South Carolina @ Mississippi St - 2/05/18

[shizam]

What happened to Coach Vic? Why did he need help getting up?

I like Vic. He's a unique character that's for sure. So funny when they had him mic'd and he's screaming NO NO! five times at his player "Jazzy" Holmes when she makes a pass he didn't want. Great job having him mic'd. At least he was entertaining. Thank goodness they didn't mic Dawn.

 

[shizam]

I am slowly coming to the conclusion that SC isn’t all that great this year. So much talent, but only 52 points in 39 minutes?

I'm surprised they are as good as they are this year . I thought they would be worse.

 

[shizam]

Really good win for Mississippi State. They should major toughness and badly outplayed South Carolina down the stretch.

The offense was not very good most of the game for Mississippi State until Holmes came in and got them going. Once they started going to McCowan, looks opened up for Schaefer/Bibby. I always love seeing William play, but Holmes is a great backup who made the difference tonight.

I was pretty underwhelmed by McCowan until the 4th quarter. You could tell that she was tentative playing South Carolina--she wasn't posting hard or aggressively going for rebounds until the 2nd half. She also missed a bunch of chippies she normally hits and was getting a bit anxious. Once she settled down, she played a lot better. Defensively I thought she did a really poor job the first half. She didn't provide any help side defense and she has the size and length to block a lot more shots than she did. In the second half, she was more active and more aggressive on the glass. Once she fired up and started battling, Mississippi State pulled away. Wilson is a matchup nightmare for her. If A'ja is on either elbow, she can blow by McCowan if Teaira closes on her, but she can also stick the 15 foot jumper. Wilson is also tall and long in her own right, so McCowan can't use her length to block the shot easily if Wilson beats her. If they meet again in the SEC Championship, look for this to be exploited.

Lots of unsung heroes for Mississippi State today--obviously Holmes was huge. Bibby was a big difference maker off the bench too. Her statline isn't great, but she was extremely physical and played with high energy chasing down loose balls. It's amazing how a high energy player can get everyone going. Same with Schaefer--lots of good activity and she hit open shots. She plays a very similar role on Mississippi State that Nurse does for UCONN--smart player who hits open shots and plays tough defense. She's been very good in every game I've seen this year.

Vivians was outstanding in the first and struggled in the second, but I didn't think she took many bad shots and kept them in the game when no one was doing anything offensively for Mississippi State.

I may have been influenced by the crowd, but I thought the refs made a number of really bad calls that went against Mississippi State. They waved off McCowan's basket, I thought the retaliation foul was a bad call, Wilson got just about every call in her favor, etc. There was one call against Bibby where Wilson just elbowed Bibby in the head and Bibby was called for the foul. I was also rooting for Mississippi State, so I'm sure I'm overlooking calls that went in South Carolina's favor. The one really bad call against South Carolina was Harris's 5th. From what I saw, I didn't think she touched her and it ended up being her 5th. I don't think it would've made a difference as Mississippi State had all the momentum at that point, but I thought I'd mention it.

For South Carolina, I thought Wilson was phenomenal in 3 quarters and then she just sort of gassed out. Missed a few chippies she normally makes and she was getting frustrated. South Carolina does not have a good supporting cast though. They don't have good shooters besides Spann, who doesn't produce against good teams, and the other guards are good, but can only consistently score 15 feet and in. Jennings is good but can also be neutralized, and besides that you're left with Wilson carrying a very large load. She needs more help.

In regards to how Mississippi State stacks up against UCONN....I think UCONN has an edge, but it really comes down to which team shows up for both squads. If it's the confident Mississippi State team that shows up most nights, it'll be a good game. If they play timid and jack up a lot of perimeter shots like they did to start the game today, it could be a comfortable UCONN win. Mississippi State plays good defense and has a ton of experience, so I don't expect a blowout by UCONN.

It's a bit of a weird triangle in that Mississippi State seems to play timid against South Carolina but was fearless against UCONN, South Carolina was timid against the Huskies but seemed confident most of the game against Mississippi State, and UCONN always plays confidently against South Carolina, but was timid against Mississippi State last year.

Speaking of high energy, I thought Miss State would really miss Dominique Dillingham. I loved the intensity and energy she brought.

 

[jaundicedeye]

I think nd would give us a better game.

