South Carolina has a REALLY HARD path to the N.C....

[triaddukefan]

It will be interesting to see if they show up. I know it's not a scientific survey, by any means, but of all my friends who go to our home games, all but a couple are heading up to Greensboro this weekend. It's always a lot more fun when there's a big crowd, so I hope a lot of UNC fans DO show up. I'm sure there will only be a few ASU and FSU fans.

I expect 60% SC fans 30% UNC fans and the other 10% will be FSU, ASU, and a few Duke fans. I was there in 2007 when ASU came.. and they had a handful of fans. FSU had a decent number of fans at the ACC Finals.... so they will be represented. I was really hoping that UALR could hold on to their lead.. as I think they might have brought a few busloads of fans from Little Rock, but alas... it wasnt meant to be.

 

[CocoHusky]

1) Why would it be disappointing for Notre Dame to not play in the NC game?

2) And why would be it disappointing for Maryland to not make the Final Four?
3) And has Texas "already overachieved?"

4) Or perhaps, as you note, there are different ways to look at teams and different meanings of "team expectations."

A1- Because ND is the #2 overall seed it would be disappointing if they don't take care of their half of the bracket.
A2- Because MD is a number 1 seed. Expectation for a #1 seed is to take care of business in your bracket. They made the final 4 last year.
A3-Yes Texas has overachieved IMO because they lost arguably their best player Enemkpali for the season. McGee Stafford also missed parts of the season with injury. TX next game is against UCONN that is the end of the road. Playing UCONN close would be more overachievement.
A4- Yes definitely different ways to look at team expectation. How boring would it be if we all had the same expectations for every team.

 

[Uhuru]

A1- Because ND is the #2 overall seed it would be disappointing if they don't take care of their half of the bracket.
A2- Because MD is a number 1 seed. Expectation for a #1 seed is to take care of business in your bracket. They made the final 4 last year.
A3-Yes Texas has overachieved IMO because they lost arguably their best player Enemkpali for the season. McGee Stafford also missed parts of the season with injury. TX next game is against UCONN that is the end of the road. Playing UCONN close would be more overachievement.
A4- Yes definitely different ways to look at team expectation. How boring would it be if we all had the same expectations for every team.

Great rebuttal.

 

[CocoHusky]

I just don't see a reason for different expectations from ND then from UConn.

Big difference IMO. 1) UCONN beat ND this year at ND. 2) UCONN is #1 overall seed.

 

[triaddukefan]

When i first read the thread title...... SC has a really hard path to the NC.... I was thinking... Columbia is only three hours away from Greensboro.... and just an hour 15 minutes or so to the NC state line.

 

[BlueDevils]

Agree that all but 1 team will be disappointed. But not all disappointment is equal. As Meek Mill would say "There levels to this...

Post of the day

 

[cferraro04]

All roads to the Championship go through UConn...

 

[Woof 101]

View attachment 8868

In order to reach the Final Four and win the N.C., South Carolina will have to beat North Carolina and, most probably, Florida State. In the Final Four semi, they would probably need to beat Notre Dame to reach the Final. There, they might face UConn. Here’s how the #1 seeds would win the N.C. In summary:

South Carolina must beat:
1. North Carolina
2. Florida State
3. Notre Dame
4. UConn or Maryland

Anything can happen, but that is probably the most likely path for South Carolina. Not easy…

Notre Dame must beat:
1. Stanford
2. Baylor
3. South Carolina
4. UConn or Maryland

Maryland must beat:
1. Duke
2. Tennessee
3. UConn
4. Notre Dame or South Carolina

UConn must beat:
1. Texas
2. Louisville
3. Maryland
4. Notre Dame or South Carolina

Not sure who has the harder path, but it probably isn’t UConn... Anything can happen, but…..

I could disagree somewhat. UCONN is every teams biggest target right now. There are teams that would cherish knocking us off as big as making the final four. This no matter the tactics it takes.
Rutgers being the most recent with a let's beat Stewie up game plan.

