USC #1 & #2

[Cuango]

Yeah, I'm "talking to" you.

So, you have credentials that establish your authority to dictate how acronyms are used? Legal precedent to show that SCar cannot use "USC?" That citizens are prohibited from using USC west (USCw) and USC East (USCe) to differentiate between the two schools.

By the way, who is OSU? Ohio State? Oregon State? Oklahoma State? (Let's not get into the "Carolina" thing.

It's silly as crap; particularly in the case where posters are clearly differentiatiating the two school that have them same rights to use the acronym. Many posters here refer to Southern California as "USC" and South Carolina as "SC" which is just as confusing since South Carolina does not have the right to copyright the interlocking S & C used on their baseball caps that is similar to that used by the Trojans. Either school may use it and both do.

For clarity on national boards I use "SCar" when referring to my team. On SEC boards, I may use USC and posters know who mean. Many, if not most, on the SEC boards refer to us as USC and those other guys as Southern Cal.

Original point: Nothing wrong with USCw or USCe. Everybody knows who's being discussed.

Tradition means something, especially in sports, and USC has always been the University of Southern California! I’m not sure where this push to appropriate a settled acronym for another, Johnny come lately school is coming from but, count me as a traditionalist who will always go with USC as U of Southern Cal. As for OSU, the answer is clearly Ohio State U. So, you’re right, everyone does know who’s being discussed and who has legitimate claims by virtue of decades of tradition!

 

[visitingcock]

Want to get a heated discussion going? Start talking about ranking teams before anyone knows what they're talking about. Where's Carnac?

I'm staying out of the fray because first IT'S MAY, folks, not November and it's way too early to start theorizing 4 to 6 months from now (and folks that's all it is, merely theory and opinion based on very little if anything factual), but I do have one request for all BY'ers: Please stop this "USCW" and "USCE". It looks dumb; it is dumb. Southern Cal for eons has gone by USC and South Carolina has always gone by just SC. That's it.

Now keep those theories and prognostications rolling based on mostly dated and/or invalid information to come up with what the author hopes to be a valid, extremely knowledgeable argument because that's what we do. Gotta love it.

Sorry. That’s wrong. First, SCar has not gone by SC except on baseball caps. It has always gone by USC ( or Carolina) in my sports-sentient 60 years .

Second, Southern Cal is called SC frequently by Californians. Perhaps more than USC. Third, Southern Cal protested in Federal court that SCar couldn’t copyright an Interlocking SC for its baseball caps because they use it too. Court agreed and said Nobody owns SC SC

nobody can say I have ever used either USC on this board to refer to my team - though I have a legal right to do so . I use SCar to avoid this stupid conversation. I guess I’ll go to U$C too.

 

[hoopsfan22]

South Carolina is easily #1. Best program in the country and has been for years. They are what UConn was a decade ago. For the upcoming season I'd put USC at #2. Is there a better duo in the country than JuJu+KiKi? After them there are a bunch of teams with key players making their way back from significant injury/surgery, and where they fall will be based on who is available when.

 

[RadfordRam]

Yall are Little Carolina.


I entered the thread just to say that.

Beat all the North Carolina schools this season, I'll take that anyday!

 

[Cuango]

South Carolina is easily #1. Best program in the country and has been for years. They are what UConn was a decade ago. For the upcoming season I'd put USC at #2. Is there a better duo in the country than JuJu+KiKi? After them there are a bunch of teams with key players making their way back from significant injury/surgery, and where they fall will be based on who is available when.

Well, I’d say Paige and Sarah are a pretty goo duo.

 

[visitingcock]

Beat all the North Carolina schools this season, I'll take that anyday!

Nope we didn’t beat Wake

 

[asuwish]

In my view, SC is the presumptive preseason #1, and not because of anything owed to the reigning champs. It's only because they look to be the best team for next year. Yes, they lost Kamila, but they have a deep roster and discovered some great talents among the freshmen toward the end of the season: i.e. Tessa Johnson.

USCw might turn out to be among the best, but they have proven nothing yet, and coach Gottlieb has yet to show that she can build a great program. But she has seemed to turn a corner when it comes to recruiting. They deserve watching to see what Gottlieb can accomplish. The year is young.

But this means that UConn and Texas ought to be placed above USCw as preseason picks. I'm not sure where to place ND, who have the core of an awesome team in Olivia Hannah Soni Anna and Maddie. What they lack is a healthy big, but we'll see what the portal may provide. If they find one, they may merit placing above USCw as well.

