Staley on Gamecocks and Japan

[RockyMTblue2]

Staley pleased with South Carolina's play against Japan | The Japan Times

"Of the three exhibitions contests, the first was played using three 10-minute periods, while the other two had four 10-minute periods. The first two games were closed to the media, and the Akatsuki Five cruised past South Carolina 78-57 at the National Training Center in the third and final game.

Speaking to The Japan Times at the team hotel in Ikebukuro on Wednesday, just hours before the Gamecocks left Japan after a week-long stay, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said the results were “acceptable” given the circumstances.

“But I thought we got better every time we played them,” said Staley, who has been the South Carolina bench supervisor since the 2008-09 season. “I like how our team fought and competed. But when you haven’t had enough practices, and you’re playing against an experienced basketball team, they’ll make you look like that sometimes.”

 

[BroadwayVa]

Staley pleased with South Carolina's play against Japan | The Japan Times

"Of the three exhibitions contests, the first was played using three 10-minute periods, while the other two had four 10-minute periods. The first two games were closed to the media, and the Akatsuki Five cruised past South Carolina 78-57 at the National Training Center in the third and final game.

Speaking to The Japan Times at the team hotel in Ikebukuro on Wednesday, just hours before the Gamecocks left Japan after a week-long stay, South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said the results were “acceptable” given the circumstances.

“But I thought we got better every time we played them,” said Staley, who has been the South Carolina bench supervisor since the 2008-09 season. “I like how our team fought and competed. But when you haven’t had enough practices, and you’re playing against an experienced basketball team, they’ll make you look like that sometimes.”

'
I was ready to throw a huge dig into Staley, until I read the Article---This COLLEGE team played the Japan OLYMPIC team---and got their tails whooped! Reminds me of the 2008 game Uconn played against the USA National team--and got whooped.

Obviously, Dawn knew the possibility of this outcome--the trip was about bonding--and I'm sure that happened. Also, after being the USA Women's National Champions--getting whopped tends to put their heads back where they belong: they need a lot more learning and harder practices!

You have to give Ms Dawn Staley, USC head coach, Olympic's next coach, a tremendous amount of credit for taking this step---it may have huge benefits or huge setbacks--I tend to believe the former.

 

[Bigboote]

The article said no press were allowed at the first two games; presumably that means no spectators either. I'm curious what the motivation was to have two private games. Any thoughts?

 

[CocoHusky]

The article said no press were allowed at the first two games; presumably that means no spectators either. I'm curious what the motivation was to have two private games. Any thoughts?

It might have something to do with this NCAA rule:
According to NCAA rules passed in 2005, Division I members can trade one or both of their allotted exhibition games against non-D-I opponents for a scrimmage “provided they are conducted in privacy without publicity or official scoring. Individuals other than athletics department staff members and those necessary to conduct a basketball scrimmage against outside competition may not be present during such a scrimmage.”

NCAA rulesmakers misfire with rule hiding scrimmages behind veil of secrecy

 

[SCGamecock]

The article said no press were allowed at the first two games; presumably that means no spectators either. I'm curious what the motivation was to have two private games. Any thoughts?

Aren't these "scrimmages" usually private? We scrimmage FSU just about every year before the season and it's always private.. we don't even get score updates from that particular scrimmage. Surprised we got them this time.

 

[BroadwayVa]

The article said no press were allowed at the first two games; presumably that means no spectators either. I'm curious what the motivation was to have two private games. Any thoughts?

My direct pipe line to Dawn has dried up--so I am ASS U Me-ing that it was a play--stop--teach--play
thirty minute games? What else would have been? Certainly, Dawn, expected the result she got--Japan was and is a very good International team. There is that she openly played the Japan team--so, she could not have been trying to hide anything???

As I feel about Notre Dame during the season-I also feel towards USC--right now Uconn is not competing against--I can now post without emotions.

 

[BroadwayVa]

It might have something to do with this NCAA rule:
According to NCAA rules passed in 2005, Division I members can trade one or both of their allotted exhibition games against non-D-I opponents for a scrimmage “provided they are conducted in privacy without publicity or official scoring. Individuals other than athletics department staff members and those necessary to conduct a basketball scrimmage against outside competition may not be present during such a scrimmage.”

NCAA rulesmakers misfire with rule hiding scrimmages behind veil of secrecy

thanks for the update and good info---we knew the HS kids had some of these restritction
but not College/international---scrimmage by teams of this level is usually for learning.

 

[oldude]

If SC got better every game, per Dawn's comment, and they lost the last game by 21, the first two games must have been brutal.

I'm sure Japan is a fundamentally sound team, but they are not very big, with only 2 players over 6' (6'2" & 6'3"). They finished 8th in the 2016 Olympics and won the gold at the FIBA 2015 Asian championships.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

If SC got better every game, per Dawn's comment, and they lost the last game by 21, the first two games must have been brutal.

I'm sure Japan is a fundamentally sound team, but they are not very big, with only 2 players over 6' (6'2" & 6'3"). They finished 8th in the 2016 Olympics and won the gold at the FIBA 2015 Asian championships.

I feel like I saw some reporting on the first two games and the scores were not much worse. I actually have the sense one of them was closer.

The reports on the individuals suggested that it was largely Harris, Jennings and Wilson that played well, but maybe LeLe Grissett had a nice day in one of them?

