USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two | Page 27 | The Boneyard

USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

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If you swipe through, you'll see a pic that made me chuckle. It also shows how much of an impact A'ja had while at South Carolina.
 
It’s so wild being a Carolina fan, because I sincerely believe both we have the best coach of her generation, and many of our losses are coaching losses.
 
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Good game plan by Texas. We kept it close but couldn't quite get over the hump for the win. All streaks have to come to an end and at least it was against good competition! I look forward to many more years of facing Vic Schaefer teams at Texas!
 
We have a very good defensive team. We have good offensive players and depth.

But we are very vulnerable against bigger teams like Texas and UCLA.

Seems likely that SC will make the final four. Probably not going to win the NC.

But certainly capable of it.
 
I think SC has gotten just about as much out of Feagin as you could ask since Watkins went down, but the team just doesn’t have a good matchup for a Betts or Oldacre-type post.

SC matches up well with ND, UConn, and LSU.

Doesn’t match up very well with UCLA or Texas.

I’m somewhat in the middle on USC.

It’s going to be all about the draw and the path come tournament time.
 
It’s weird Edwards sat the entire 4th. We were +9 in the 3rd and tried to play the entire 4th with Feagin in the extended high post to open cuts to the basket instead of playing the lineup that won the 3rd. Cuts off Feagin only worked twice, once for a layup and once for FTs, while she was continually buried in the post on defense and made an awful turnover at a critical moment. Just a weird decision.

Also disappointed we didn’t get Fulwiley back in sooner. Should’ve examined her with a TO and returned her to the game. It was her best performance since last year’s postseason and, as much as I love our freshman PG, she wasn’t ready for that game. Huge TO to give up a Texas runout while she was in and Fulwiley watched 2+ minutes of game time.
 
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GoChips20 said:
I think SC has gotten just about as much out of Feagin as you could ask since Watkins went down, but the team just doesn’t have a good matchup for a Betts or Oldacre-type post.

SC matches up well with ND, UConn, and LSU.

Doesn’t match up very well with UCLA or Texas.

I’m somewhat in the middle on USC.

It’s going to be all about the draw and the path come tournament time.
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Agree with this.
 
GoChips20 said:
I think SC has gotten just about as much out of Feagin as you could ask since Watkins went down, but the team just doesn’t have a good matchup for a Betts or Oldacre-type post.

SC matches up well with ND, UConn, and LSU.

Doesn’t match up very well with UCLA or Texas.

I’m somewhat in the middle on USC.

It’s going to be all about the draw and the path come tournament time.
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Didn’t SC beat Texas by a lot the 1st time?
 
VA Huskie said:
Didn’t SC beat Texas by a lot the 1st time?
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They did but it was one of the weirdest games I’ve ever seen. They got murdered on the glass and had something like 25 fewer field goal attempts. Texas just shot abysmally poorly. SC was in the game until the very end today and absolutely had a chance to win but I don’t think any SC fans expected a similar game in the rematch.
 
We fell to #4 in the AP. I don't know if I agree with that. Notre Dame, Texas and South Carolina all have 2 losses. Just based on the losses, I think South Carolina should have remained at #2. Texas has in the past 10 days had a 16 point loss and a 4 point win against South Carolina. I thought they would still value South Carolina over Texas in the rankings, but I guess not. I guess they value the recency of the loss over the whole picture. Notre Dame's two losses are much worse than Texas or South Carolina.

I would have ranked them:
1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame

I assume in bracketology we'll still be considered the #2 overall seed since that takes in the picture as a whole.
 
GamecockFam said:
We fell to #4 in the AP. I don't know if I agree with that. Notre Dame, Texas and South Carolina all have 2 losses. Just based on the losses, I think South Carolina should have remained at #2. Texas has in the past 10 days had a 16 point loss and a 4 point win against South Carolina. I thought they would still value South Carolina over Texas in the rankings, but I guess not. I guess they value the recency of the loss over the whole picture. Notre Dame's two losses are much worse than Texas or South Carolina.

