USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[JstVisiting]

I had forgotten how annoying Vic Shaeffer teams are. The most physical team you’ll see all year, but they flop over in a stiff breeze. Disgusting basketball.

Women’s game needs to start using the circle in the paint. Can’t let teams park a midget two feet in front of the basket and dare you to shoot a layup.

 

[JstVisiting]

Notre Dame played nearly 9 minutes of the 4th on the road in a tight game at Clemson without being called for a single foul. Wow. That’s impressive discipline.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Dawn has never really had a lot of trouble with Vic's offense, but that was a 1% result in so many different ways on both sides.

I think obviously a statement for SCar and an early edge for SEC race.

Somewhat a reinforcement of the UCLA game in other respects.

Oldacre is no Betts.

Carolina somehow struggled with the pressure and also shot incredibly well. Just a strange thing all around.

I will be pulling hard not to have to see UCLA again in the tournament.

 

[GoChips20]

Kind of a strange game all-around. South Carolina actually won the rebounding battle but Texas had 28 (!) more shot attempts, aided by SC’s +10 turnover margin. Still, really odd result to see a team with that many extra shots lose by 17. Rematch should be very interesting:

If you’re Texas, you have to feel good that Booker won’t shoot 3-19 again and that Feagin may not have another career night.

If you’re SC, you have to feel good that you overcame the offensive rebounding differential and still came out on top. Need to find a solution for Oldacre though. She’s the kind of bruising low-post player that has always thrived under Vic.

I’m not sure Texas has the same kind of home court advantage as SC (few teams do), but I do expect a much closer contest in Austin.

 

[JellyBean]

Staley owns Vic, 15-3 lifetime.

Wow. I did not know that Coach Staley was winning like that against Coach Vic. Holy smokes!

 

[TC22]

Strange game today. I will say this about my SC team. When the light shines brightest the stars come out. I thought Feagin was outstanding today. She just battled all game. Never got frustrated. Bree Hall played outstanding defense. Yes, Booker missed a bunch of shots but I also don’t think she’s had somebody deny her the ball like Bree did today. When she got it she was just trying to get a shot up because she wasn’t getting easy access to the ball all game.

i also have to shout out MiLaysia. She was a difference maker. She had some turnovers, but she played great defense and was also very good in transition. She put a lot of pressure on Texas just by being there. I didn’t think she was careless with the ball, as 2 of her turnovers were on charges where she made the shot. She made Rori Harmon’s life miserable when she was in there also. Other than maybe Hidalgo, I’m not sure there’s a guard who can keep up with Lay.

You could tell these players have “been there” before. Dawn said these girls’ eyes light up when there’s a number attached to the team we are playing. They come to SC because they love these types of games. I also think the CLA with 18,000 people who seem to be right on top of you is intimidating. There’s not a day off in the SEC this year so both teams will have to move on quickly.

 

[JellyBean]

Hats off to Coach Staley and her South Carolina program! They got Texas to shoot 28% for the game! Well done, South Carolina and Coach Staley!

 

[Gamecockfan77]

I am gonna disagree and say that Fulwiley was about her average level of careless in this one.

 

[TC22]

I am gonna disagree and say that Fulwiley was about her average level of careless in this one.

I thought she was terrific defensively today. She made a positive effect on the game today.

 

[ConwayGmck]

Saw during the game broadcast that Texas was held to 12 pts for any quarter of play coming into this game today - their lowest quarter of scoring. South Carolina held them to 9 pts for the 1st Qtr., 12 pts for the 3rd, and 13 pts for the 2nd Qtr.

Remember this was the most recent match-up between both clubs since their Elite Eight clash in San Antonio, TX, for the 20-21 NCAAT, when the Gamecocks held the Longhorns to 34 TOTAL points for the game. Totally new rosters here, but obviously shows that Dawn Staley has a book on Vic......

