Texas vs South Carolina

[bballnut90]

Wilson looks very good. South Carolina has a lot of good players, but they still don't have the team cohesion offensively. They do look threatening though.

Wilson reminds me a lot of Tina Charles in that she isn't the most efficient scorer, but she has a lot of good moves, great length and works hard. She is really effective 15 feet and in and is very difficult to stop going to her left. She is also noticeably much stronger and is able to play through contact. More than anything, she was playing with a confidence and swagger that I haven't seen exhibited by anybody else the season. During the game she knew she was the best player on the floor and worked her tail off all night to prove it.

Coates also looks more aggressive this year. She worked hard when she was on the court which wasn't always the case. I am still curious to see how she will do against Connecticut after such a dreadful showing last year. Her free-throw shooting looked much better too.

Davis and Gray both had average nights. Neither really stand out at all as most of the focus was on A'ja.

Cuevas didn't look bad in the limited minutes I saw, I actually think she is much improved for me you're ago. Not sure why she was in the doghouse tonight. She didn't play at all in the second half and wasn't chair and are clapping when her teammates were scoring points. Something might be brewing there.

Texas wasn't bad, but they look like a hodgepodge of players out there. You can tell all of their players have good talent and have a lot of upside, but they are far from a final four team at this point. I have felt similarly about them the last two seasons, so we will see how their season unfolds, but I think they will be a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight team again this year. I also think UCONN will scorch them when they play.

 

[drweo]

I thought Texas looked better than they had in previous outings. So. Carolina had to work to put them away later in the game. Sunday will be interesting....

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I think Cuevas was out of the game because she was struggling guarding the ball and she wasn't getting the ball inside. Also she was 2/9 and being way too much of the offense while she was on the floor.

Staley already seems to view Harris as the better stopper and Harris is also better on the boards and I think is much less likely to insert herself as an offensive focal point - though she did have some finished there at the end.

It is inevitable that Harris wins that job, I think. That's two matchups away from home that Coach has turned to the freshman. I don't think Cuevas has shown enough improvement to make it too much of a hard choice.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Texas front court is pretty good. I do think the foul trouble Coates got into - lot of non-shooting fouls - allowed Texas to control the boards more than they otherwise would have.

Very solid team that could easily upsets some Final Four hopefully in the Sweet 16 or Elite 8.

 

[TARZAN22]

You have to give Texas their credit.That was the best they have looked this year.With a young team.I can't wait to see them in March.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Joyner Holmes is nice!

It's why many recruiting services had her as #1 over Lauren Cox. I saw both play several times and was always impressed with her athleticism for a 6-3 kid. And yes. It was evident early she wasn't leaving the state of Texas.

 

[SCGamecock]

That was a really good road win for a Texas team that pretty much gave them everything. That's probably the best Texas has looked so far this year... I had a feeling they were going to play us tough after having a few close losses, none of them being bad losses. South Carolina needed this road test.. a few of our players grew up a little bit tonight and A'ja Wilson showed everybody that she's not one dimensional... she can beat you in multiple ways.

 

[Nuyoika]

Texas gave Miss St. 23 points from the charity stripe and then tonight they gave SCar 30. Nearly half their points from the foul line. SMH. Both SCar and Stanford had a player have a career night against Texas. They are gonna come out like gangbusters vs UConn... if they have any fight left in them anyway and I think they do.

 

[Mdoggie]

Butler will play a key role vs Texas. Good or bad will be determined by Nat.

 

[SCGamecock]

Butler will play a key role vs Texas. Good or bad will be determined by Nat.

Better hope she can keep up with Lang.. she's not bad, at all. Runs the floor will, can face the basket, big and strong enough, good rebounder and aggressive. I'm very impressed with Lang after tonight...

 

[Mdoggie]

@SCGamecock
Agreed.

 

[MilfordHusky]

South Carolina was outscored from the field, but had a 30-7 advantage in made FTs. And they won by 9.

 

[HuskyFan1125]

Just noticed South Carolina had 5 assists on their 22 made baskets

 

[MilfordHusky]

Just noticed South Carolina had 5 assists on their 22 made baskets

DePaul had 8 assists--and lost by 45.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Wilson looks very good. South Carolina has a lot of good players, but they still don't have the team cohesion offensively. They do look threatening though.

Wilson reminds me a lot of Tina Charles in that she isn't the most efficient scorer, but she has a lot of good moves, great length and works hard. She is really effective 15 feet and in and is very difficult to stop going to her left. She is also noticeably much stronger and is able to play through contact. More than anything, she was playing with a confidence and swagger that I haven't seen exhibited by anybody else the season. During the game she knew she was the best player on the floor and worked her tail off all night to prove it.