I would have ranked them:
1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame

I assume in bracketology we'll still be considered the #2 overall seed since that takes in the picture as a whole.
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The whole thing is weird to me, but we'll get some clarity the next couple of weeks after (1) the Southern Cal-UCLA games and (2) the LSU/Texas game. For what it's worth, I don't see Notre Dame losing in the ACC (it's possible), but if they did--it may be to a surging NC State (don't think Duke has what it takes to challenge them).
 
GamecockFam said:
We fell to #4 in the AP. I don't know if I agree with that. Notre Dame, Texas and South Carolina all have 2 losses. Just based on the losses, I think South Carolina should have remained at #2. Texas has in the past 10 days had a 16 point loss and a 4 point win against South Carolina. I thought they would still value South Carolina over Texas in the rankings, but I guess not. I guess they value the recency of the loss over the whole picture. Notre Dame's two losses are much worse than Texas or South Carolina.

I would have ranked them:
1. UCLA
2. South Carolina
3. Texas
4. Notre Dame

I assume in bracketology we'll still be considered the #2 overall seed since that takes in the picture as a whole.
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From your perspective, why is Notre Dame below Texas? Wouldn't their win over Texas put them ahead?
 
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cancontent said:
From your perspective, why is Notre Dame below Texas? Wouldn't their win over Texas put them ahead?
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I understand the sentiment but Texas's two losses are not as bad as Notre Dame's. Texas has losses to the current #2 and #4 teams. South Carolina has losses to the current #1 and #3 teams. Notre Dame has losses to #11 and an unranked team.

I understand the rankings because most polls come from a perspective of "what have you done for me lately", so I get it. I just disagree.
 
cancontent said:
From your perspective, why is Notre Dame below Texas? Wouldn't their win over Texas put them ahead?i
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An overtime win - at home? That doesn't count as much for Notre Dame as their losss to Utah,

Record even.
Texas losses to two top 5s SCar and ND
ND losses to top ten TCU and thirty-ish Utah,

I’m not saying it’s right just saying it’s understandable
 
GamecockFam said:
I understand the sentiment but Texas's two losses are not as bad as Notre Dame's. Texas has losses to the current #2 and #4 teams. South Carolina has losses to the current #1 and #3 teams. Notre Dame has losses to #11 and an unranked team.

I understand the rankings because most polls come from a perspective of "what have you done for me lately", so I get it. I just disagree.
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visitingcock said:
An overtime win - at home? That doesn't count as much for Notre Dame as their losss to Utah,

Record even.
Texas losses to two top 5s SCar and ND
ND losses to top ten TCU and thirty-ish Utah,

I’m not saying it’s right just saying it’s understandable
Expand ...
Thanks for the perspective. Helps me to better understand where you're coming from.
 
GoChips20 said:
I think SC has gotten just about as much out of Feagin as you could ask since Watkins went down, but the team just doesn’t have a good matchup for a Betts or Oldacre-type post.

SC matches up well with ND, UConn, and LSU.

Doesn’t match up very well with UCLA or Texas.

I’m somewhat in the middle on USC.

It’s going to be all about the draw and the path come tournament time.
Expand ...
We have been missing out on recruiting bigs lately

2022- 6ft5 6 /10 wing span Kyla Oldacare ( recruited but no offer) Kid dominated us yesterday

2023- Aliyah Del Rosario 6ft6 200+lbs

2024-Katie Koval 6ft5 200+ pounds and to some extent Blanca Thomas from Charlotte. 6ft5 who is at UNC

2025- nobody targeted

2026-seems Olivia Vukosa is the primary target -6ft5 200lbs

Tbh this staff has whiffed on big size post since Boston in 2019 and Cardosa 2020

So to compensate for those we missed on-you signed 6ft6 Sakima Walker, offer and sign Adhel Tac after Koval goes to Notre Dame and sign Dauda out of the portal when somebody like Grace Van Slooten from Oregon was available in the portal.
 
