South Carolina & the QUEST FOR 100

[SCspur]

I'm really trying to be objective. Who has shut her down? I just can't recall a game. Even when she has struggled recently (2 games) she is still getting good looks and dropping 20 points.

No one has shut her down but as some one stated earlier in the thred South Carolina holds their opp near the same average UCONN does so your not going up against any ordinary team defensively.
-Against FSU she was guarded by Maria Conde 6'1"... has height but definitely not in the same league as Samuelson.
-Against Baylor she was guarded by 6'2" Alexis Prince.... basically the same height and prince has a very long wingspan and even though she had 16 points I didn't think she "went off"....
-Against Notre Dame she was guarded by 6'0" Jackie Young... and as good as Young is this match up screamed MISMATCH.. also Young is probably ND best perimeter defenders so they were doomed from the start.
-Against Texas she was guarded by LaShann Higgs and Brianna Taylor both 5'9"... Taylor is actually a good defender and gave Samuelson fits in the beginning but her foul trouble kept her out the game and Higgs has speed but lack of height got her ate up agaisnt KLS on the curl screens.
-Against Ohio St she was guarded by Sierra Calhoun 6'0" and Linnae Harper 5'7" ... Ohio St isn't even a defensive team so I don't know why I even made a point for them LOL... but she absolutely dominated the matchups AND WHY IN THE WORLD WAS HARPER GUARDING HER???
-Agaisnt Maryland she was guarded by Kristen Confroy 5'9" and Kaila Charles 6'1" ... bad matchup from the beginning Confroy is known just for shooting so I don't know why frese would put her on KLS... Charles is a very good freshman but she didn't matchup well either and thus led her to dominating the game.... EVEN AFTER THE THREW UP ON THE SIDELINE!!
-Agaisnt SC she'll most likely be guarded by Kaela Davis 6'2" and Allisha Gray 6'0" both are very capable defenders and matchup very well with KLS.. Davis with the same height and length would probably be used to contest her shots and her post ups, while gray would be used to face guard her( if needed) and test her handling abilities.

Now I'm not saying by any means that they'll shut her down but I'm betting they would do a better job then the other teams ( with the exception of Baylor's Alexis Prince) defending her and limiting her touches and shot attempts.

 

[hoophuskee]

Just wanted to make a few points..
Gray, Davis and even Cuevas-Moore are shooting the ball much better as of late. Davis at 6'2" has the speed and athleticism to play KLS. the difference in the game will be foul trouble and SC does foul more but I also think SC will go small a lot in this game and play Gray at the 4. I think the smaller lineup matches up really well with UCONN.

 

[hoophuskee]

No one has shut her down but as some one stated earlier in the thred South Carolina holds their opp near the same average UCONN does so your not going up against any ordinary team defensively.
-Against FSU she was guarded by Maria Conde 6'1".. has height but definitely not in the same league as Samuelson.
-Against Baylor she was guarded by 6'2" Alexis Prince... basically the same height and prince has a very long wingspan and even though she had 16 points I didn't think she "went off"...
-Against Notre Dame she was guarded by 6'0" Jackie Young.. and as good as Young is this match up screamed MISMATCH.. also Young is probably ND best perimeter defenders so they were doomed from the start.
-Against Texas she was guarded by LaShann Higgs and Brianna Taylor both 5'9".. Taylor is actually a good defender and gave Samuelson fits in the beginning but her foul trouble kept her out the game and Higgs has speed but lack of height got her ate up agaisnt KLS on the curl screens.
-Against Ohio St she was guarded by Sierra Calhoun 6'0" and Linnae Harper 5'7" .. Ohio St isn't even a defensive team so I don't know why I even made a point for them LOL.. but she absolutely dominated the matchups AND WHY IN THE WORLD WAS HARPER GUARDING HER???
-
Now I'm not saying by any means that they'll shut her down but I'm betting they would do a better job then the other teams ( with the exception of Baylor's Alexis Prince) defending her and limiting her touches and shot attempts.

This isn't true at all. Lou missed a layup. On another play it was Atkins that reached in.

 

[SCspur]

This isn't true at all. Lou missed a layup. On another play it was Atkins that reached in.

I think you need to go watch the replay... Taylor stayed with Samuelson and denied her the ball a lot and even when she did get the ball out on the perimeter Taylor dared her to dribble and she hesitated and when she did Taylor poked the ball got the steal and forced KLS to foul her.

