South Carolina vs Maryland | Page 3 | The Boneyard

South Carolina vs Maryland

cancontent said:
Maryland held up until the third which I thought was a good sign considering the roster situation. I don't think many expected the game being a 6 point difference at half. The freshman will give fans something to be excited about this season.

My only gripe was the guard Cooke driving to the hoop as many times that she did. Not sure if it's a habit or that she saw something because all I saw was a lot of South Carolina in the paint.
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This is Gia Gooke's game. She is super super fast but she plays out of control. When she learns to harness that great speed, she'll be really good.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
I really thought South Carolina looked terrible last night? Maryland ran out of steam with some injuries midway through the third quarter but it was a close game up until that point with their best player on the bench.

SC guard play is atrocious and they struggle to get the ball inside outside of missed shots. I don’t know how this is the best team in the country and if it is then it’s a very down year for WCBB. Yikes.
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Atrocious is a bit harsh for a 25 point win on the road. The offense isn’t pretty but their defense is top notch and they dominate the glass.
 
bballnut90 said:
Atrocious is a bit harsh for a 25 point win on the road. The offense isn’t pretty but their defense is top notch and they dominate the glass.
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25 point win on the road with the other players best player injured on the bench and the other top players in and out of the game with injuries. It was a six point game halfway through the third quarter.

I should say atrocious offensively though. It’s embarrassing to have a backcourt you completely sag off of at this level. They will need to learn to shoot or pass during the season if they want a chance to repeat because last nights strategy isn’t going to work against top teams of with their best players playing.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
I really thought South Carolina looked terrible last night? Maryland ran out of steam with some injuries midway through the third quarter but it was a close game up until that point with their best player on the bench.

SC guard play is atrocious and they struggle to get the ball inside outside of missed shots. I don’t know how this is the best team in the country and if it is then it’s a very down year for WCBB. Yikes.
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Literally the second game of the season on the road against a top 20 opponent. Didn’t really expect the game to be pretty especially this early. Despite that they scored 81 points. Teams better hope the guards don’t find their shots because it’ll be pretty much over if they do.
 
TerpWomenFan said:
This is Gia Gooke's game. She is super super fast but she plays out of control. When she learns to harness that great speed, she'll be really good.
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Is it Gooke or Cooke? I don't want to get her name wrong.
 
SCspur said:
Literally the second game of the season on the road against a top 20 opponent. Didn’t really expect the game to be pretty especially this early. Despite that they scored 81 points. Teams better hope the guards don’t find their shots because it’ll be pretty much over if they do.
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You don’t “find” your shot. Their technique and form aren’t good across the board. The problems they have are ones that need to be solved in the off season not during the season. South Carolina was my favorite womens team last year it’s a shame they have such issues this year because I don’t think they’ll be much fun to watch.
 
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hoopsnloops32 said:
You don’t “find” your shot. Their technique and form aren’t good across the board. The problems they have are ones that need to be solved in the off season not during the season. South Carolina was my favorite womens team last year it’s a shame they have such issues this year because I don’t think they’ll be much fun to watch.
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You absolutely can find your shot it’s called Rhythm. Raven going 0-4 probably won’t happen much and same for Kierra. Those two went a combined 0-10 and 0-6 from 3.They’re obviously not fully healthy so the team isn’t at their best just yet. Despite that they won big. Stanford will be a big test but I doubt they win by 10+ like you predicted. When that game comes around SC would have played 2 tough games to prepare them. Stanford not so much. We’ll see.
 
SCspur said:
You absolutely can find your shot it’s called Rhythm. Raven going 0-4 probably won’t happen much and same for Kierra. Those two went a combined 0-10 and 0-6 from 3.They’re obviously not fully healthy so the team isn’t at their best just yet. Despite that they won big. Stanford will be a big test but I doubt they win by 10+ like you predicted. When that game comes around SC would have played 2 tough games to prepare them. Stanford not so much. We’ll see.
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They don’t have rhythm problem though. They have a form and range problem. Their shooting issues need to be addressed with thousands of reps over multiple offseasons. It’s not an inseason fix. They also don’t have the vision or skills in passing into the post. That can be worked on but only to an extent during the season. That’s why I’m so bummed watching them, their issues give them a ceiling and I don’t think it’s as high as last year.

I also wouldn’t say Maryland is a top 20 team without their best players so I don’t think the test was a great as it seems on paper.
 
South Carolinas team last year shot in the 40% range most of the season so their offense is never that pretty. It’s their defense that wins games. I’m ok with whatever works to get the win! If you want to watch pretty basketball pick another team but you may not be watching that team come late March!
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
They don’t have rhythm problem though. They have a form and range problem. Their shooting issues need to be addressed with thousands of reps over multiple offseasons. It’s not an inseason fix. They also don’t have the vision or skills in passing into the post. That can be worked on but only to an extent during the season. That’s why I’m so bummed watching them, their issues give them a ceiling and I don’t think it’s as high as last year.