That is exactly what I was thinking.
ND is better coached and their game more resembles that of UCONN.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

Some pretty smart posters think MS ST could be quite the challenge for the Huskies. I don't see it. We have 6 20 point offensive players. They have perhaps 2. Only McKowan makes them bigger - and she's a load - but she is slow and if she moves out of the protected zone her player can zip by her with ease. Vic's bench is thin thin. It would take a return of last year's "panic" (Gabby's word) to have Vic's team beat UConn.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

 

[Ukonnfan]

I like Vic. He's a unique character that's for sure. So funny when they had him mic'd and he's screaming NO NO! five times at his player "Jazzy" Holmes when she makes a pass he didn't want. Great job having him mic'd. At least he was entertaining. Thank goodness they didn't mic Dawn.

Yes, thank goodness..

 

[BostonCanuck]

Speaking of high energy, I thought Miss State would really miss Dominique Dillingham. I loved the intensity and energy she brought.

I really like Dillingham, too. She's the team's graduate assistant this year, and can still be seen on the sidelines at games.

 

[sharris952]

Dawn is extremely overrated as a "game day coach". She will continue to get elite transfers though which will keep her as a top 10 program

I think Dawn does well as a coach, which to each his own. She is different, but this far in her career, I think she has acquitted herself very well. The loss of Ty Harris in the first half to fouls and eventually in the fourth quarter really hurts this team's balance. Both of those periods, Miss. St. went on runs as the offense became dysfunctional. If you look at South Carolina' s losses this year, other than the UConn game which was a complete massacre, the other games, South Carolina's struggles came when Ty Harris had to go to the bench. Jackson is learning, but she still isn't ready for big time pressure as the backup point. She is better suited to her natural 2 guard position. Cuevas is a big hurt because she could play either and was our best 3pt shooter last year. The loss of her and transfer of Aarion Bradshaw hurt their depth. This teams needs to find a consistent 3rd scorer to make any type of run. With last night being Lindsey Spann's first night back, she was rusty on both ends of courts. If they can get her back healthy, SC will be fine. Lord the Dawn Hate sometimes gets irritating, but she is Philly tough and will continue to challenge the norm. I do, however like Schaeffer who is now 1-11 against her, and Geno was a big supporter of Dawn for the USA Olympic Team coach so she at least has the respect of some in the know.

 

[Jim R]

Some pretty smart posters think MS ST could be quite the challenge for the Huskies. I don't see it. We have 6 20 point offensive players. They have perhaps 2. Only McKowan makes them bigger - and she's a load - but she is slow and if she moves out of the protected zone her player can zip by her with ease. Vic's bench is thin thin. It would take a return of last year's "panic" (Gabby's word) to have Vic's team beat UConn.

Rocky - you hit the nail on the head....almost First, although, despite the reservations on the board about Azura, in her first year playing under Geno & crew, she'll be one of our keys to our success, if we face MS ST.
Since there are some many other scoring options that have led to this team's success over the past couple of years, my guess is, she's been limited purposely. In other words, he's mentioned more than once how introducing new elements into a team, that's already operating pretty well, can cause problems. It doesn't mean the contribution won't help, but, the "how" and "when" of the new addition is vital to continued success, instead of it being a disruption. And, the good thing is, Azura is being patient. Next year, their dependence on her, will be undeniable. Having said that, for those who've noticed, during our most competitive games, who has been the go-to player in crunch time? Has there ever been a player with more double-doubles in their first year of playing at UCONN - starter on not?
While I admire what Vic has accomplished in a short time at MS ST, without McCowan's presence, do we really think they'd be in this position? Height does make a difference. But, fortunately, I'm confident that just as he did with Notre Dame after a few of their Diggins victories, Geno and crew has figured out what's needed against vs MS ST. As they say, fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Some pretty smart posters think MS ST could be quite the challenge for the Huskies. I don't see it. We have 6 20 point offensive players. They have perhaps 2. Only McKowan makes them bigger - and she's a load - but she is slow and if she moves out of the protected zone her player can zip by her with ease. Vic's bench is thin thin. It would take a return of last year's "panic" (Gabby's word) to have Vic's team beat UConn.

It's not so much panic that would allow an opponent to win, but it's more parity between teams. What happens when UConn comes out slow or has a poor shooting night against our conference foes? We only win by 19 instead of 49, even if our AAC opponent has a kid that gets hot and is seemingly unstoppable, they still have a very low chance of winning. Once you play a team much closer in talent level, a kid that gets hot or they out hustle you and you shoot cold or get into foul trouble suddenly tips the scales and you lose. Plus the air of invincibility that this team enjoyed every time it stepped on the court for the previous 4 or 5 years was basically erased when William hit that buzzer beater last year - Goliath had been slain. ND almost beat us at home. Texas got closer than anyone else, and every time we play them that MOV gets thinner and thinner. Baylor has the talent to go toe to toe with us. Miss St has already proven they can beat us. Any of these teams have just as good of a chance at the title as us.

