South Carolina Killer Schedule Patch

[eebmg]

I was curious about the upcoming schedule of SCar and it seems they have a three game patch which is
a killer. After a relatively easy game against Ark tonight, they have

Sun Jan 28 against hot 11th ranked Missouri (at home)
Thu Feb 1 against #1 UConn (at home)
Mon Feb 5 against #2 Miss St (on the road)


I think the Mizzou game is critical since the other 2 don't look very likely. Any thoughts from our SEC savvy BY's

 

[Carnac]

I was curious about the upcoming schedule of SCar and it seems they have a three game patch which is
a killer. After a relatively easy game against Ark tonight, they have

Sun Jan 28 against hot 11th ranked Missouri (at home)
Thu Feb 1 against #1 UConn (at home)
Mon Feb 5 against #2 Miss St (on the road)


I think the Mizzou game is critical since the other 2 don't look very likely. Any thoughts from our SEC savvy BY's

I can see them winning the Missouri game, but even that one will not be a cake walk. I don't think they can overcome the talent of UConn or MS. Wilson will have to play at least 34 minutes each game for them to have any chance of winning. She's coming off a foot injury that may not allow her to play that many minutes at this time. Wilson (who is foul prone anyway) will foul out before she stops a bigger and heavier 6'7" Teaira McCowan. McCowan IS NOT the same player she was last year. She's more confident and more aggressive.

 

[DallasBUFan]

I think they go 1-3. I am not sure anyone who doesn't have a big center can beat MSST. I mean if they could get her in foul trouble then yea. UConn is the only team with smaller players that could beat her while not in foul trouble. BU also, just because Kalani is the same size. I don't want MSST again, I think they are better than last year and we are good just depth and experience.

Maybe they can shoot like Louisville did against ND and get either Vivians or McCowan in foul trouble and have them shooting cold.

 

[SCGamecock]

Wilson isn’t on minutes restriction. Dawn said recently (albeit jokingly probably) that Wilson is the healthiest person on the roster right now.

We need to beat Missouri. Not just for the sake of our record but for sake of confidence. They need to be put in their place. They’ve been having their way with SC and SC needs to man up and give it back.

UConn at home. We don’t matchup well with them, never have. Our roster is way too green for this matchup.. Wilson/Jennings/Harris, then Cliney? and Jackson? on the wings, two guards that don’t actively seek their shot. Tough.

Miss State on the road. Tough.. they have a veteran starting 5 that I think can play with anybody but it drops off a lot after that. If SC can’t get to their bench then they’ll lose. We’ll see.

This season has been incredibly tough as far as injuries.. our starting roster has no stability, a revolving door essentially. Five of our players (Wilson, Harris, Spann, Herbert-Harrigan, Cuevas-Moore) have missed games at some point this season, and these are all major contributors. We’ve kept winning despite playing freshman for big minutes in key spots. Spann is out (AGAIN), and will likely not be back until Miss State. It’s going to go unnoticed because of the hype behind Miss State possibly winning the SEC, but Dawn is quietly having one of her most impressive coaching years in quite some time. Especially after losing three first rounders the year prior.

 

[EricLA]

To the SC fans - what happened to Cuevas-Moore? She's on the roster, but doens't look like she's played in any games. Redshirt? Spann will be out for the UCONN game?

You guys should slaughter Arkansas. But Missouri will be tough without Spann. They aren't big or athletic, but have experience and seem to play solid team ball. I've only seen portions of several of their games so I'm by no means an expert...

SC reminds me in a way of L'ville - not in their roster or size, but in that UCONN is not a good matchup for them. Unlike ND who seems to give us fits most games, even if we feel the game shouldn't be close.

I hope you guys face Tenn again and slaughter them...

 

[Carnac]

Wilson isn’t on minutes restriction. Dawn said recently (albeit jokingly probably) that Wilson is the healthiest person on the roster right now.

We need to beat Missouri. Not just for the sake of our record but for sake of confidence. They need to be put in their place. They’ve been having their way with SC and SC needs to man up and give it back.

UConn at home. We don’t matchup well with them, never have. Our roster is way too green for this matchup.. Wilson/Jennings/Harris, then Cliney? and Jackson? on the wings, two guards that don’t actively seek their shot. Tough.