 

[SCGamecock]

I would be surprised if Coates and Wilson are on the floor together for a large portion of the game on Monday.. they start together, play a few minutes then the rotation typically starts. Then they start the 2nd half together... unless Coates and Wilson on the floor together proves to be some kind of significant mismatch you won't see it for long stretches. Wilson will likely play 35+ minutes if foul trouble doesn't get in the way. Wilson can definitely play an entire game, she has already this season.

UConn will get drives to the basket in this game. Our interior defense has been a nuisance the entire season. Our guards are tall, athletic and long... they are much better perimeter defenders in my opinion. UConn is also very long and stringy with KLS, Collier, and Gabby.. so I can see them occasionally sagging down on our post players to deny the entry pass, which is the key.. don't let the pass happen because if it does it's going to be either 2 points or foul shots.

UConn will be UConn. We already know what they're going to do.. they're not going to change anything all of a sudden for SC. The key to SC keeping this game close or possibly winning will be the bigs staying on the floor and whether we can get anything offensively from Gray, Davis, Cuevas-Moore. SC has to move the ball around and reverse it if needed.. if we fall into stagnation and start forcing entry passes then I can definitely see this going the way of the Duke game where literally every entry pass we made was turned over by Duke.

 

[hoophuskee]

I think you need to go watch the replay.. Taylor stayed with Samuelson and denied her the ball a lot and even when she did get the ball out on the perimeter Taylor dared her to dribble and she hesitated and when she did Taylor poked the ball got the steal and forced KLS to foul her.

I think you need to watch it again. UCONN was going after Texas's big players in the 1st half. They had an immobile center and a freshman. Taylor did not "dare" her to dribble. There is NO REASON for Lou TO Dribble. You're making it a point that Lou doesn't dribble much vs a 5'9 player as if that has meaning. IMO it doesn't. She poked the ball away ONCE from Lou. So that qualifies for giving Lou "fits?"

Why would you think Lou needs to dribble vs a 5'9 quicker player? Does it mean that it makes Lou worse for being smart and just using her size to shoot over her? When Taylor poked the ball away from Lou that one time, another time Atkins poked the ball away, another time Lou missed a layup, in the 2nd half Lou misses a 3poitner then a minute later drills one, and then sticks a jumper off a pick, how do you intepret all of this as "Taylor denying Lou the ball?" You realize a good pick - you're not going to deny Lou the ball right? Especially when you are only 5'9.

 

[SCspur]

I think you need to watch it again. UCONN was going after Texas's big players in the 1st half. They had an immobile center and a freshman. Taylor did not "dare" her to dribble. There is NO REASON for Lou TO Dribble. You're making it a point that Lou doesn't dribble much vs a 5'9 player as if that has meaning. IMO it doesn't. She poked the ball away ONCE from Lou. So that qualifies for giving Lou "fits?"

Why would you think Lou needs to dribble vs a 5'9 quicker player? Does it mean that it makes Lou worse for being smart and just using her size to shoot over her? When Taylor poked the ball away from Lou that one time, another time Atkins poked the ball away, another time Lou missed a layup, in the 2nd half Lou misses a 3poitner then a minute later drills one, and then sticks a jumper off a pick, how do you intepret all of this as "Taylor denying Lou the ball?" You realize a good pick - you're not going to deny Lou the ball right? Especially when you are only 5'9.

It's really not that deep but I was just recognizing good defense but I mean at some point she will have to dribble. she has the size and shooting for perimeter play but I would certainly make her put the ball on the floor and see if she can handle it as well as the other guards. Players like Kaela Davis, Alexis Prince and Diamond Deshields can make her put it on the floor because they are the same size and have the length to contest a lot of her shots.

 

[Kibitzer]

I think you guys should get some sleep or you get all tuckered out, then snooze through the Big Game on Monday.

 

[oldude]

I think SC and Davis will do a reasonable job defending Lou, but here's the problem. UConn doesn't play 1 on 1 basketball and they will get good shots for Lou regardless.

They will run her on the curl at the foul line where she is a deadly shooter. They will pull everyone out of the lane, flash her into the paint and feed her the ball in the low post where she doesn't miss. They will set a high screen at the arc will Lou will take a couple dribbles to run her defender into the screen and shoot an open 3.

Lou is not fast but she runs the court extremely well. On fast breaks before the defense can set up she will sprint to the basket or slide out to the arc where her teammates will get her the ball before the defense is set.