 

[oldude]

It's not so much panic that would allow an opponent to win, but it's more parity between teams. What happens when UConn comes out slow or has a poor shooting night against our conference foes? We only win by 19 instead of 49, even if our AAC opponent has a kid that gets hot and is seemingly unstoppable, they still have a very low chance of winning. Once you play a team much closer in talent level, a kid that gets hot or they out hustle you and you shoot cold or get into foul trouble suddenly tips the scales and you lose. Plus the air of invincibility that this team enjoyed every time it stepped on the court for the previous 4 or 5 years was basically erased when William hit that buzzer beater last year - Goliath had been slain. ND almost beat us at home. Texas got closer than anyone else, and every time we play them that MOV gets thinner and thinner. Baylor has the talent to go toe to toe with us. Miss St has already proven they can beat us. Any of these teams have just as good of a chance at the title as us.

Too often we focus on offense. I’ve said before that UConn did not lose vs MS St last year, because they were nervous, Pheesa wasn’t on her game, or Saniya made a bad decision in OT. UConn lost because they didn’t play championship defense.

This year’s team plays championship defense. So long as the starting 5 is healthy, there isn’t another team that can beat UConn.

 

[HoopsFan21]

Too often we focus on offense. I’ve said before that UConn did not lose vs MS St last year, because they were nervous, Pheesa wasn’t on her game, or Saniya made a bad decision in OT. UConn lost because they didn’t play championship defense.

This year’s team plays championship defense. So long as the starting 5 is healthy, there isn’t another team that can beat UConn.

So the team didn't play championship defense against Texas or ND?

 

[chrissaran]

We will not be playing Texas in Texas. Also, it wasn't their best game, and we still won on the road. Against Notre Dame Gabby had migraines and played lees than stellar, and Lou hurt her foot again, and we still won by 9. Yes, there are teams that can beat us. No, I'm not worried about those teams. If UConn plays their best game, they will win number 12.

 

[Centerstream]

I really like Dillingham, too. She's the team's graduate assistant this year, and can still be seen on the sidelines at games.

Ah. I saw her and "recognized" her last night on the sidelines but her name escaped me.

 

[oldude]

So the team didn't play championship defense against Texas or ND?

Actually they did, but not for the complete game. Against ND, UConn’s defense was stellar in the 4th qtr, without Gabby & Lou.

UConn came out playing a zone vs TX, which the Longhorns shredded. For the next 3 qtrs UConn played primarily man-to-man doing a much better job controlling TX.

In the 1st half vs SC, the Husky defense was as good as I’ve seen since the 2016 tournament game vs MS St. The one disconcerting aspect for Geno is that UConn turns their defensive intensity on and off depending on the opponent and the situation.

If need be, I believe the Huskies are capable of playing lockdown defense for 4 qtrs against any team in the country.

 

[bballnut90]

Some pretty smart posters think MS ST could be quite the challenge for the Huskies. I don't see it. We have 6 20 point offensive players. They have perhaps 2. Only McKowan makes them bigger - and she's a load - but she is slow and if she moves out of the protected zone her player can zip by her with ease. Vic's bench is thin thin. It would take a return of last year's "panic" (Gabby's word) to have Vic's team beat UConn.

UCONN is more talented across the board, but Mississippi State is such a complete team. Most of their offense flows through McCowan and Vivians, but Johnson is a capable playmaker who can go for 20 any given night, Schaefer is a good shooter who does a lot of things well, and Morgan William is also a capable scorer. The 4 man backcourt of Schaefer, Johnson, William, and Holmes are all outstanding defensively and take care of the ball. William/Holmes split PG duties and combine for 7.3 assists to just 2.2 turnovers, and Schaefer/Johnson each have 2:1 A/TO ratios. Vivians can score in a variety of ways and McCowan dominates the glass and can finish inside. Off the bench they have 2 high energy spark plug players to spot the starters, both can provide a major boost on any given night.

They are also very good defensively, giving up 55ppg (about the same as UCONN) and they rarely have players in foul trouble. If you pull McCowan away from the basket, it puts her in a tough spot since she isn't quick, but on the flip side UCONN doesn't have anyone who can match her size and strength inside if she plays aggressively.

Their bench isn't thin either-- they have a set 7 man rotation that will play almost the entire game. Players are conditioned to play the full 40 if needed. You saw a big girl like McCowan running back defensively every possession and battling hard in the 4th while she played 39 minutes against A'ja Wilson much of the night. That's impressive for someone her size. No one I saw on Ms St looked winded besides Vivians who carried the team in the first half.