I also wouldn’t say Maryland is a top 20 team without their best players so I don’t think the test was a great as it seems on paper.
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Clearly you only watched one game. Whether you believe it or not Maryland was definitely a test for SC and they will be for UConn as well. That was a good team. They definitely can work through shooting and passing as they did last year as well. If you don’t think a team can grow throughout the season idk what to tell you.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
You don’t “find” your shot. Their technique and form aren’t good across the board. The problems they have are ones that need to be solved in the off season not during the season. South Carolina was my favorite womens team last year it’s a shame they have such issues this year because I don’t think they’ll be much fun to watch.
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These were all “issues” last year so I’m not sure what you’re seeing now that you didn’t see then…
 
GoChips20 said:
These were all “issues” last year so I’m not sure what you’re seeing now that you didn’t see then…
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They had 20 assists on 30 made baskets last night. I don’t think we’ve ever had that many assists on baskets before. And the turnovers were mostly off of ticket tack offensive fouls or traveling after rebounds. I’m not worried, once the PGs get adjusted we’re going to be fine. Shooting, passing and defense included.
 
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bballnut90 said:
SC's defense and size will simply overwhelm most teams. The are so long and athletic at every position. Offense was painful at times with the ball just floating around the perimeter looking for an entry pass while all of Maryland was clobbering Boston inside. I'm no basketball expert, but wouldn't it make sense for Beal/Johnson/Fletcher to simply take 1-2 dribbles and get to about 15 feet and either dribble into an open midrange, or draw a defender and create more space for Boston inside? Or kick it out to a shooter so they can catch in rhythm? The redundancy of throwing it around the perimeter rarely seemed to work, though Beale/Cooke were able to knock down looks outside. Johnson didn't play well but I'm excited to watch her play this year. She looks extremely long/athletic. Cardoso played great, Boston was Boston.

Maryland put up a valiant effort through the first half but fell apart in the 3rd. They're just not nearly as talented without Miller out there and are a completely different team than they've been the past few years. Briggs was very underwhelming after a lot of excitement about her coming this year. Meyer was quite good in the first but tailed off in the second half. She didn't get enough helped. I liked the aggressiveness of freshman Cooke. I still think they could be a Big Ten title contender if Miller returns and Briggs steps up.
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No. If you are South Carolina you don't change a thing on the offensive end. Cardoso and Boston were basically shooting layups last night and at one point were collectively 13 of 13 on FGA attempts and SC had a 2X advantage in rebounding. The rest of the SC starters were 9 for 30. If you are a SC opponent you have to give yourself a chance by: 1) Crowding the feet of Boston and Cardoso. What that means is your defensive position is to always have one foot between their two feet. 2) Pressure the SC passers have them make that pass off the bounce or with a hand in the face. South Carolina is basically using this pair the same way that Vic used Teaira McCowan -when you need a basket throw it towards the corner of the basket because no one has a defender big enough to defend up there. Boston and Cardoso are much more skilled than McCowan was and they get enough baskets the conventional way.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
I really thought South Carolina looked terrible last night? Maryland ran out of steam with some injuries midway through the third quarter but it was a close game up until that point with their best player on the bench.

SC guard play is atrocious and they struggle to get the ball inside outside of missed shots. I don’t know how this is the best team in the country and if it is then it’s a very down year for WCBB. Yikes.
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Because SC can look "terrible" and still dominate.
 
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hoopsnloops32 said:
25 point win on the road with the other players best player injured on the bench and the other top players in and out of the game with injuries. It was a six point game halfway through the third quarter.

I should say atrocious offensively though. It’s embarrassing to have a backcourt you completely sag off of at this level. They will need to learn to shoot or pass during the season if they want a chance to repeat because last nights strategy isn’t going to work against top teams of with their best players playing.
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Yes, really embarrassing. Lol.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
Maybe we have different definitions of pretty because I thought that was a very ugly win.
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But the wins don’t have to be pretty. I believe the goal of each team is the final result — WIN. However, it’s still so early in the season that there’s plenty of time left for all team’s improvement of aesthetically pleasing wins.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
You don’t “find” your shot. Their technique and form aren’t good across the board. The problems they have are ones that need to be solved in the off season not during the season. South Carolina was my favorite womens team last year it’s a shame they have such issues this year because I don’t think they’ll be much fun to watch.
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I sense your frustration with your favorite WCBB team, but......, it’s the beginning of the season. This is SCar, lead by Dawn Staley, who will have her players figure it out sooner, rather than later. They will be okay. Again, it’s the beginning of the season, and they have the talent and confidence to kick everyone’s butt, including my Huskies, so I’m not concerned about their “ugly” win.
 
Cockygirl said:
South Carolinas team last year shot in the 40% range most of the season so their offense is never that pretty. It’s their defense that wins games. I’m ok with whatever works to get the win! If you want to watch pretty basketball pick another team but you may not be watching that team come late March!
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Ouch!!!
 