Finally, if Davis or anyone else overplays her when she has the ball, she is capable of putting the ball on the floor and with her long strides and Inspector Gadget arms, she is very good at driving to the basket and making a long scooping layup with either hand.

TX, ND & MD all defended Lou well for a qtr or even a half, but eventually she was able to get her shots and score.

 

[huskeynut]

It's really not that deep but I was just recognizing good defense but I mean at some point she will have to dribble. she has the size and shooting for perimeter play but I would certainly make her put the ball on the floor and see if she can handle it as well as the other guards. Players like Kaela Davis, Alexis Prince and Diamond Deshields can make her put it on the floor because they are the same size and have the length to contest a lot of her shots.

SCspur - we have a good discussion going. As to you comments on guards that can make Lou put it on the floor, that may come to pass. But know Lou can put it on the floor and drive the lane. She is faster than you think. Her long legs eat up a lot of ground per each stride. Also, Lou does rise up to get her shot off. Lou also does a great job of running her defender off a screen and being free to shot.

More important is the fact that UConn has 5 players that can score in double figures every night. Lou isn't the only one. UConn does not rely on a lot of one-on-one play to get shots off. Looking forward to an exciting game! Best to the Gamecocks.

 

[ricky]

SCspur - we have a good discussion going. As to you comments on guards that can make Lou put it on the floor, that may come to pass. But know Lou can put it on the floor and drive the lane. She is faster than you think. Her long legs eat up a lot of ground per each stride. Also, Lou does rise up to get her shot off. Lou also does a great job of running her defender off a screen and being free to shot.

More important is the fact that UConn has 5 players that can score in double figures every night. Lou isn't the only one. UConn does not rely on a lot of one-on-one play to get shots off. Looking forward to an exciting game! Best to the Gamecocks.

Collier will be there to take this defensive heat off Lou. Collier is so mobile and can score and defend from anywhere. She will have her eyes open and bail out any of her teammates anywhere on the floor. Then she will quickly sag down low on defense when required. She is definitely Flash Gordon.

 

[Los24]

No one has shut her down but as some one stated earlier in the thred South Carolina holds their opp near the same average UCONN does so your not going up against any ordinary team defensively.
-Against FSU she was guarded by Maria Conde 6'1".. has height but definitely not in the same league as Samuelson.
-Against Baylor she was guarded by 6'2" Alexis Prince... basically the same height and prince has a very long wingspan and even though she had 16 points I didn't think she "went off"...
-Against Notre Dame she was guarded by 6'0" Jackie Young.. and as good as Young is this match up screamed MISMATCH.. also Young is probably ND best perimeter defenders so they were doomed from the start.
-Against Texas she was guarded by LaShann Higgs and Brianna Taylor both 5'9".. Taylor is actually a good defender and gave Samuelson fits in the beginning but her foul trouble kept her out the game and Higgs has speed but lack of height got her ate up agaisnt KLS on the curl screens.
-Against Ohio St she was guarded by Sierra Calhoun 6'0" and Linnae Harper 5'7" .. Ohio St isn't even a defensive team so I don't know why I even made a point for them LOL.. but she absolutely dominated the matchups AND WHY IN THE WORLD WAS HARPER GUARDING HER???
-Agaisnt Maryland she was guarded by Kristen Confroy 5'9" and Kaila Charles 6'1" .. bad matchup from the beginning Confroy is known just for shooting so I don't know why frese would put her on KLS.. Charles is a very good freshman but she didn't matchup well either and thus led her to dominating the game... EVEN AFTER THE THREW UP ON THE SIDELINE!!
-Agaisnt SC she'll most likely be guarded by Kaela Davis 6'2" and Allisha Gray 6'0" both are very capable defenders and matchup very well with KLS.. Davis with the same height and length would probably be used to contest her shots and her post ups, while gray would be used to face guard her( if needed) and test her handling abilities.

Now I'm not saying by any means that they'll shut her down but I'm betting they would do a better job then the other teams ( with the exception of Baylor's Alexis Prince) defending her and limiting her touches and shot attempts.

We'll find out on Monday. I appreciate the thought and research put into your response. SC has an advantage over most teams on defense because of their interior defense can make up for mistakes in the way Stewie used too for us, thus perimeter defenders can press and be more aggressive. With UConn its more challenging because we are the best passing team in the country so if we breakdown your defense instead of a block we can see a nice assist to the open player.