I agree that UCONN will be the favorite if they meet, but after seeing Texas and Notre Dame step up and nearly beat the Huskies, I think Mississippi State is a much tougher matchup than either of those teams, so they'll definitely challenge UCONN.

 

[TitleTown]

Too often we focus on offense. I’ve said before that UConn did not lose vs MS St last year, because they were nervous, Pheesa wasn’t on her game, or Saniya made a bad decision in OT. UConn lost because they didn’t play championship defense.

This year’s team plays championship defense. So long as the starting 5 is healthy, there isn’t another team that can beat UConn.

I'm sorry, but I can't see how anybody can make this argument. UConn held MSU to 66 points in an overtime game. MSU shot a below average 37.3% overall and an even worse 27.3% from 3 pt range. UConn also forced 14 tos. I can understand saying UConn gave up way too many offensive rebounds, was beaten to too many 50/50 balls, but other than that they played pretty good defense. UConn lost that game on the offensive end and foul line!

 

[oldude]

I'm sorry, but I can't see how anybody can make this argument. UConn held MSU to 66 points in an overtime game. MSU shot a below average 37.3% overall and an even worse 27.3% from 3 pt range. UConn also forced 14 tos. I can understand saying UConn gave up way too many offensive rebounds, was beaten to too many 50/50 balls, but other than that they played pretty good defense. UConn lost that game on the offensive end and foul line!

On it’s face, you might assume that holding a team to 66 pts in OT is a good defensive effort. But I would argue the exact opposite.

MS St walked the ball up the court the entire game, ran their offense and, as you point out, got a number of offensive rebounds, and UConn could do nothing about it. Geno subsequently acknowledged that UConn didn’t do enough to speed up the game and force more turnovers.

My poster child for great defense was the 2010 national championship game between UConn and Stanford. During the 1st half of that game, UConn played great defense, but couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean, so the Huskies were down 10 at half.

During the 2nd half UConn ramped up their defense to a stifling level, while getting just enough offense from Maya, Tina, et al to pull out a 53-47 victory.

Should UConn meet MS St in the FF again this year, I would be surprised to see the Bulldogs reach 60 pts

 

[Jim R]

On it’s face, you might assume that holding a team to 66 pts in OT is a good defensive effort. But I would argue the exact opposite.

MS St walked the ball up the court the entire game, ran their offense and, as you point out, got a number of offensive rebounds, and UConn could do nothing about it. Geno subsequently acknowledged that UConn didn’t do enough to speed up the game and force more turnovers.

My poster child for great defense was the 2010 national championship game between UConn and Stanford. During the 1st half of that game, UConn played great defense, but couldn’t throw the ball in the ocean, so the Huskies were down 10 at half.

During the 2nd half UConn ramped up their defense to a stifling level, while getting just enough offense from Maya, Tina, et al to pull out a 53-47 victory.

Should UConn meet MS St in the FF again this year, I would be surprised to see the Bulldogs reach 60 pts

Well....when you've got Maya!

 

[HoopsFan21]

Well....when you've got Maya!

Yep. A few years ago if you had asked me which team was going to win the national championship, I would have told you whichever team Stewie is on.

 

[Shades]

"They're our league's best team," Staley said. "The record shows it, the rankings show it. They did a great job. I'm happy for them, I'm happy for them that they could perform that way in front of all these people. Because there are some people that haven't watched women's basketball before that were in the building. I just hope it's not in vain. They've got to get back in the gym and support this team."

If the Bulldogs give them nights like this, they might follow them all the way to Columbus.

Mississippi State sends message with win in title game rematch

 

[shizam]

I think Dawn does well as a coach, which to each his own. She is different, but this far in her career, I think she has acquitted herself very well. The loss of Ty Harris in the first half to fouls and eventually in the fourth quarter really hurts this team's balance. Both of those periods, Miss. St. went on runs as the offense became dysfunctional. If you look at South Carolina' s losses this year, other than the UConn game which was a complete massacre, the other games, South Carolina's struggles came when Ty Harris had to go to the bench. Jackson is learning, but she still isn't ready for big time pressure as the backup point. She is better suited to her natural 2 guard position. Cuevas is a big hurt because she could play either and was our best 3pt shooter last year. The loss of her and transfer of Aarion Bradshaw hurt their depth. This teams needs to find a consistent 3rd scorer to make any type of run. With last night being Lindsey Spann's first night back, she was rusty on both ends of courts. If they can get her back healthy, SC will be fine. Lord the Dawn Hate sometimes gets irritating, but she is Philly tough and will continue to challenge the norm. I do, however like Schaeffer who is now 1-11 against her, and Geno was a big supporter of Dawn for the USA Olympic Team coach so she at least has the respect of some in the know.

