UConn vs So. Carolina prediction thread

[John Glass]

for USC

 

[HuskyNan]

Excellent point, Nan. Of course, on the other hand, many other coaches have inherited situations similar to or even better than Dawn's, and failed to achieve what Dawn has achieved, so she does deserve a lot of respect and credit for her accomplishments. The UScar athletic department and higher ups also deserve a bunch of approval for having made it possible for Dawn to have achieved success. Comparisons of Geno's early coaching career to Dawn's are, as you rightly point out, of no value whatever, but it seems to me that what bids fair to be a continuing rivalry with another coach and program that is worthy of our mettle is very welcome. To say that we all hope and reasonably expect to thrash them soundly come Monday week is by no means to disrespect them. To my knowledge, neither Dawn nor any of her players has done or said anything remotely disrespectful about UConn or Geno. Their fans' doing a little crowing on our board is very much like Kara's "victory lap" around the gym at Gample; simply an exhibition of exuberant competitive spirit. If our situation s were reversed, many of us would be doing the same. I would like to see the Huskies play them again for the NC. (I do wish they would do something about that name, though; Fighting Gamecocks for a women's team is something that you can't think too much about without giggling.)

I meant no disrespect to Dawn as she's certainly done a fine job at South Carolina. However the cupboard was hardly bare when she arrived, talent-wise, and she was able to recruit nationally using the SEC schedule and TV appearances as a draw, unlike Geno. That having been said, she deserves much praise for the job she's done since arriving.

 

[Zorro]

Stipulations;
1) Dawn has done an excellent job at SCar.
2) She had nowhere near the obstacles to overcome as did Geno in their respective first years in coaching.
3) The fact that we hate neither Dawn nor her team does not mean that we will not enjoy watching the Huskies thump them.

 

[j66kicker]

Stipulations;
1) Dawn has done an excellent job at SCar.
2) She had nowhere near the obstacles to overcome as did Geno in their respective first years in coaching.
3) The fact that we hate neither Dawn nor her team does not mean that we will not enjoy watching the Huskies thump them.

I will especially enjoy it. Although she/they haven't done or said anything blatantly disrespectful, to me it seems a bit disrespectful for Dawn to try to position herself with Geno and Pat, with her comments about what she has that they don't, etc. For one thing, Pat was a very good player, so Dawn's saying, "I was better - I was elite" (Pat was All American at UT-Martin, and was co-captain of the USA's first Olympic women's team, who won the silver medal). Anyway, it's like she's trying to make it seem like her, Geno and Pat are the "Big 3" of coaching or something. Maybe that's good for recruiting young girls with no sense of history, but gimme a break....

They've had a nice run at #1, but now it's time to put them in their place.

 

[Tonyc]

I can understand that SC fans who are supportive of their team. I gotta wonder how many games they lose this season. Wilson will be very good however when the surrounding players graduate I have to wonder who does Dawn have coming in. I like Dawn and what shes done for WCBB. However there is only one Geno. Its take Geno 20 years to get to this point. Dawn isn't there yet. Ask Tenn. He bested Pat and Tenn. Every team in WCBB is chasing UConn. Most are one year wonders, some 2 or 3. Look at Baylor with Simms and Griner. How many NC did they win? How many did UConn win in the same years? SC is good. They will be down by 20+ until Geno calls off the dogs. Im not arrogant and Im not nasty but I am confident and I know how good UConn is. One thing I have that most SC fans don't have is experience in these games. I think and I may be wrong that SC fans think UConn is just another very good team. Some SC fans think I don't respect SC because I think UConn will blow them out. For that I say look at all the very good teams UConn has blow out. UConn is at a level that most coaches only dream of. Yes SC fans are dreaming of beating UConn or at least making a game of it. But when your averaging 66 pts a game against top teams and some of those teams UConn has beaten by 25+-30+ well I think your dreamin. No disrespect just fact. SC will lose this game by 20+ unless Geno calls off the dogs and if SC lets up the UConn steamroller will crush SC. No disrespect to SC they are a very good team however they don't understand the level UConn is at and where they are at.

This is UConn averaging 82 pts a game against top competition, playing at home against SC averaging 66 pts against top competition. With a suffocating defense that can eat you up. How can anybody who has watched UConn think this will even be close? I don't think SC can score 66 pts against UConn and I know SC cant keep UConn under 70 pts. Again no disrespect. If SC wins it will be a fluke just like the Stanford game. With that said UConn is not playing at the same level they did at Stanford. They are light years ahead of that. Which makes me think if UConn is firing on all cylinders all I can say to SC is Welcome to your Worst NiteMare.