I know I am switching off topic a bit, but this is where SC's approach with Gabby will be interesting. Coates can not guard her on top and not sure about Wilson, so I would not be surprised if they dare her to shoot. I am also curious to see how Pheese maneuvers inside with two of the best shot blockers in the country. I am expecting to see that almost unblockable fade-away. Lastly, and I realize SC is a very good defensive team, I think another critical area we win by a healthy margin (and will need to if we do not rebound on par with SC) is turnovers.

I will be at a work conference during game time so I will be watching on replay. I am hoping I can resist the temptation to check score updates so I can enjoy the rare suspense of playing a game where we could possibly lose.

 

[SCspur]

We'll find out on Monday. I appreciate the thought and research put into your response. SC has an advantage over most teams on defense because of their interior defense can make up for mistakes in the way Stewie used too for us, thus perimeter defenders can press and be more aggressive. With UConn its more challenging because we are the best passing team in the country so if we breakdown your defense instead of a block we can see a nice assist to the open player.

I know I am switching off topic a bit, but this is where SC's approach with Gabby will be interesting. Coates can not guard her on top and not sure about Wilson, so I would not be surprised if they dare her to shoot. I am also curious to see how Pheese maneuvers inside with two of the best shot blockers in the country. I am expecting to see that almost unblockable fade-away. Lastly, and I realize SC is a very good defensive team, I think another critical area we win by a healthy margin (and will need to if we do not rebound on par with SC) is turnovers.

I will be at a work conference during game time so I will be watching on replay. I am hoping I can resist the temptation to check score updates so I can enjoy the rare suspense of playing a game where we could possibly lose.

No I completely liked that you brought up that matchup. After watching the Maryland replay I've seen a lot of instances where in the first half Jones would play Williams too tight and got beat to the rim on several plays and then in the second half she gave Williams a cushion and allowed her to shoot. I think Coates should allow her to shoot the lower percentage shot because getting beat off the bounce every play is a bad recipe for a lost. Also watching the Maryland game UCONN had a hard time keeping them off the boards and a lot of fouls Williams accumulated came because she was trying to prevent them from getting second chance points. The past 3 games Coates and Wilson has hit the glass very hard. If UCONN can't contain them and limit their second and third chance opportunities then I think that could be troublesome because they usually score or gets foul in those instances.

 

[Nuyoika]

While I like Uconn's chances--I'd never bet against the Gamecock especially when they are being hyped by Dawn and the press about toppling Geno's streak of 100!!

Now I don't bet much but... if you have been betting against Geno for the last 10 years you would be 14-357. With those odds I would say bet against the Gamecocks and change that like to love .

 

[DefenseBB]

Her defense against Vivians and even DeSheilds was good. If she can play some valuable defense on KLS then I except her to do really well.

Seriously? Deshields had 21 pets, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and only 1 TO and she routinely fails in the A-TO ratio. But in your mind Davis played good defense? That was a marquee matchup and DD schooled Davis. I like Dawn and truly have rooted for SC the past 3 years ever since A'ja decided to go there (plus Dawn has assisted Geno on USA) however your less than objective view is correctly being called out.

 

[Florida Fan]

Deny the entry pass, if the pass gets to the SC bigs close the rim, don't try to block it. Avoid the fouls out front and out defend them while running off all our offensive rebounds. And count on Dawn to fall apart late.

 

[Buzzyboy]

Compare how much you want but she is not Larry Bird.. yes she is VERY good but is she unguardable?? ABSOLUTELY NOT!

KLS has played against teams with appreciably better defenders and done well. Davis hasn't begun to see any team like UConn and I feel we'll see more constipated SC offense on Monday night. There is talent there but the cohesiveness of the Gamecocks isn't on the same planet as UConn. UConn wins very, very comfortably.

 

[oldude]

UConn is going to push the pace hard to counter SC's size. I expect the Huskies to run off of defensive rebounds, turnovers and even made baskets. Their constant movement in their set offense also requires a lot of effort to defend.

Eventually, it wears a team down. The most startling example of this strategy was against Baylor, a much deeper team then UConn. By the end of the game Baylor was gassed and the Huskies pulled away.

 

[bags27]

UConn is going to push the pace hard to counter SC's size. I expect the Huskies to run off of defensive rebounds, turnovers and even made baskets. Their constant movement in their set offense also requires a lot of effort to defend.

Eventually, it wears a team down. The most startling example of this strategy was against Baylor, a much deeper team then UConn. By the end of the game Baylor was gassed and the Huskies pulled away.

