Wasn’t she “do not contact “ in the portal?. I nave seen nothing about ANY contact between her and SCAR. I have no doubt that Dawn would have been interested but I think it was UConn all the way before she even filed her transfer papers.
Serah was a “do not contact.” Fairly early on her listed schools emerged: LSU, UNC & UConn.
Not sure I’d claim that. Dawn is the only coach to beat Geno in the championship and prior to this year won 5 of the last 6 head to head.Dawn is an outstanding recruiter whose teams are big, strong and athletic, play tough defense and will crash the boards in waves. Next season will be no different. But SC’s Achilles heal has always been offensive flow and shooting the basketball from the perimeter. The Gamecocks want to force the game into a battle in a phone booth. That strategy will beat just about everyone SC plays and probably lead to another SEC championship.
UConn is Dawn & SC’s kryptonite. The Huskies spread the floor, play up tempo and beat teams playing a beautiful brand of basketball that no other team can play. While Paige has moved on to the W, Geno will have even more options when he faces SC than he had this past season when he laid a beat down on the Gamecocks twice.
Unfortunately, I am sorry to say that if and when UConn & SC meet this coming season we are likely to see more F-bombs coming from Dawn as UConn once again frustrates their efforts to win another national championship.
Yes, but every one of SC’s wins proceeded as I outlined: tough defense and crash the boards. A number of those wins against UConn, including the championship game, came against a Husky team severely depleted by injuries. When Geno has the horses, as he did this past season, and as he will this coming season, UConn wins.
This wasn't true in every game though:
This goes both ways though, South Carolina has missed major players in their matchups too:
Dawn is a great recruiter and a very good coach. But even Geno has said in his interviews, UCONN has been playing the last 4-5 years with one hand tied behind their backs with injuries. No doubt SC would've been right there or maybe even beat us on occasion but it would not have been that lopsided if not for the injuries. For Geno to have even gotten those teams to is quite amazing. What Geno can do with a full stable of horses (dawgs), well we know what other coaches will say (F*&%k)
I've theorized that the SEC paradym is defense and get to the rim and it has deeply affected what Dawn goes looking for. Pesky highly savy guards just aren't in her vocabulary of ball.
YES ... how easy it is for some to forget all those injuries to key players ... year after year.
UConn was at a disadvantage due to multiple injuries for most, if not all of those games.
Exactly and SC will not beat us in the near future if they don’t have a couple of consistent shooters emerge. They don’t scare me at all as currently constructed. Teams with a balance are more scary to play against and I dont think that’s them. They will always be good, but lack shooting.
If she does this year, it will be the first time.
SC has a problem not unlike UConn’s next year. It will be interesting to see how Dawn finds PT for all those shooters on a roster that includes Watkins, Edwards, Kitts, Tac, Dauda & Okot.
Respectfully not true-Adhel Tac is 6ft6 and just as athletic as Okot
Think the best thing that happen to Tessa is that the BF transferred to Memphis
Unless I’m wrong, neither Okot or Tac starts next year for SC. So maybe we’re looking at 10-15 mpg for each, and that begs the question what about Dauda, Watkins & Edwards PT?
The reassuring answer to your question is that regardless of which star players and leaders move on each season, UConn WBB always replaces them with outstanding leaders the following season.
I'm not as optimistic about the freshmen as you seem to be. But I agree that Taniya adds something that was missing and could be a difference maker. She's a better all-around scorer than Paopao was and a quicker defender. I also think the loss of Ashlyn midseason was critical, and her return will be equally critical, if she can finish her rehab and get back up to speed early enough. Without her in the lineup, Chloe was forced to take on rebounding and rim protection roles that stretched her capabilities too far, in my opinion. She just isn't strong enough or quick enough to replace Ashlyn. And I don't think Agot or Ayla will be ready for that challenge. I like the look of Maddie, but I suspect she's still a year away from being an adequate replacement for Raven. And though Tessa was my favorite recruit in that class, and seemed like an absolute steal to me at the time, I'm not sure she's developed as much as Dawn needed to see last season. I'm cautiously optimistic about her for next season. And I worry about the loss of Bree as much as that of Saniya -- those were two quick, strong athletes to lose and there doesn't seem to be any clear replacements for them.
I agree I truly think she can focus and add an impact as a starter. A lot of ppl are sleeping on this team. I think they’ll rise to the occasion.
You mean like Allisha Gray, Tyasha Harris, Destanni Henderson, and Zia Cooke etc? C'mon, be serious.
Sleeping on this team? You do realize that ESPN picked SC as the preseason #1 team in the country?