Coates also looks more aggressive this year. She worked hard when she was on the court which wasn't always the case. I am still curious to see how she will do against Connecticut after such a dreadful showing last year. Her free-throw shooting looked much better too.

Davis and Gray both had average nights. Neither really stand out at all as most of the focus was on A'ja.

Cuevas didn't look bad in the limited minutes I saw, I actually think she is much improved for me you're ago. Not sure why she was in the doghouse tonight. She didn't play at all in the second half and wasn't chair and are clapping when her teammates were scoring points. Something might be brewing there.

Texas wasn't bad, but they look like a hodgepodge of players out there. You can tell all of their players have good talent and have a lot of upside, but they are far from a final four team at this point. I have felt similarly about them the last two seasons, so we will see how their season unfolds, but I think they will be a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight team again this year. I also think UCONN will scorch them when they play.

Cuevas-Moore wasn't playing the way Dawn wanted her to - aka, she was taking too many shots and not getting her teammates involved. Dawn is from Philly - it's her way or the benchway. I think you guys may be somewhat familiar with coaches from the City of Tough Love. I'm entitled poetic license - right?

 

[BigBird]

Shot selection by UT was less sensible in the second half. How many games are lost because of this? I'd guess quite a few.

 

[Charliebball]

Texas wins or looses on the play of their guards and so far this year that play has been less than stellar.......let's hope UConn doesn't catch them when they snap out of it

 

[easttexastrash]

Better hope she can keep up with Lang.. she's not bad, at all. Runs the floor will, can face the basket, big and strong enough, good rebounder and aggressive. I'm very impressed with Lang after tonight...

Lang started off last year looking really good and then had some sort of injury that slowed her down the rest of the season. She never regained her confidence. She is a very good player. And I had said before the season started that I expected Holmes to be the FOY and that she was much more prepared to play college ball than Cox just because of her athleticism. She had some wild shots that didn't draw iron last night but make no mistake that she is going to be a load to handle by the end of the season once she settles in and adjusts to the college game.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

I flipped back and forth between MD-UL and TX-SC. Destiny Slocum and Khalia Charles both looked good for the Terps. If those two play well w Jones and SWK that team could be in Dallas. Joyner Holmes also showed flashes of good play along with some head scratching moments. Wilson has shaken any doubt of her status as a great player after last night. She was the best player in both games and could be NPOY.

 

[donalddoowop]

It's why many recruiting services had her as #1 over Lauren Cox. I saw both play several times and was always impressed with her athleticism for a 6-3 kid. And yes. It was evident early she wasn't leaving the state of Texas.

Cox is not even in the same class as Holmes as a college player, imo. Cox at this point in her career is soft and misses too many close in shots. Reaching her potential could be slowed because of the two big players playing ahead of her. How much quality playing time will she get this season if the other two keep playing well?

 

[meyers7]

A good effort by Texas. A lot of fouls called in this game.

Well a lot of fouls called on one team anyway.

S. Carolina FT 30/40
Texas FT 7/14

 

[easttexastrash]

Cox is not even in the same class as Holmes as a college player, imo. Cox at this point in her career is soft and misses too many close in shots. Reaching her potential could be slowed because of the two big players playing ahead of her. How much quality playing time will she get this season if the other two keep playing well?

I have to agree. When I first saw Cox play in high school I made a statement that I thought she would be a good college player but not a true program changer. IMO, she is going to struggle the rest of the season as she has to get stronger before she can handle the inside game at the college level. And no matter who the player is, it would be hard to displace Brown and Mompremier. They are both having great sophomore campaigns and will only get better. And Cave is a player that Mulkey has great confidence and she is going to continue to get playing time as a back-up at the post.

 

[wallman]

I have to agree. When I first saw Cox play in high school I made a statement that I thought she would be a good college player but not a true program changer. IMO, she is going to struggle the rest of the season as she has to get stronger before she can handle the inside game at the college level. And no matter who the player is, it would be hard to displace Brown and Mompremier. They are both having great sophomore campaigns and will only get better. And Cave is a player that Mulkey has great confidence and she is going to continue to get playing time as a back-up at the post.

Hey you got 3 solids right there, don't need to get greedy

 

[UcMiami]

I have to agree. When I first saw Cox play in high school I made a statement that I thought she would be a good college player but not a true program changer. IMO, she is going to struggle the rest of the season as she has to get stronger before she can handle the inside game at the college level. And no matter who the player is, it would be hard to displace Brown and Mompremier. They are both having great sophomore campaigns and will only get better. And Cave is a player that Mulkey has great confidence and she is going to continue to get playing time as a back-up at the post.

It is the only reason I sort of questioned Cox's choice - on a team without the returning front line of Baylor, she would be in the fire learning, at Baylor she gets run out at the back end of games when the play is generally pretty chaotic and not a lot of serious learning is happening. Hopefully Kim is running her ragged in practices.