Miss State on the road. Tough.. they have a veteran starting 5 that I think can play with anybody but it drops off a lot after that. If SC can’t get to their bench then they’ll lose. We’ll see.

This season has been incredibly tough as far as injuries.. our starting roster has no stability, a revolving door essentially. Five of our players (Wilson, Harris, Spann, Herbert-Harrigan, Cuevas-Moore) have missed games at some point this season, and these are all major contributors. We’ve kept winning despite playing freshman for big minutes in key spots. Spann is out (AGAIN), and will likely not be back until Miss State. It’s going to go unnoticed because of the hype behind Miss State possibly winning the SEC, but Dawn is quietly having one of her most impressive coaching years in quite some time. Especially after losing three first rounders the year prior.

Needless to say most of us don't follow the Gamecocks as closely as you do, so thanks for the update on your team's current status. We now have a better idea of what to expect next Thursday.

 

[SCGamecock]

Cuevas-Moore has not played a single game this season. She was close to coming back about a month into the season but reinjured herself in practice and was deemed unavailable for the year. She actually has surgery coming up pretty soon. She is eligible for a redshirt but no confirmation on whether she plans to use it.

Spann will likely not be available for UConn, a major loss for the Gamecocks in that matchup. Spann is a player that UConn would’ve had to put one of their better defenders on.

 

[triaddukefan]

Wilson isn’t on minutes restriction. Dawn said recently (albeit jokingly probably) that Wilson is the healthiest person on the roster right now.

We need to beat Missouri. Not just for the sake of our record but for sake of confidence. They need to be put in their place. They’ve been having their way with SC and SC needs to man up and give it back.
.

I'll definitely been rooting for yall vs Mizzou.........

 

[BroadwayVa]

To the SC fans - what happened to Cuevas-Moore? She's on the roster, but doens't look like she's played in any games. Redshirt? Spann will be out for the UCONN game?

You guys should slaughter Arkansas. But Missouri will be tough without Spann. They aren't big or athletic, but have experience and seem to play solid team ball. I've only seen portions of several of their games so I'm by no means an expert...

SC reminds me in a way of L'ville - not in their roster or size, but in that UCONN is not a good matchup for them. Unlike ND who seems to give us fits most games, even if we feel the game shouldn't be close.

I hope you guys face Tenn again and slaughter them...

EricLa--You know more about this than I--that rarely stops me from voicing an opinion. The TX game--a team that played beyond their Peter principle and fed off of their crowd. Most Uconn teams thrive in this environment; to me this Uconn team didn't. This team is basically last years team plus 2. My impression is they are not putting the number up they did last season, with good top teams. In recent games (excluding tulsa) it takes Uconn nearly one half to hit their stride.
So I don't feel Uconn will run through USC (at home) or should UC meet Mss ST it will not be a cake walk. Louisville--could be a gift or a disaster--defense for UConn is the key to that win. My opinion--not a fact in my car load..

 

[SCspur]

If you would have asked me 2 games ago if we were ready for this stretch of tough game I would have quickly said no. But for some strange reason I'm very optimistic we will do well. The two games at home should help especially since both are likely to be sold out. The Miss St game is sold out as well so it should be an interesting week.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

South Carolina needs to get tougher. Feels like some dirt being thrown on on a team that is really pretty talented and good though.

Highlighting the Aja Wilson/McCowan matchup as one we'd be real fortunate to win, for example, seems like an interesting take, but we will see.

If Carolina plays tough and loose, we have every chance of running the table in the SEC. Missouri is tough, but not nearly as talented and hard to see us wimping out a third straight time at home under the circumstances. Missouri will need some composure because that will be an unfriendly environment.

I would never predict a win vs UConn until we actually see one come down to the wire at the least.

I would have liked to have seen a matchup last season after the Coates injury because I think spreading things out a little bit more would have been a better approach.

But in reality I'm glad we just had to beat Miss State again to get the trophy.

 

[Carnac]

This is the pre-game gum & candy set up for head coach Dawn Staley.

 

[eebmg]

Well. SC up 16-4 against Arkansas. Arkansas game plan is when a half open shot is available, take it. with poor shooting and results. SC will, be a tough test for UConn at home.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Wish our starters weren't in a 40 point game with six minutes left. Work on the bench, Coach.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Wish our starters weren't in a 40 point game with six minutes left. Work on the bench, Coach.

