USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[JstVisiting]

Loyalty to Raven Johnson is going to cost us some games.

 

[USMC(ret)]

Well, that was a butt kicking… congrats to UCLA. We’ll see how we rebound from this one. Several things:

• our bigs were not a factor
• Fulwiley played briefly, and sat the rest of the game… something going on there
• Dauda did not play at all
• McDaniel had good effort… she’ll see a lot of minutes going forward
• Bree and Raven are starting but not influencing the offense.
• I look for to a different starting lineup against Iowa State… I’d start Kitts, Watkins, Paopao, Tessa, and McDaniel.

 

[cancontent]

Well, that was a butt kicking… congrats to UCLA. We’ll see how we rebound from this one. Several things:

• our bigs were not a factor
• Fulwiley played briefly, and sat the rest of the game… something going on there
• Dauda did not play at all
• McDaniel had good effort… she’ll see a lot of minutes going forward
• Bree and Raven are starting but not influencing the offense.
• I look for to a different starting lineup against Iowa State… I’d start Kitts, Watkins, Paopao, Tessa, and McDaniel.

This surprised me. What's changed since last season? They both looked like they came into their own and would continue this season.

 

[GamecockFam]

I've had a bad feeling about this game and pretty much all my fears came to pass. I thought we had a good game plan against Betts and we played alright defensively. Offensively, we have a TON of work to do. With that said, I think this team will be playing a lot better by March and we may eventually live up to the preseason #1. The only bright spot is that we won the second half of that game. I wonder how this loss will affect the team. I hope it's for the good. I have a feeling that Dawn is about to get a lot stricter with what she allows in the locker room and in practice.

 

[USMC(ret)]

This surprised me. What's changed since last season? They both looked like they came into their own and would continue this season.

Honestly, I think it’s a confidence thing. Both have to do more this year without Cardoso, because there’s a lot less of feeding the low post. Both excel in the fast break transition, but I can’t recall any transition points for us today (could be wrong). Both are quality defenders, and both are good “chemistry” players. But this year’s offense will not run the same as last year’s.

 

[USMC(ret)]

I've had a bad feeling about this game and pretty much all my fears came to pass. I thought we had a good game plan against Betts and we played alright defensively. Offensively, we have a TON of work to do. With that said, I think this team will be playing a lot better by March and we may eventually live up to the preseason #1. The only bright spot is that we won the second half of that game. I wonder how this loss will affect the team. I hope it's for the good. I have a feeling that Dawn is about to get a lot stricter with what she allows in the locker room and in practice.

Agreed. We need more offense from our bigs. Today, Kitts was beat up in the paint, Watkins had a couple of put-backs, and Feagin and Edwards couldn’t do much. Our best backcourt players today were Paopao, Tessa, and Maddie. I think they will see an increase in minutes. We all love Fulwiley, but her getting very few minutes today was a message about efficient effort.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I'm not sure what's going on with Raven, but it needs to be addressed. There are three talented underclassman guards sitting on the bench who can contribute as much as she's contributed so far this season. Last season, she looked like she could make a jump to AA status. This year? Not so much. It's frustrating to watch her play (offensively). I didn't think she'd get outclassed by Kiki Rice (who I'm a fan of) and Londynn Jones (not a fan at all) to this degree, but here we are.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Loyalty to Raven Johnson is going to cost us some games.

There's too much playable (and performing) depth at her position for this to happen. The young guards are really good (and more talented than Raven). She's far more experienced and her defense is top notch, but she's really selling hard offensively this season. 20% from the FIELD? I mean, I suck and even I could hit that average.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Whooping.

Starting to become clear what the team currently is: very beatable and disordered.

 

[TheFarmFan]

I've had a bad feeling about this game and pretty much all my fears came to pass. I thought we had a good game plan against Betts and we played alright defensively. Offensively, we have a TON of work to do. With that said, I think this team will be playing a lot better by March and we may eventually live up to the preseason #1. The only bright spot is that we won the second half of that game. I wonder how this loss will affect the team. I hope it's for the good. I have a feeling that Dawn is about to get a lot stricter with what she allows in the locker room and in practice.

It's so, so hard not to start coasting when you're riding a 40+-game winning streak. I'm always a big believer in early season losses to good opponents, as steel sharpens steel. (e.g., Stewie lost to the Domers multiple times earlier in her freshman season... and then ran them out of the gym in the postseason and for three seasons subsequent.) Dawn is preeminent in using losses to sharpen her steel, so I won't be at all surprised to see this matchup again late in the postseason, but with the outcome reversed. Unless and until Cori impresses in March, I'll reserve judgment...

 

[GamecockFam]

It's so, so hard not to start coasting when you're riding a 40+-game winning streak. I'm always a big believer in early season losses to good opponents, as steel sharpens steel. (e.g., Stewie lost to the Domers multiple times earlier in her freshman season... and then ran them out of the gym in the postseason and for three seasons subsequent.) Dawn is preeminent in using losses to sharpen her steel, so I won't be at all surprised to see this matchup again late in the postseason, but with the outcome reversed. Unless and until Cori impresses in March, I'll reserve judgment...