I think you made some valid points about the injuries and lack of depth SC has had this year at the guard spot. It’s easy to forget when players go down. Maybe I need to lay off Dawn a bit.

 

[Blueconn]

if Wilson is everybody's choice for NPOY what about Vivians.....she's much more of a well rounded player and just as important to her team's success...

What about Katie Lou Samuelson ?

 

[Mdoggie]

So the team didn't play championship defense against Texas or ND?

Did those teams beat Uconn

 

[MsuDawg]

Having been at the game Monday night at the "Hump", I have to say It was the most electric atmosphere I've ever been apart of in the that building. I was a student at MSU during the early 2000's when their men's team was very good and we would pack that place out on a nightly basis. I never heard it as loud as it was when Blair hit that 2nd 3pt FG in the 2nd half from the corner. It has a sight to behold and it is so great to see so much positive energy surrounding the sport of Woman's basketball. If someone was to tell me 5 years ago that we would sell out Monday night games with standing room only for Woman's basketball I would of taken that bet. They used to HAVE to give away tickets to fill 1/4 of that stadium...now $5 tickets sell for $200+ on stubhub and people line up 4 hours in advance on a Monday afternoon to attend the games...amazing. I will try to post some pictures of the crowd when I get a chance.

 

[DefenseBB]

Having been at the game Monday night at the "Hump", I have to say It was the most electric atmosphere I've ever been apart of in the that building. ...now $5 tickets sell for $200+ on stubhub and people line up 4 hours in advance on a Monday afternoon to attend the games...amazing. I will try to post some pictures of the crowd when I get a chance.

Welcome aboard! I have a question for you and I know it's just one MSU fans opinion but who is the alpha dog on MSU, I contend it's Vivians and that she warrants 1st team AA consideration over Kelsey Mitchell along with Wilson, Samuelson, Ionescu and Gabby. Many of our colleagues think it's Teira. I looked at all the big games against ranked opponents Oregon, Ok St., Green Bay, Georgia and Vivians has had big game after big game. Same with this SC game. What is your view?

 

[MsuDawg]

Welcome aboard! I have a question for you and I know it's just one MSU fans opinion but who is the alpha dog on MSU, I contend it's Vivians and that she warrants 1st team AA consideration over Kelsey Mitchell along with Wilson, Samuelson, Ionescu and Gabby. Many of our colleagues think it's Teira. I looked at all the big games against ranked opponents Oregon, Ok St., Green Bay, Georgia and Vivians has had big game after big game. Same with this SC game. What is your view?

I would def say Vivians is the leader on that team. No question about it.

 

[shizam]

Having been at the game Monday night at the "Hump", I have to say It was the most electric atmosphere I've ever been apart of in the that building. I was a student at MSU during the early 2000's when their men's team was very good and we would pack that place out on a nightly basis. I never heard it as loud as it was when Blair hit that 2nd 3pt FG in the 2nd half from the corner. It has a sight to behold and it is so great to see so much positive energy surrounding the sport of Woman's basketball. If someone was to tell me 5 years ago that we would sell out Monday night games with standing room only for Woman's basketball I would of taken that bet. They used to HAVE to give away tickets to fill 1/4 of that stadium...now $5 tickets sell for $200+ on stubhub and people line up 4 hours in advance on a Monday afternoon to attend the games...amazing. I will try to post some pictures of the crowd when I get a chance.

Awesome. That’s what WCBB is all about. Thanks!!!

 

[msupinebelt]

I've been out of town since Tuesday traveling, but you can hear the crowd reaction of Blair's 3-pointer within this video.

Having been at the game Monday night at the "Hump", I have to say It was the most electric atmosphere I've ever been apart of in the that building. I was a student at MSU during the early 2000's when their men's team was very good and we would pack that place out on a nightly basis. I never heard it as loud as it was when Blair hit that 2nd 3pt FG in the 2nd half from the corner. It has a sight to behold and it is so great to see so much positive energy surrounding the sport of Woman's basketball. If someone was to tell me 5 years ago that we would sell out Monday night games with standing room only for Woman's basketball I would of taken that bet. They used to HAVE to give away tickets to fill 1/4 of that stadium...now $5 tickets sell for $200+ on stubhub and people line up 4 hours in advance on a Monday afternoon to attend the games...amazing. I will try to post some pictures of the crowd when I get a chance.