Since we only have 3 available bench players right now, that's kind of difficult. Victoria played 21 minutes, LeLe 19 and LaDazhia 15 tonight.

As far as the upcoming schedule is concerned, Mizzou is, by far, the team I want to beat the most. I can't begin to convey the animosity our fans have towards that team. That said, of course everyone wants to beat UCONN and it will be a full house. I'm taking the day off so I can go out before the game and get to the arena early. At Mississippi State will be very tough, but we have the psychological edge as none of their current players have ever beaten USC.

 

[SCGamecock]

Mississippi State will likely unleash 11 straight losses worth of fury on my Gamecocks in a few weeks. Lol this concerns me. I hope we make it out of the arena alive hahaha...

 

[SCspur]

Mississippi State will likely unleash 11 straight losses worth of fury on my Gamecocks in a few weeks. Lol this concerns me. I hope we make it out of the arena alive hahaha...

Hmmmm Dawn has Vic's number but his team this year is severely focused! I still stand firm believing if we get the ball down low to Wilson and Jennings we should win but our supporting cast has to really step it up consistently these next few games.

 

[DefenseBB]

W

Miss State on the road. Tough.. they have a veteran starting 5 that I think can play with anybody but it drops off a lot after that. If SC can’t get to their bench then they’ll lose. We’ll see..... It’s going to go unnoticed because of the hype behind Miss State possibly winning the SEC, but Dawn is quietly having one of her most impressive coaching years in quite some time.

I selected some good thoughts you put in here for our brethren to soak in. MSU has a fully functioning offense now but a less intimidating defense. After McCowan, I think they are thin at size and their guard defense is lacking with Schaefer and Jordan. Vivians is having a monster year but I do think SC has a chance as Wilson and Harris are legimate AA candidates. I want to not like Harris but she continues to evolve and show me she is learning under Dawn's tutelage. AT MSU is tough though. I am rooting to see how Dawn scheme's this one as despite her excessive whining on Cooper (and a few other items) and some game antics, she has done a very good job at actual coaching with all the injuries.

 

[SCspur]

I selected some good thoughts you put in here for our brethren to soak in. MSU has a fully functioning offense now but a less intimidating defense. After McCowan, I think they are thin at size and their guard defense is lacking with Schaefer and Jordan. Vivians is having a monster year but I do think SC has a chance as Wilson and Harris are legimate AA candidates. I want to not like Harris but she continues to evolve and show me she is learning under Dawn's tutelage. AT MSU is tough though. I am rooting to see how Dawn scheme's this one as despite her excessive whining on Cooper (and a few other items) and some game antics, she has done a very good job at actual coaching with all the injuries.

Great analysis. I think Jennings is very underrated in the matchup as well. With all the hype surrounding McCowan (and rightfully so) no one even noticed that she's 30 of 36 from the field in the past 3 games and also leads the SEC in FG% at 65.5%. She's quietly putting together a very solid season this year.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Great analysis. I think Jennings is very underrated in the matchup as well. With all the hype surrounding McCowan (and rightfully so) no one even noticed that she's 30 of 36 from the field in the past 3 games and also leads the SEC in FG% at 65.5%. She's quietly putting together a very solid season this year.

Even usc fans aren’t really picking up on how good Jennings has been.

 

[sharris952]

I can see them winning the Missouri game, but even that one will not be a cake walk. I don't think they can overcome the talent of UConn or MS. Wilson will have to play at least 34 minutes each game for them to have any chance of winning. She's coming off a foot injury that may not allow her to play that many minutes at this time. Wilson (who is foul prone anyway) will foul out before she stops a bigger and heavier 6'7" Teaira McCowan. McCowan IS NOT the same player she was last year. She's more confident and more aggressive.

McGowan can be more confident but that doesn't replace skill. Aja has gone up against her twice With out Coates and both times she put McGowan in foul trouble and destroyed her effectiveness. Aja is playing better than ever now and Tierra does not have foot speed to guard Aja at the high post or short corner. Miss st also is not deep as they were last year which has affected their defense. I like our chances as long as we play a solid game.