It was pretty clear that Dawn was trying to leave a message to some of our players, particularly Fulwiley and R. Johnson. They are just not in sync with the rest of the team. Fulwiley is trying too hard to be Juju Watkins and with Raven I don't even know where to start. Both players seem to be trying to create their own narrative instead of a team narrative, if that makes any sense. Benching Fulwiley and letting Maddie take the reigns in the crucial parts of the game were definitely strong messages for the two.

Kitts is much improved but she doesn't match up well with UCLA. I think CDS will get smarter about which bigs she puts on the floor but right now she is letting them all play so that she can see how she would like to use them in SEC play and in March. I have a feeling the starters may change from game to game at the 4/5.

 

[YoDore]

I don't know how I didn't already realize this, but I was shocked at UCLA's overall size. Even Kiki Rice seems bigger.

 

[shiverz45]

Seems about right. This is the most unsure I've felt about my Gamecocks in a long time.

2021 against Stanford in the final 4 was the last time SC was the underdog.

 

[jumpstart]

South Carolina hasn't figured out who they are. It's that simple. When they do....watch out. This teams just has way too much talent to be anything but a final four team. Dawn and the girls will figure it out. It's mental....not physical.

 

[Creature]

Maybe Chloe is really just a perimeter player. She was outmatched today. Dauda not playing is disappointing because this is who you chose in the portal. This player needs to have an impact.

 

[visitingcock]

Maybe Chloe is really just a perimeter player. She was outmatched today. Dauda not playing is disappointing because this is who you chose in the portal. This player needs to have an impact.

Chloe is not "just a perimeter player." Admittedly, she was outmatched in yesterday's game, but she won't be outmatched in 95% of our opponents and probably all of our opponents who don't have a 6'7" post. She is adequate against other forward an smaller posts.

We need Ashlyn on the court more and Tac getting as many minutes as possible (when the outcome is not in jeopardy)

Raven needs a sports psychologist.

Milaysia might just need a shock collar when she gets wild.

 

[JstVisiting]

UCLA was my biggest concern last season, so I am not shocked to lose this year. But nobody expected that.

Difference between class of 21 and class of 22 was stark.

South Carolina seemed to have a successor to the Aliyah Boston class with 2, 3, 4, and 14 in the class.

2 Raven Johnson - ACL tear, good defensive player, but not a top of her class talent
3 Saniya Rivers - transferred for playing time, has appeared overmatched in two games vs South Carolina since
4 Sania Feagin - solid but not great rotation player
14 Bree Hall - best of the class Swiss army knife who is good at many things, but excellent at none
13 Dauda - newly arrived transfer, DNP

Whereas UCLA’s 2023 class is

1 Lauren Betts - All American, lottery pick
2 Kiki Rice - 95% of Bree Hall
3 Janiah Barker - potential All Conference, projected lottery pick

The best player of South Carolina’s 2021 class is essentially interchangeable with the “worst” of UCLA’s core class a year behind them.

This is supposed to be their year, and they look like a Sweet 16/Elite Eight ceiling. Hard to see it clicking now, so juggling the minutes with higher ceiling players behind them will be the challenge.

 

[GoChips20]

UCLA was my biggest concern last season, so I am not shocked to lose this year. But nobody expected that.

Difference between class of 21 and class of 22 was stark.

South Carolina seemed to have a successor to the Aliyah Boston class with 2, 3, 4, and 14 in the class.

2 Raven Johnson - ACL tear, good defensive player, but not a top of her class talent
3 Saniya Rivers - transferred for playing time, has appeared overmatched in two games vs South Carolina since
4 Sania Feagin - solid but not great rotation player
14 Bree Hall - best of the class Swiss army knife who is good at many things, but excellent at none
13 Dauda - newly arrived transfer, DNP

Whereas UCLA’s 2023 class is

1 Lauren Betts - All American, lottery pick
2 Kiki Rice - 95% of Bree Hall
3 Janiah Barker - potential All Conference, projected lottery pick

The best player of South Carolina’s 2021 class is essentially interchangeable with the “worst” of UCLA’s core class a year behind them.

This is supposed to be their year, and they look like a Sweet 16/Elite Eight ceiling. Hard to see it clicking now, so juggling the minutes with higher ceiling players behind them will be the challenge.

I think you hit the nail on the head here. That class was said to be one of the best recruiting classes of all time but it hasn’t panned out. Hall is probably the best of the four and she was the lowest-ranked.

I’d say SC may be better next season with more talented players taking their minutes, but we’ll also lose Pao and likely keep Raven so I’m not sure what it’ll look like in reality.

 

[Bone Dog]

Sorry to stick my oar in, but I think you guys are being too hard on the team. This may not be the dynamite year I expected, but this is still a formidable team. The Freshies were an incredible community that grew up together. The next couple classes were not blessed with the same shared culture from the start. But it'll come. Dawn knows how to do this. In my view, this will be Tessa's team sooner or later. Sooner is probably better.