Staley pleased with South Carolina's play against Japan | The Japan Times

Ahh, here is USC's coverage of the three days.
Wilson Has Strong Showing Against Japan
Gamecocks Faced Japan National Team Friday
Gamecocks Wrap Up Competition in Japan

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I think it was a really good idea to take a trip this year. I'm sure Aja Wilson would like to go out with a strong season and there are newcomers up and down the roster.

Getting the passel of freshmen extra practices and working in Jennings into the mix after her transfer can only help.

Frank Martin actually used a similar trip to put down a foundation for the Final Four team this season.

I think Staley probably has more comparative talent than Frank did, so will be interesting to see whether a dominant team can be made out of them.

 

[YellwJcket999]

I really like Dawn Staley. She has paid her dues and certainly knows the game. She is preparing her team, especially the younger players, for a very tough year in trying to at least make a return to the Final Four.

The SEC teams will be hungry to knock off them off while the rest of the top 10 teams will be waiting for their chance to crush the champs. I like the overseas exhibition games as a teaching tool.

When you want to beat the best you have to play at an elite level. What better way to challenge your team than to pit them against professional level talent.

 

[SCGamecock]

I really like Dawn Staley. She has paid her dues and certainly knows the game. She is preparing her team, especially the younger players, for a very tough year in trying to at least make a return to the Final Four.

The SEC teams will be hungry to knock off them off while the rest of the top 10 teams will be waiting for their chance to crush the champs. I like the overseas exhibition games as a teaching tool.

When you want to beat the best you have to play at an elite level. What better way to challenge your team than to pit them against professional level talent.

Exactly. We were a very new team last year (it took us awhile and a few crushing losses to really gel as a unit) but we had a lot of experienced players as upperclassmen.. Davis and Gray, new to SC but very experienced.. Wilson and Coates, second year starting together.. and Harris, a true freshmen point guard.. with a bench that typically cycled through Cliney, Harrigan (also a true frosh), and Cuevas-Moore. Other players got time but not often.. we just weren't a very deep team last year but had very high level talent in our juniors and seniors..

This year, we're still a new team (6 players will suit up for us for the first time, 4 frosh and 2 transfers) and 8 of our 14 players will be either freshmen or sophomores.. so this team will be YOUNG. The difference is that we don't have the depth of elite talent in our upperclassmen.. Wilson, Coates, Cuevas-Moore, Gray and Davis.. that's some great talent to lead your team. This year we'll have Wilson, Cuevas, Jennings, Spann, and Cliney.. still good, but not the same depth of elite talent, so we're going to rely on our youth more this year. I agree with you.. this was a very important trip for our youngsters because they will be relied on heavily.. SC will go further if they can get reliable minutes from their sophomores: Harris will show up, Harrigan should take a sophomore leap, and we've yet to really see what Bradshaw and Patrick (a 3 point shooter) can do, but both should improve. If Bradshaw and Patrick don't improve then they'll likely get surpassed on our depth chart by what I think is a very good freshmen class for us.. we have two forwards in Grissett and Williams that will ease into the rotation and two very offensively minded guards (Jackson and Troup) that can definitely shoot their way into the lineup, if they both pick up defense quickly then that'll spell trouble for Bradshaw and Patrick.

Overall, I think we can be a deeper team this year but we lack the same amount of elite talent in our upperclassmen that we had last year.. I'm sure Dawn was able to see what kind of team she'll have and get a jump on lineup tinkering.

 

[oldude]

Exactly. We were a very new team last year (it took us awhile and a few crushing losses to really gel as a unit) but we had a lot of experienced players as upperclassmen.. Davis and Gray, new to SC but very experienced.. Wilson and Coates, second year starting together.. and Harris, a true freshmen point guard.. with a bench that typically cycled through Cliney, Harrigan (also a true frosh), and Cuevas-Moore. Other players got time but not often.. we just weren't a very deep team last year but had very high level talent in our juniors and seniors..

This year, we're still a new team (6 players will suit up for us for the first time, 4 frosh and 2 transfers) and 8 of our 14 players will be either freshmen or sophomores.. so this team will be YOUNG. The difference is that we don't have the depth of elite talent in our upperclassmen.. Wilson, Coates, Cuevas-Moore, Gray and Davis.. that's some great talent to lead your team. This year we'll have Wilson, Cuevas, Jennings, Spann, and Cliney.. still good, but not the same depth of elite talent, so we're going to rely on our youth more this year. I agree with you.. this was a very important trip for our youngsters because they will be relied on heavily.. SC will go further if they can get reliable minutes from their sophomores: Harris will show up, Harrigan should take a sophomore leap, and we've yet to really see what Bradshaw and Patrick (a 3 point shooter) can do, but both should improve. If Bradshaw and Patrick don't improve then they'll likely get surpassed on our depth chart by what I think is a very good freshmen class for us.. we have two forwards in Grissett and Williams that will ease into the rotation and two very offensively minded guards (Jackson and Troup) that can definitely shoot their way into the lineup, if they both pick up defense quickly then that'll spell trouble for Bradshaw and Patrick.

Overall, I think we can be a deeper team this year but we lack the same amount of elite talent in our upperclassmen that we had last year.. I'm sure Dawn was able to see what kind of team she'll have and get a jump on lineup tinkering.

I admire everything SC accomplished last year, but I still believe the injury to Coates was a blessing in disguise. It opened up the lane for Gray & Davis to take the ball to the basket and it allowed the Gamecocks to put Bianca-Davis on the court as a 2 guard without the pressure to run the offense.