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Saw during the game broadcast that Texas was held to 12 pts for any quarter of play coming into this game today - their lowest quarter of scoring. South Carolina held them to 9 pts for the 1st Qtr., 12 pts for the 3rd, and 13 pts for the 2nd Qtr.

Remember this was the most recent match-up between both clubs since their Elite Eight clash in San Antonio, TX, for the 20-21 NCAAT, when the Gamecocks held the Longhorns to 34 TOTAL points for the game. Totally new rosters here, but obviously shows that Dawn Staley has a book on Vic......

I'd say so.

Dawn has now graduated to the idea that three point shooting is helpful to have. Vic needs a little more time to think it over or so it seems.

 

[cancontent]

I'd say so.

Dawn has now graduated to the idea that three point shooting is helpful to have. Vic needs a little more time to think it over or so it seems.

A little more time? I don't know if he ever will incorporate more 3s in his offence.

 

[SCGamecock]

Dawn is in Vic’s head at this point. The rematch in Austin in 10 days should be a DOOZY.

 

[JDuro]

Staley owns Vic, 15-3 lifetime.

All 3 wins coming when Vic had the superior talented team. The first win at home in Starkville during A'ja's senior season. Of course USC came back later that year and beat MSU in the SECT Final. And Vic cleaned up with the other two wins against the undermanned 10 loss '18-19 squad.

 

[Creature]

The Texas Big - Kyla Oldacare was really interested in SCarolina coming out of high school. Visited Carolina but no offer. Played at a rival high school against Breezy…

I DM’d coach Fred Chimiel when he was here that “hey this is somebody you should take a look at…”

In hindsight, this is probably somebody they should’ve offered and developed.

 

[jumpstart]

Kind of a strange game all-around. South Carolina actually won the rebounding battle but Texas had 28 (!) more shot attempts, aided by SC’s +10 turnover margin. Still, really odd result to see a team with that many extra shots lose by 17. Rematch should be very interesting:

If you’re Texas, you have to feel good that Booker won’t shoot 3-19 again and that Feagin may not have another career night.

If you’re SC, you have to feel good that you overcame the offensive rebounding differential and still came out on top. Need to find a solution for Oldacre though. She’s the kind of bruising low-post player that has always thrived under Vic.

I’m not sure Texas has the same kind of home court advantage as SC (few teams do), but I do expect a much closer contest in Austin.

Feagin doesn't have to have a career night. That team has many players capable of doing just that. It will be a closer game, but it still may be the same story.....a South Carolina win.

 

[visitingcock]

The Texas Big - Kyla Oldacare was really interested in SCarolina coming out of high school. Visited Carolina but no offer. Played at a rival high school against Breezy…

I want even DM coach Fred Chimiel when he was here that hey this is somebody you should take a look at…

In hindsight, this is probably somebody they should’ve offered and developed.

Yeah, I followed her some even though we never offered. I felt that her performance in the McD's Allstar game against Betts was outstanding. (for what that's worth). I expected more from her at Miami because she can be a brute when fired up.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Schaefer's press conference was a pretty ringing endorsement of Dawn Staley and a classic coach's challenge of his own team's toughness wrapped in a thin veil of its my fault for not preparing them to play better.

Harmon firing off a "South Carolina was really prepared...Dawn Staley always has them prepared unlike our coaches" was clippable.

But Vic is absolutely correct that it's one of the weirder stat profiles you will ever see in a comfortable victory by the team that turned it over and got crushed on the offensive board.

I wouldn't necessarily draw too much from the spread. That game in Austin could go very differently. I wonder if they were not ready for the CLA environment or just intimidated by the jerseys.

Give credit SCar - Texas was making it hard to execute and they were finding buckets most every time when not turning it over.

But you could see how Texas could make more open shots and SCar missed more and it is totally different.

At some point Texas just seemed resigned to it.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I REALLY hope that the SEC voters watch the actual games because it's crystal clear where the best freshman in the SEC plays--and it's not close.

