, to answer your question.. you've already mentioned Brunelle, Amihere, Cooke and Taylor.

Other big time players that I know for sure are being looked at by Dawn & Co:
-Haley Jones (offered)
-Jordan Horston (offered)
-Rickea Jackson (offered)
-Breanna Beal (offered)
-Aliyah Boston
-Maori Davenport
-Ramani Parker (offered)
-Diamond Miller
-Kierstan Bell
-Leilani Correa

We're also involved with lesser known players like McKinzie Green from Texas, Danae McNeal (local prospect), and Alissa Pilli of Alaska.

 

[SVCBeercats]

In a complicated world, it's nice that some things, like hating Notre Dame, are sooo easy! Still, I have to give Muffett credit. She remains the second best coach in the game, That status, I'm happy to say, will remain fully intact next week.

Hmmmmmm ...

Muffet    662–217 (.753)  7   1 NCAA Champ
Tara     1012–231 (.814) 11   2 NCAA Champ

 

[CocoHusky]

Our recruiting struggles this particular year have been duly noted on the Boneyard and our home board.
Other big time players that I know for sure are being looked at by Dawn & Co:
-Aliyah Boston
-Ramani Parker (offered)

The Boneyard seems to be the right places to document recruiting struggles including UCONN's which a few short weeks ago was "doomed"-my way of saying consider the sources CAREFULLY.
Curiousity questions:
1) It is interesting to me that SC has offered Parker and not Boston. Is that (no SC offer for Boston) accurate, or really unknow?
2) Ladazhia Williams was a one time a very high level recruit in the class, high enough to get on UCONN's radar via an in home visit from Geno. Have not see her name in a box score as of yet. What is the situation with Ladazhia?
3) Cuevas-Moore projected return?

 

[SCGamecock]

The Boneyard seems to be the right places to document recruiting struggles including UCONN's which a few short weeks ago was "doomed"-my way of saying consider the sources CAREFULLY.
Curiousity questions:
1) It is interesting to me that SC has offered Parker and not Boston. Is that (no SC offer for Boston) accurate, or really unknow?
2) Ladazhia Williams was a one time a very high level recruit in the class, high enough to get on UCONN's radar via an in home visit from Geno. Have not see her name in a box score as of yet. What is the situation with Ladazhia?
3) Cuevas-Moore projected return?

Yeah, I only wrote offered next to the players that I know for sure we’ve offered... Where I’ve read about it in an article or heard it from the players/parents or coaches themselves via social media. Parker was one of the first bigs SC offered for 2019.. the staff has been recruiting her for quite awhile now. I’m sure we’ve offered Boston as well but I haven’t seen anything definitive yet.

Williams reminds me very much of Herbert-Harrigan when she arrived on campus.. she thinks too much almost and the speed of the game passes her by. The tools are there and you see how athletic and quick she is but she needs work.. particularly on defense. Right now, defense is a liability for this team so Williams isn’t seeing much playing time until she gets better there. Grissett is going to contribute more than Williams will this year. She’s a tough tough player down low.. strong, solid footwork, just needs discipline.

There was speculation among our media that Cuevas could return for Notre Dame. I guess they decided to hold her out a little while longer. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s out for another week or so. She’s participating in shooting drills, so no contact. They’re not rushing her back.. we’ll definitely need her later rather than sooner.

 

[CocoHusky]

Yeah, I only wrote offered next to the players that I know for sure we’ve offered... Where I’ve read about it in an article or heard it from the players/parents or coaches themselves via social media. Parker was one of the first bigs SC offered for 2019.. the staff has been recruiting her for quite awhile now. I’m sure we’ve offered Boston as well but I haven’t seen anything definitive yet.

Williams reminds me very much of Herbert-Harrigan when she arrived on campus.. she thinks too much almost and the speed of the game passes her by. The tools are there and you see how athletic and quick she is but she needs work.. particularly on defense. Right now, defense is a liability for this team so Williams isn’t seeing much playing time until she gets better there.

There was speculation among our media that Cuevas could return for Notre Dame. I guess they decided to hold her out a little while longer. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s out for another week or so. She’s participating in shooting drills, so no contact. They’re not rushing her back.. we’ll definitely need her later rather than sooner.

Thanks. I so glad you wrote that (struggling with the speed of the game) about Williams. This is not that unusual for a freshmen, even at UCONN.