 

[UConnNick]

FSU would be tough, for sure, but they still have to beat ASU to get to the Elite Eight. One advantage that USC will have against FSU is that there will be an overwhelmingly Gamecock crowd in Greensboro. I expect us to have a much bigger fan presence than UNC, also, just based on the number of people I know who are making the trip and the poor attendance at UNC's first two games in CH.

I love this matchup with the Tar Holes. It brings back memories of the animosity that has existed between the two schools and states ever since USC left the ACC back in the late 1960's. They were sick and tired of being in a league with an administration dominated by the NC teams, which it still is to this day. That's why Maryland is gone from the ACC. UNC never got over losing Frank McGuire and his NYC recruiting pipeline to the Gamecocks. Far more recently, they were smart enough to try and steal our own Jim Calhoun away from us.

There's a reason why Gamecock teams have only the word 'Carolina' emblazoned on their unis. They're sending a message. There is only ONE real Carolina, SOUTH! I hope the Gamecocks smoke UNC. Burn Tobacco Road!

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

I love this matchup with the Tar Holes. It brings back memories of the animosity that has existed between the two schools and states ever since USC left the ACC back in the late 1960's. They were sick and tired of being in a league with an administration dominated by the NC teams, which it still is to this day. That's why Maryland is gone from the ACC. UNC never got over losing Frank McGuire and his NYC recruiting pipeline to the Gamecocks. Far more recently, they were smart enough to try and steal our own Jim Calhoun away from us.

There's a reason why Gamecock teams have only the word 'Carolina' emblazoned on their unis. They're sending a message. There is only ONE real Carolina, SOUTH! I hope the Gamecocks smoke UNC. Burn Tobacco Road!

I was just a little kid when USC was in the ACC and I still lived in New Jersey, but there are still older Gamecock fans that seethe when they hear anything about North Carolina. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't exceptionally fired up for this game.

 

[ctwcbb]

Dayton might be hang around like BYU last year, close for the first 25 min but ultimately lose by almost 20. THat is my prediction for this game. I don't think they could fare better than last year's BYU. BYU's big last year was good! Surprised Geno did not ask her for the World championship trial.

 

[ctwcbb]

The 2013-14 BYU big you are referring to, 6'7" SR Jennifer Hamson, took a year off from basketball during 2014-2015. She was a 2-sport star with the Cougars, still had a year of volleyball eligibility left, and fully intended to use it all along. She announced her intentions before the 2014 WNBA Draft. Despite knowing they'd have to wait a year for her services, she was nonetheless selected in the 2nd round by the L.A. Sparks. Hamson signed with them on 2/23/2015.

Hamson was 100% unavailable to Geno for the 2014 World Championships in hoops, as she instead opted to spend last summer honing her other sport's skills, by competing as a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Volleyball Team. BYU's 2014-15 volleyball team, led by the 1st Team All-American Hamson, made school history during last fall's NCAA tourney, upsetting four different Top 15 programs along the way, including #2 Texas in the Final Four semifinal, before falling in the championship match to Penn State. After her basketball team's Sweet 16 finish, followed by her volleyball team's reaching the national final, Hamson is now widely considered to be the school's most successful female athlete ever. A storybook finish for her, times two. I doubt she'd change a thing about her last 12 months. We should all be so lucky! Now it's on to the WNBA. I wish her well.

 

[Nuyoika]

Dayton might be hang around like BYU last year, close for the first 25 min but ultimately lose by almost 20. THat is my prediction for this game. I don't think they could fare better than last year's BYU. BYU's big last year was good! Surprised Geno did not ask her for the World championship trial.

BYU's big last year was fouling like crazy and the refs had apparently forgotten all the rule changes.

 

[CocoHusky]

The 2013-14 BYU big you are referring to, 6'7" SR Jennifer Hamson, took a year off from basketball during 2014-2015. She was a 2-sport star with the Cougars, still had a year of volleyball eligibility left, and fully intended to use it all along. She announced her intentions before the 2014 WNBA Draft. Despite knowing they'd have to wait a year for her services, she was nonetheless selected in the 2nd round by the L.A. Sparks. Hamson signed with them on 2/23/2015.