 

[Sluconn Husky]

No one would've expected UConn to only beat St. John's by 16. UConn's the better team but there's really no telling how the game is going to play out.

Staley says her team wants uptempo play but I have to figure their best chance is to muck it up and turn it into a slugfest.

 

[Zorro]

Dawn obviously understands the value of public image in the recruiting battles. Can't blame her a bit for trying to put her best foot forward. Remember, there are only two kinds of coaches!

 

[j66kicker]

Dawn obviously understands the value of public image in the recruiting battles. Can't blame her a bit for trying to put her best foot forward. Remember, there are only two kinds of coaches!

Total respect. Now time for her her to learn humility. More lessons to follow in NCAAs

 

[Zorro]

And I think it is nice of her to bring her kids to Disneyland but I am not sure they are going to enjoy it that much.

 

[HoopsFan21]

I can understand that SC fans who are supportive of their team. I gotta wonder how many games they lose this season. Wilson will be very good however when the surrounding players graduate I have to wonder who does Dawn have coming in. I like Dawn and what shes done for WCBB. However there is only one Geno. Its take Geno 20 years to get to this point. Dawn isn't there yet. Ask Tenn. He bested Pat and Tenn. Every team in WCBB is chasing UConn. Most are one year wonders, some 2 or 3. Look at Baylor with Simms and Griner. How many NC did they win? How many did UConn win in the same years? SC is good. They will be down by 20+ until Geno calls off the dogs. Im not arrogant and Im not nasty but I am confident and I know how good UConn is. One thing I have that most SC fans don't have is experience in these games. I think and I may be wrong that SC fans think UConn is just another very good team. Some SC fans think I don't respect SC because I think UConn will blow them out. For that I say look at all the very good teams UConn has blow out. UConn is at a level that most coaches only dream of. Yes SC fans are dreaming of beating UConn or at least making a game of it. But when your averaging 66 pts a game against top teams and some of those teams UConn has beaten by 25+-30+ well I think your dreamin. No disrespect just fact. SC will lose this game by 20+ unless Geno calls off the dogs and if SC lets up the UConn steamroller will crush SC. No disrespect to SC they are a very good team however they don't understand the level UConn is at and where they are at.

This is UConn averaging 82 pts a game against top competition, playing at home against SC averaging 66 pts against top competition. With a suffocating defense that can eat you up. How can anybody who has watched UConn think this will even be close? I don't think SC can score 66 pts against UConn and I know SC cant keep UConn under 70 pts. Again no disrespect. If SC wins it will be a fluke just like the Stanford game. With that said UConn is not playing at the same level they did at Stanford. They are light years ahead of that. Which makes me think if UConn is firing on all cylinders all I can say to SC is Welcome to your Worst NiteMare.

Wouldn't two losses to top competition make it more than just a fluke? If South Carolina wins, they are the better team. End of story. You can spin it however you like, but the rest of us living down here on planet reality know what it means.

 

[j66kicker]

Wouldn't two losses to top competition make it more than just a fluke? If South Carolina wins, they are the better team. End of story. You can spin it however you like, but the rest of us living down here on planet reality know what it means.

Not gonna happen

 

[NewCorn]

Wouldn't two losses to top competition make it more than just a fluke? If South Carolina wins, they are the better team. End of story. You can spin it however you like, but the rest of us living down here on planet reality know what it means.

If South Carolina wins, we'll have to check the air pressure in the balls.

 

[Buzzyboy]

An early season game at Duke is somehow different than your early season game at Stanford. The only difference I see is that the Gamecocks played poor on offense at Duke and the Huskies played poor on defense at Stanford. Explain.

Oops, and the Gamecocks actually won at Duke despite the poor offensive performance.