With that said, here's my current preseason ranking:

1. SC
2. Texas
3. UConn
4. ND
5. USCw
6. UCLA

That's as far as my crystal ball can see.

ND actually had the highest rated big in this years freshman class in Kate Koval. Yes they could use depth up front, but the guards are going to be must watch TV.

 

[asuwish]

Uconn did a nice job getting Strong to come. But we still haven't been able to recruit a center. We need a a center to backup Janna. She is coming back from major surgery. I can't believe that we haven't gotten a big in the last couple of years. Do we need another recruiter that can bring in Bigs ?

Amari 6'5" (top 15) Ice 6'4" (top 5) Jana 6'5" plays on her country's national team. Next year 6'5". 6'3" Edwards (Canadian national team) Patterson (top 8), big and strong Sarah 6'2". We recruit size and some pan out others did not. If Jana and Patterson are healthy and Ice takes the next step then this conversation becomes irrelevant.

 

[asuwish]

Really OSU is Ohio State only. I'll bet when people in Oregon and Oklahoma hear OSU they don't think Ohio State. In South Carolina USC means them. What's this traditionalist stuff. When someone says Huskies I think UConn, but nationally Washington has a way longer sports tradition than we do.

 

[asuwish]

I was just having fun with the names.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Well, I’d say Paige and Sarah are a pretty goo duo.

Sarah has played zero minutes of college ball. No one has any idea how good or not good she will be at the next level. I'm not expecting much from a freshman who generally don't get a lot of run in Geno's system (when he has a choice) and especially not one that's way out of shape (by her own admission).

 

[cferraro04]

I don't agree with any of these pre-season rankings. The UConn Huskies are so loaded next year...their performance will be off the charts better than it was last year. UConn's defense was pretty good last year...at times it was outright smothering. Next year their defense will be even better...teams are going to find it very difficult to score and do the things that they are used to doing.

We will have depth in the front court something we were missing this past season:

Jana El Alfy - 6'5;
Ice Brady - 6'3":
Sarah Strong - 6'2";
Ayanna Patterson - 6'2".

Our back-court guards will be crazy deep and off-the-charts talented.

KK Arnold - 5'9"
Kaitlyn Chen - 5'9"
Ashlynn Shade - 5'10"
Azzi Fudd - 5'11"
Allie Ziebell - 6'0"
Paige Bueckers - 6'0"

Then we will have a plethora of talented swing guards/forwards.

Qadence Samuels - 6'0"
Aubrey Griffin - 6'1"
Morgan Cheli - 6'2"
Caroline Ducharme - 6'2"

I hate to break the news to the sports pundits who think that USC West and USC East are going to be 1 and 2. The reality is it will be UConn and everyone else. UConn will be the best team in America next season. It will become more and more obvious as the season wears on. I don't see a team beating this team

There will be no drop-off when Geno goes to his bench. He will have defenders, shooters, and rebounders on the floor for 40 minutes per game. It will be almost comical when Geno tells the team to take their foot off the gas...it will be so obvious that the team will be holding back that it will be embarrassing for other teams. This will be an amazingly balanced team, they will be an offensive juggernaut and nobody is going to want to face the UConn defense. UConn will average in the 90s next year...teams will have to score 90 plus points to beat UConn. That is going to be a very difficult task.

 

[cferraro04]

Sarah has played zero minutes of college ball. No one has any idea how good or not good she will be at the next level. I'm not expecting much from a freshman who generally don't get a lot of run in Geno's system (when he has a choice) and especially not one that's way out of shape (by her own admission).

Hoopfan22 the good news is since you lowered your expectations so much...that you will have plenty of room to be surprised next season. I remember Maya Moore coming to UConn and Geno for the first oh I don't know 6 games or so...had her coming off the bench...he realized by January that there was no keeping that kid off the floor. Sarah will be the same type of player...Geno will realize before too long that there is no way he can keep that kid off the floor. It will be raining threes from multiple players, the bigs will be able to carve our space, opposing teams will not be able to sag off the guards, and they will not be able to clog the middle. UConn's offense will spread out opposing teams' defense...slashers like KK, Caroline, and Aubrey will have a field day...if the weak side help comes...BANG! the ball will go to the perimeter and SPLASH!...three points.