Hamson was 100% unavailable to Geno for the 2014 World Championships in hoops, as she instead opted to spend last summer honing her other sport's skills, by competing as a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Volleyball Team. BYU's 2014-15 volleyball team, led by the 1st Team All-American Hamson, made school history during last fall's NCAA tourney, upsetting four different Top 15 programs along the way, including #2 Texas in the Final Four semifinal, before falling in the championship match to Penn State. After her basketball team's Sweet 16 finish, followed by her volleyball team's reaching the national final, Hamson is now widely considered to be the school's most successful female athlete ever. A storybook finish for her, times two. I doubt she'd change a thing about her last 12 months. We should all be so lucky! Now it's on to the WNBA. I wish her well.

I wish her well also. I did not realize she had achieved such success in two sports-Danny Ainge like in that regard. One question though in regards to Olympic/World Championship team consideration. In summer/fall of 2013 a number of collegians were invited to Colorado I believe to work out with and tryout for the national team. Was Hamson among those college players invited? She certainly played well against UCONN in NCAA tournament but wouldn’t that have been too late for USA Olympic/World Championship team consideration?

 

[triaddukefan]

I love this matchup with the Tar Holes. It brings back memories of the animosity that has existed between the two schools and states ever since USC left the ACC back in the late 1960's. They were sick and tired of being in a league with an administration dominated by the NC teams, which it still is to this day. That's why Maryland is gone from the ACC. UNC never got over losing Frank McGuire and his NYC recruiting pipeline to the Gamecocks. Far more recently, they were smart enough to try and steal our own Jim Calhoun away from us.

There's a reason why Gamecock teams have only the word 'Carolina' emblazoned on their unis. They're sending a message. There is only ONE real Carolina, SOUTH! I hope the Gamecocks smoke UNC. Burn Tobacco Road!

I had a few responses to this..... but they would have gotten the dreaded *mod edit* so I will just use this appropriate gif as a response

 

[meyers7]

Big difference IMO. 1) UCONN beat ND this year at ND. 2) UCONN is #1 overall seed.

Alum was talking about playing in the NC game. Not necessarily winning it. I would expect ND to make it to the NC game. They are the 2nd best team in the country.

 

[meyers7]

The 2013-14 BYU big you are referring to, 6'7" SR Jennifer Hamson, took a year off from basketball during 2014-2015. She was a 2-sport star with the Cougars, still had a year of volleyball eligibility left, and fully intended to use it all along. She announced her intentions before the 2014 WNBA Draft. Despite knowing they'd have to wait a year for her services, she was nonetheless selected in the 2nd round by the L.A. Sparks. Hamson signed with them on 2/23/2015.

Hamson was 100% unavailable to Geno for the 2014 World Championships in hoops, as she instead opted to spend last summer honing her other sport's skills, by competing as a member of the U.S. Collegiate National Volleyball Team. BYU's 2014-15 volleyball team, led by the 1st Team All-American Hamson, made school history during last fall's NCAA tourney, upsetting four different Top 15 programs along the way, including #2 Texas in the Final Four semifinal, before falling in the championship match to Penn State. After her basketball team's Sweet 16 finish, followed by her volleyball team's reaching the national final, Hamson is now widely considered to be the school's most successful female athlete ever. A storybook finish for her, times two. I doubt she'd change a thing about her last 12 months. We should all be so lucky! Now it's on to the WNBA. I wish her well.

Also the fact that Geno doesn't "call in" players. The selection committee does. And she isn't/wasn't in the player pool.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Still think that USCar has the easiest route to an NC. They're playing them in their next game.

 

[Striper69]

It's really difficult to tell how good Baylor and Maryland really are, since they haven't played any top teams ( that I know of).

Stanford is another question mark, as they have proved capable of playing really well, and also have an excellent Coach. A dangerous team, and regular Final Four participant.

And they already beat UCONN once this season (you forgot to add that).

 

[Joobie]

And they already beat UCONN once this season (you forgot to add that).

2 points in OT isn't exactly a beatdown & a game in November isn't anything like a game in March. Stanford beat UCONN the 2nd game of the season. The team has done a whole lot of growing since then. I would venture to say that MoJeff has taken her game to a whole different level & isn't even the same PLAYER she was in the Stanford game!