UConn was replacing two starters, who happened to be All-Americans and their defense broke down badly, particularly towards the end of regulation, when Kia Nurse (who was a bright light defensively, fouled out) and in the first minute of overtime, when Morgan Tuck did, as well. Their team defense, which is usually one of the biggest reasons for their success, was sporadic but there was also the fact that Stanford played easily their best game, particularly shooting lights out from 3 point range. Overall, the Huskies didn't play badly but for some breakdowns defensively. Meanwhile, the Gamecocks had a veteran team playing (with the exception of A'ja Wilson) with all their starters back so there wasn't any excuse for the type performance they put on. If UConn had played SC on that night instead of Stanford, they would have won somewhat easily. The UConn team defense has improved immensely since that performance but people who have seen the Gamecocks (and are objective) see little difference in their performance, particularly offensively, from that Duke game with few exceptions. Kia Nurse was playing in only her second game at UConn, Morgan Tuck hadn't played but one game since the early part of last season and was coming off a knee operation and Saniya Chong was someone whose playing time at the end of last season was almost non-existent. Even then, Stanford was a bit lucky to send the game to overtime. UConn actually played a little bit like Duke did to let your Gamecocks back into a game they should have won. With Nurse now seasoned and Morgan back in game shape, the Huskies are radically different. Wilson is the only player on your roster who is significant who didn't have a lot of game experience prior to this season. Your roster underachieved last year after what APPEARED TO BE a breakout season and I'm not sure I've seen anything that suggests they won't do the same again this year. The Notre Dame game, the way the Huskies pounded Duke (though at home) suggest the Huskies are back to where they wanted to be at the beginning of the year. Their defense is just about first in every category and has shut down the Irish when they were leading the country in scoring on their home court. Life is good in Huskie land. Narrow victories against mediocre teams doesn't necessarily instill confidence in the capabilities of SC. We can talk all we want but February 9th might answer some questions. I've already said that I'd be shocked it the Huskies lost and embarrassed. How would you rationalize a 25 to 30 point loss for your team? What might you say about that? Would you reevaluate your opinion of what type of team you have?

 

[Buzzyboy]

Wouldn't two losses to top competition make it more than just a fluke? If South Carolina wins, they are the better team. End of story. You can spin it however you like, but the rest of us living down here on planet reality know what it means.

Tony already conceded that this UConn team isn't the team they were last year and if they lost, it'd probably be because they deserved to lose. I think based on what I've seen and heard from South Carolina, I'm not overly impressed and as a result, it would do more to say that this version of the Huskies is not who I think they still are but a hollow reflection. That wouldn't do much for my opinion of SC because I've never seen a team that plays consistently at their level who is national champs worthy. A UConn loss would bring my estimation of them down, not build up SC because I think I've had enough opportunities to see their play. I'd be actually shocked to see them make the Final Four.

 

[Tonyc]

Wouldn't two losses to top competition make it more than just a fluke? If South Carolina wins, they are the better team. End of story. You can spin it however you like, but the rest of us living down here on planet reality know what it means.

Well I really don't have a comment on that because imo there is no way SC can beat UConn unless UConn has so many players in foul trouble UConn cant play defense. SC cant keep UConn under 70 pts and no way SC can score 70 pts against UConn not where UConn is today. Some fans continue to bring up Stanford which is the only loss UConn has had in the past 50-60 something games. Please stop it. It is obvious to me that some fans posting to this board have no idea how good and polished this UConn team is. On Feb 9 reality will become a reality.

 

[JS]

On Feb 9 reality will become a reality.

But Tony . . .

 

[msf22b]

I meant no disrespect to Dawn as she's certainly done a fine job at South Carolina. However the cupboard was hardly bare when she arrived, talent-wise, and she was able to recruit nationally using the SEC schedule and TV appearances as a draw, unlike Geno. That having been said, she deserves much praise for the job she's done since arriving.

You're not saying Nan that UConn is not prominently featured on National TV…are you?

 

[msf22b]

If SC is as good as anyone says, they might get they point total into the low 60's (on a very good day).
I truly expect that they will most likely settle in the high-50's.

If Uconn has a mediocre shooting day, they will easily reach the mid-70's…anything but, with the starters playing more minutes
would bring that total to the mid-80's

And that's where the game should settle.

 

[JS]

You're not saying Nan that UConn is not prominently featured on National TV…are you?

No. She's saying Geno didn't start building his program with those advantages.

 

[Aluminny69]

It would not be the end of the world for UCONN or there fans. SC still would have to play UCONN again to win their first National Championship.

What happened after ND beat UConn in the regular season, and the Big East tournament? Who won the NC?

 

[huskyharry]

Good Huskies 74
Roosters 62
Overconfident fans who are bad for the mojo 0

 

[msf22b]

No. She's saying Geno didn't start building his program with those advantages.

and she was able to recruit nationally using the SEC schedule and TV appearances as a draw, unlike Geno

Ah, so….just as I was about to be argumentative, I understood…sort of pre-digested logic…I have been regularly accused of that.
Assuming that everyone knows what you are referring to.

I initially thought that the above mentioned TV coverage applied to now.

But the statement makes a whole lot of sense if one is comparing Geno's beginnings (no TV, no real place to practice)with Dawn's grand entrance into the SEC

The meaning finally "dawned" on me.

My bad.

 

[Anonymous]

Based on what I have seen this year to date which is every game imo. UCONN 84. Usc54. Uconn wins by 30+