USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[Ozimoto]

This is most unfortunate for her. It remains to be seen how the team reacts and what that means for title chances. It's part of the game (unfortunately) and good teams and coaches find ways to compensate.

 

[Creature]

Dauda needs to return to form
Last year she was 3rd in the SEC in block’s (2.6) averaging 17ppg and 8 rebounds per game

 

[USMC(ret)]

Alot of fanbases are gloating at the possibility that our season is over. TBH

Maybe some wannabees, but I can tell you two who are not gloating: UConn and Notre Dame. Both have been down this road before, and both have won multiple national championships over the years.

When you think about it, we were really lucky last year when it came to overall health of our team. I credit our strength and conditioning coach for some of this, but in the great scheme of things, we may have been overdue for an unlucky break. Let's hope she heals up and can continue her playing career.

 

[VAUConnFan]

@VAUConnFan
Thats a pretty broad assumption; this is just speculation on your part -right? Team Defense holds the Opps. To 51 points a game. Not one player imo..

Very true, but Ms Watkins is, debatably, the best defender in the country; a defensive anchor that makes everyone else's defense more effective(think Olajuwon, Rodman, Jordan, Pippen, Bill Russell, KC Jones, Cheryl Swoopes). And the better teams on Carolina's schedule(Texas, Oklahoma, Alabama, LSU, Tennessee, and UConn) are a sure bet to skew the average upward.

 

[Creature]

And where have you seen that expressed

You can feel it old friend…

 

[TC22]

Replacing her defense and rebounding will be a group effort. We need the guards to be more sharp on their perimeter defense and to help with rebounding. We need Tac, Walker and Dauda to step up and have at least one of them become a dependable fourth option.

Based on what I've seen we'll probably see that Edwards/Feagin/Kitts will have increased minutes and Tac will play some more meaningful minutes as that fourth option. I'm hoping the light clicks for Dauda because of her experience from Arkansas in this league.

The problem with Dauda is that the program she transferred out of plays very little defense. Although Dauda is a D1 athlete she really didn’t have the kind of playing experience before she got to college that most athletes now have.

Tac is the one I’m hoping will get a chance now and excel. She has all the tools. She’s a great teammate and one the other players can rally around. If we can just get 5 fouls worth of her (and she’ll get them) that’s what we need. Her presence on the floor will at least be a deterrent. Remember she is just coming off 2 knee surgeries and wasn’t cleared fully until mid November. To me, she’s the key to whether we can get to the FF.

As for Watkins, she’ll be under some of the best care she could get. We have a great orthopedic doctor and IDK if there’s a better rehab team than Molly and Craig. My thought is she’ll be ready some time next year, play as much as she can, and then go into the draft. With so many teams next year somebody will take a chance on her.

 

[GamecockFam]

The problem with Dauda is that the program she transferred out of plays very little defense. Although Dauda is a D1 athlete she really didn’t have the kind of playing experience before she got to college that most athletes now have.

Tac is the one I’m hoping will get a chance now and excel. She has all the tools. She’s a great teammate and one the other players can rally around. If we can just get 5 fouls worth of her (and she’ll get them) that’s what we need. Her presence on the floor will at least be a deterrent. Remember she is just coming off 2 knee surgeries and wasn’t cleared fully until mid November. To me, she’s the key to whether we can get to the FF.

As for Watkins, she’ll be under some of the best care she could get. We have a great orthopedic doctor and IDK if there’s a better rehab team than Molly and Craig. My thought is she’ll be ready some time next year, play as much as she can, and then go into the draft. With so many teams next year somebody will take a chance on her.

Oh, I'm aware of all the above and agree that Tac looks to be the next woman up. She looked really good in a recent game while playing mop up minutes -- scored 7 points in like 3 minutes of play if I remember right. She also had the "Cardoso effect" of drawing perimeter defenders close to her, letting her get some easy assists to guards waiting to take threes. She still looks a little wild on defense but I love her energy. She may be rusty but I think we are at the beginning of seeing her knock that rust off.