Great analysis. The challenge for SC is to prevent the rebounding and quick outlet passes, of course, by being physical underneath and having wings covering the outlet passing lanes...if they can....

 

[tomcat]

UConn is going to push the pace hard to counter SC's size. I expect the Huskies to run off of defensive rebounds, turnovers and even made baskets. Their constant movement in their set offense also requires a lot of effort to defend.

Eventually, it wears a team down. The most startling example of this strategy was against Baylor, a much deeper team then UConn. By the end of the game Baylor was gassed and the Huskies pulled away.

This sounds right to me, although I still worry about the possibility of foul problems, particularly if the zebras decide to insinuate themselves into the game.
Regarding the idea of wearing down an opponent, I know that when I try to break down a matchup like this, I fall into the bad habit of assuming that the other guys are as well-conditioned as UConn, which they are almost always not. Anyway, I'm hoping UConn will run, because they are lots of fun to watch when the transition game is going well and they are flying down the court.

 

[Huskee11]

Really good posts about the impact of UConn running on a team late in the game. Kinda like what happened in the Super Bowl, Atlanta`s defense was exhausted. And more to the point, Baylor as noted above.

Also the fairly subtle point that foul trouble can impact the way UConn defends, they might have to go zone and not press to protect players if foul trouble exists.

Napheesa please no reaching in, and Gabby no going over the back. Even if you get the ball or the rebound, as you often do cleanly, refs likely to call it a foul especially if it turns into a whistle blowing contest.

In a season of encouraging developments, two recent ones have me optimistic:

1. We haven`t fouled much recently.

2. Collier. I know Wilson and Coates are good, but Collier is now playing at another level. Looking for a monster game from her.

 

[Bigpetunia]

One of the things that I love about our favorite team is that, year in and year out, irrespective of the cast, the players seem to revel in the level of their conditioning, and manifest confidence that opponents are reluctant or unable to run with them. Stewie famously stated it in a post-game interview after a beatdown of The Irish last year..."We didn't think they'd want to run with us!" Even though the current iteration of the team lacks much depth off the bench, the conditioning reality remains a huge strong point...just one more reason why I expect SC to keep it close early on, and then wilt under the unrelenting pressure. Team playing in Gampel for #100 straight? They ain't comin' out flat for that one!

 

[pacific 44]

I agree with Florida fan that Dawn will be falling apart.She will be a bubbling cauldron of discontent throughout the game as her bigs accumulate fouls .Look for her to be on the zebras like a hungry lion.In this particular game the number of fouls that particular players have could determine the outcome.Neither team has replacements who are nearly as effective as the people who they replace in the frontcourt.Luckily for Uconn Geno has mastered the zebra game as well,and CD may just have to bring her leash.

 

[Nuyoika]

I wonder if their starting 5 can outscore our starting 5 without 20+ free throw attempts...

 

[hoophuskee]

It's really not that deep but I was just recognizing good defense but I mean at some point she will have to dribble. she has the size and shooting for perimeter play but I would certainly make her put the ball on the floor and see if she can handle it as well as the other guards. Players like Kaela Davis, Alexis Prince and Diamond Deshields can make her put it on the floor because they are the same size and have the length to contest a lot of her shots.

OFC she would have to dribble -- she can dribble sideways- but she doesn't have to dribble to try to score -- she is "Dirk Nowitzki in a way" when wings try to guard her. I am not arguing about your USC players. Maybe Davis and Gray can do a great job on her. But I am arguing your point the 5'9 Taylor from Texas "gave her fits." . You can say all you want " I would certainly make her put the ball on the floor" but she doesn't NEED to and she won't unless she feels she has to. UCONN runs a real offense. There si no reason to dribble in an aggressive manner when all that is needed is a pick then the 6'3 shooter can easily shoot the ball over the 5'9 player. The game isn't all about defense and what you expect a defensive player will accomplish. The defensive player is human. The offensive player will accomplish many good things especially if she has good teammates that can pass. You give Katie Lou a pick and then she gets enough room to shoot. She is 6'3. A 5'9 player can't affect that and isn't going to be able to deny her the ball for long stretches unless the defense turns into a gimmick type like a box-and-one and/or triangle-and-two.

My New York Knicks back in the 80's would have loved to deny Larry Bird the ball. Even in Bird's last college year, when Bird got to the finals, - it was easy to say "deny him the ball." But if you are too small- you can't do it.