If you can't tell...I think next year's squad is going to be crazy-good!

 

[triaddukefan]

oh boy, gonna be a long offseason.

 

[Cuango]

Sarah has played zero minutes of college ball. No one has any idea how good or not good she will be at the next level. I'm not expecting much from a freshman who generally don't get a lot of run in Geno's system (when he has a choice) and especially not one that's way out of shape (by her own admission).

We’ll see!

 

[hoophuskee]

Sarah has played zero minutes of college ball. No one has any idea how good or not good she will be at the next level. I'm not expecting much from a freshman who generally don't get a lot of run in Geno's system (when he has a choice) and especially not one that's way out of shape (by her own admission).

This might be true if we are talking overall All-Americans. But it's not even close to true if we are talking #1 recruit All-Americans which Sarah is. Number #1 recruits at UCONN have always had a freshman impact other than Megan Walker (MW did wind up being an impact player). All of the other #1's from High School had good impacts and also played quite a bit their frosh year.

These are the other #1's I remember- Tamika Williams, Diana Taurasi, Ann Strother, Tina Charles, Maya Moore, Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis, Breanna Stewart, Katie Lou, Christyn Willliams, Paige, and Azzi. All these #1's averaged at least double figures in points and would have had also averaged over 20 minutes I believe.

So, looking back at history and applying it to now, then there is no reason to expect that Sarah won't have an impact and won't get minutes.

And the negativity of her being "out of shape" is an enormous exaggeration. Nearly all freshman that come to UCONN are not n shape by UCONN standards. Sarah was so much supposedly out of shape in High School that she was held to 31 points and 17 rebounds vs the number #2 High School recruit Joyce Edwards which is going to South Carolina. And Sarah was also held to 30 points and 20 rebounds by the 6'5 number 30 recruit Blanca Thomas going to North Carolina.

 

[JstVisiting]

As of now I think USC west (The women of Troy) will be the preseason #1 ranked team. USC east (the Gamecocks) will be #2.

They’re not putting a team replacing multiple starters over an undefeated defending champ returning 8 of their rotation of 9.

 

[visitingcock]

ND actually had the highest rated big in this years freshman class in Kate Koval. Yes they could use depth up front, but the guards are going to be must watch TV.

“big.” Aren’t Strong and z Edwards “bigs” that are higher rated?

Yes. Koval was the highest rated post or center . I’m

 

[NycUcWbbFan]

Sarah has played zero minutes of college ball. No one has any idea how good or not good she will be at the next level. I'm not expecting much from a freshman who generally don't get a lot of run in Geno's system (when he has a choice) and especially not one that's way out of shape (by her own admission).

Amplifying Hophuskee’s point.

#1 Recruits that had immediate impact in their first year.

• Nykesha #: 1994-95 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Shea ##: 1996-97 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• TASSK (Tamika ##): 1998-99 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• DT ##: 2000-01 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Ann Strother class #: 2002-03 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Tina: 2006-07 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Maya ¥: 2007-08 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Kaleena ¥: 2011-12 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Stewie #: 2012-13 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• KLS # @@: 2015-16 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Christyn Williams ### ¥: 2018-19 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Paige Bueckers ¥: 2020-21 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
• Azzi @ ## ¥: 2021-22 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

# National championship.
## Derailed national championship due to injuries.
### See contrast with Megan Walker ¥: 2017-18 UConn Huskies Women's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
@ Runner-up.
@@ KLS replaced graduated Kaleena in starting lineup. Napheesa didn’t have as much impact as classmate KLS.
¥ Derailed national championship due to being upset by Achilles heel teams or being beaten by Notre Dame or by Stanford.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Want to get a heated discussion going? Start talking about ranking teams before anyone knows what they're talking about. Where's Carnac?

I'm staying out of the fray because first IT'S MAY, folks, not November and it's way too early to start theorizing 4 to 6 months from now (and folks that's all it is, merely theory and opinion based on very little if anything factual), but I do have one request for all BY'ers: Please stop this "USCW" and "USCE". It looks dumb; it is dumb. Southern Cal for eons has gone by USC and South Carolina has always gone by just SC. That's it.

Now keep those theories and prognostications rolling based on mostly dated and/or invalid information to come up with what the author hopes to be a valid, extremely knowledgeable argument because that's what we do. Gotta love it.

South Carolina has never gone by SC.