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JellyBean said:
I just can't picture Stanford taking on any contact. They are more of a finesse team.
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Aside from SC, Stanford has the most physical front court in the country with Brink/Bellini. Brink especially is an absolute beast inside. Haven’t seen much of Betts but she’s a big body and 6-7.
 
I think Stanford will have an edge. Iriafen is a studlet and a very important part of this years team ( So far their top scorer and shooting over 80% ). Consider this: through 3 games, Betts is shooting over 70% and scoring about a point a minute and a rebound a minute, and she's just starting to get her feet wet. Stanford doesn't turn the ball over a lot and they have lots of depth. Not even mentioning Brink or Haley Jones.

Not impressed with SC's guard play. Clog the middle and make them shoot outside. Eventually you will win some. That's a prescription for not making it through the tournament. They are going to miss Hennie. Lots of athletic players who are not high percentage shooters from outside. SC is great but they are not as good as last year at least yet. They may never be.
 
South Carolina was the lowest scoring champion in history last year.

They don't really need offense to win.

Stanford if anything has been the more physical team the last two years. At least in the first half.

That's how you have to be to beat SC.
 
Compared to SC's front court, the guards are their relative weakness. They are particularly strong defensively. I don't see any team beating SC in the paint except maybe Stanford and even that is probably a stretch right now. Boston is a special player and then they also have so many others. The Stanford matchup should be very interesting though. The only chance a team like Uconn has is to hit 3 pointers at a high rate and force SC to shoot well from outside by clogging the middle. SC. does have some players who are very hesitant to shoot at all from 3. Other teams are going to slack off such players and clog the middle. So far Raven Johnson is struggling from 3 and some SC players won't shoot open 3's much at all..
 
TeamFirst! said:
I think Stanford will have an edge. Iriafen is a studlet and a very important part of this years team ( So far their top scorer and shooting over 80% ). Consider this: through 3 games, Betts is shooting over 70% and scoring about a point a minute and a rebound a minute, and she's just starting to get her feet wet. Stanford doesn't turn the ball over a lot and they have lots of depth. Not even mentioning Brink or Haley Jones.

Not impressed with SC's guard play. Clog the middle and make them shoot outside. Eventually you will win some. That's a prescription for not making it through the tournament. They are going to miss Hennie. Lots of athletic players who are not high percentage shooters from outside. SC is great but they are not as good as last year at least yet. They may never be.
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Stanford hasn't really played anyone with a strong defense yet, so it's a bit premature to assume any player is going to be as effective when faced with a more challengings opponent. I mean SC still has 4 players shooting 70% or better, but I realistically don't believe those shooting percentages will hold against steeper competition and teams with more length.

Again it's only the 2nd game of the season, I don't see how you can say a team is better or worse. The PG's are still on minutes restrictions and the coaching staff is experimenting with lineups. Even in a competitive first half on the road, SC still managed to play 12 of it's 13 players in Maryland the game. SC so far has managed 20 assists in back to back games, a number they had only managed to get to only 4 times last season. As for shooting from the outside that was never their strong suit, the most 3's they made in a game last season was 8, the same amount they made against Maryland.

It's way too early to manifest this doom and gloom, especially when most of the stats say otherwise. SC will be fine as usual.
 
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Of course South Carolina will be fine but they aren’t far and away the best team in the country. They run into a team that is shooting hot from three in the tournament they will be exchanging 3’s with 2’s.

There best players rely on their worst players to create shots for them or get them the ball. The loss of Henderson is being greatly diminished here and I think y’all are in for a rude awakening once competition gets stiffer.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
Of course South Carolina will be fine but they aren’t far and away the best team in the country. They run into a team that is shooting hot from three in the tournament they will be exchanging 3’s with 2’s.

There best players rely on their worst players to create shots for them or get them the ball. The loss of Henderson is being greatly diminished here and I think y’all are in for a rude awakening once competition gets stiffer.
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You have made it clear how you felt about SC throughout your many posts in this thread alone. You're talking about the tournament but we're not even a week into the regular season. There's plenty of time for any team to learn and get better.

SC has often struggled with trading 3's with 2's, including last season (when they were the favorite) but they hang their hats on defending and rebounding so it is not as big as problem as some are hoping it will be. Losing a senior PG in Henny will definitely hurt, but there are still some capable PG's and potential 3 point shooters on this team. Perhaps let's wait a few weeks or a couple of months before we write any team off.
 
hoopsnloops32 said:
Of course South Carolina will be fine but they aren’t far and away the best team in the country. They run into a team that is shooting hot from three in the tournament they will be exchanging 3’s with 2’s.

There best players rely on their worst players to create shots for them or get them the ball. The loss of Henderson is being greatly diminished here and I think y’all are in for a rude awakening once competition gets stiffer.
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^ This one is going to be mad all year.

^^beamed straight out of 2014.
 
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