Creature said:
We have been missing out on recruiting bigs lately

2022- 6ft5 6 /10 wing span Kyla Oldacare ( recruited but no offer) Kid dominated us yesterday

2023- Aliyah Del Rosario 6ft6 200+lbs

2024-Katie Koval 6ft5 200+ pounds and to some extent Blanca Thomas from Charlotte. 6ft5 who is at UNC

2025- nobody targeted

2026-seems Olivia Vukosa is the primary target -6ft5 200lbs

Tbh this staff has whiffed on big size post since Boston in 2019 and Cardosa 2020

So to compensate for those we missed on-you signed 6ft6 Sakima Walker, offer and sign Adhel Tac after Koval goes to Notre Dame and sign Dauda out of the portal when somebody like Grace Van Slooten from Oregon was available in the portal.
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I thought we should have offered Gracie Merkle from Bellermine in the portal. She’s not as quick as Dawn would like, but 6’6 and strong is worth occasionally slowing down for. Putting up 15/8.5 for a bad Penn State; she surely would have had some matchup specific use for us.

www.espn.com

Gracie Merkle Career Stats - NCAAW - ESPN

Complete career NCAAW stats for the Penn State Lady Lions Center Gracie Merkle on ESPN. Includes points, rebounds, and assists.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
 
Creature said:
We have been missing out on recruiting bigs lately

2022- 6ft5 6 /10 wing span Kyla Oldacare ( recruited but no offer) Kid dominated us yesterday

2023- Aliyah Del Rosario 6ft6 200+lbs

2024-Katie Koval 6ft5 200+ pounds and to some extent Blanca Thomas from Charlotte. 6ft5 who is at UNC

2025- nobody targeted

2026-seems Olivia Vukosa is the primary target -6ft5 200lbs

Tbh this staff has whiffed on big size post since Boston in 2019 and Cardosa 2020

So to compensate for those we missed on-you signed 6ft6 Sakima Walker, offer and sign Adhel Tac after Koval goes to Notre Dame and sign Dauda out of the portal when somebody like Grace Van Slooten from Oregon was available in the portal.
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I don't believe Tac was a fall back at all.
 
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Elite 6'4+ post players out of high school in WCBB are a rarity. The fact that SC had 4 back-to-back-to-back-to-back is an even bigger rarity (Coates-Wilson-Boston-Cardoso). I think it might've spoiled us into thinking "who's next up" but the reality is we've been extremely lucky and our ability to get elite bigs definitely contributed heavily to our rise as a power in the sport.

With more teams building rosters that resemble a typical SC roster (looking at you, Cori Close), competition for these elite bigs will get stiffer and stiffer.

In 2025, the coveted elite big is Sienna Betts who at 6'4 is already committed to UCLA to play with her sister. Stanford has the other very good bigs, Lara Somfai and Alexandra Eschmeyer who are both 6'5.

In 2026, there's currently a WAR being waged for 6'5 Olivia Vukosa (who I feel is UConn bound, but we'll see).

The bottom line is, Gamecock fans may have to be a little patient before we see another Cardoso-like big at SC again or Dawn may have to switch up tactics to bring that next 6'4+ player to SC.. maybe go international, or look at less athletic/defensive stretch forwards. I'm just spitballing here.
 
6665.jpg


Courtesy of the Aces social media team. :D
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
I don't believe Tac was a fall back at all.
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I don’t either. I’m very much looking forward to watching her over the next three seasons. Despite limited play, I’ve seen enough to see she has quick feet and is quite mobile in the paint. Tuesday on Carolina Calls, Dawn was asked about Adhel and she said they are bringing her along slowly referencing her rustiness and her working in the weight room with Molly.
 
JstVisiting said:
I thought we should have offered Gracie Merkle from Bellermine in the portal. She’s not as quick as Dawn would like, but 6’6 and strong is worth occasionally slowing down for. Putting up 15/8.5 for a bad Penn State; she surely would have had some matchup specific use for us.

www.espn.com

Gracie Merkle Career Stats - NCAAW - ESPN

Complete career NCAAW stats for the Penn State Lady Lions Center Gracie Merkle on ESPN. Includes points, rebounds, and assists.
www.espn.com www.espn.com
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Have you actually SEEN Gracie Merkle? Because maybe that's a reason why she ended up at Penn State.
 
SCGamecock said:
The bottom line is, Gamecock fans may have to be a little patient before we see another Cardoso-like big at SC again or Dawn may have to switch up tactics to bring that next 6'4+ player to SC.. maybe go international, or look at less athletic/defensive stretch forwards. I'm just spitballing here.
Expand ...
Perhaps the next 6'7 birdie could be another Portuguese-speaking transfer?
 
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