 

[USMC(ret)]

Thoughts on the game vs Alabama tonight:
1. Good news: we beat a ranked opponent on the road… bad news, it was butt ugly, with turnovers galore and horrible 3 pt shooting.
2. The Gamecock radio crew did not sugarcoat it… we were outplayed in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Poor shot selection, careless passing, stupid fouls, way too many turnovers.
3. Our bigs: Kitts, Feagin, and Edwards had almost half of our points, and we easily won the rebounding battle. Dauda still trying to figure it out.
4. Our backcourt: a mixed bag. Raven and Bree couldn’t get anything to fall. Lay was great inside the arc, made one 3 pt shot, but took several ill-advised 3’s, too. Tehina had11 points, but was cold beyond the arc. Tessa normally picks up the others when they’re not on, but not tonight. Maddie finally made it back, but was clearly and understandably rusty.
5. We’re just not hitting on all cylinders. Athleticism on defense is keeping us in games, but we have to fix our inconsistencies in offense. Is it just me, or do we seem to have a lot of our shots inside blocked? A positive note: we seem more accurate at the free throw line this year.
6. Next up: Oklahoma, another top 20 ranked team, at CLA.

 

[visitingcock]

Thoughts on the game vs Alabama tonight:
1. Good news: we beat a ranked opponent on the road… bad news, it was butt ugly, with turnovers galore and horrible 3 pt shooting.
2. The Gamecock radio crew did not sugarcoat it… we were outplayed in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Poor shot selection, careless passing, stupid fouls, way too many turnovers.
3. Our bigs: Kitts, Feagin, and Edwards had almost half of our points, and we easily won the rebounding battle. Dauda still trying to figure it out.
4. Our backcourt: a mixed bag. Raven and Bree couldn’t get anything to fall. Lay was great inside the arc, made one 3 pt shot, but took several ill-advised 3’s, too. Tehina had11 points, but was cold beyond the arc. Tessa normally picks up the others when they’re not on, but not tonight. Maddie finally made it back, but was clearly and understandably rusty.
5. We’re just not hitting on all cylinders. Athleticism on defense is keeping us in games, but we have to fix our inconsistencies in offense. Is it just me, or do we seem to have a lot of our shots inside blocked? A positive note: we seem more accurate at the free throw line this year.
6. Next up: Oklahoma, another top 20 ranked team, at CLA.

Bama had five first half blocks

 

[Darwin]

Thoughts on the game vs Alabama tonight:
1. Good news: we beat a ranked opponent on the road… bad news, it was butt ugly, with turnovers galore and horrible 3 pt shooting.
2. The Gamecock radio crew did not sugarcoat it… we were outplayed in the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Poor shot selection, careless passing, stupid fouls, way too many turnovers.
3. Our bigs: Kitts, Feagin, and Edwards had almost half of our points, and we easily won the rebounding battle. Dauda still trying to figure it out.
4. Our backcourt: a mixed bag. Raven and Bree couldn’t get anything to fall. Lay was great inside the arc, made one 3 pt shot, but took several ill-advised 3’s, too. Tehina had11 points, but was cold beyond the arc. Tessa normally picks up the others when they’re not on, but not tonight. Maddie finally made it back, but was clearly and understandably rusty.
5. We’re just not hitting on all cylinders. Athleticism on defense is keeping us in games, but we have to fix our inconsistencies in offense. Is it just me, or do we seem to have a lot of our shots inside blocked? A positive note: we seem more accurate at the free throw line this year.
6. Next up: Oklahoma, another top 20 ranked team, at CLA.

We lead the SEC in FT% by a wide margin, times have changed.

The leash is off Edwards, she is officially the dominant offensive player for SC now if anyone has missed that transition. Fulwiley being given more minutes every game now and it shows. Kitts and Feagin filling in nicely in the absence of Watkins. They ready for another run perhaps.

 

[USMC(ret)]

We lead the SEC in FT% by a wide margin, times have changed.

The leash is off Edwards, she is officially the dominant offensive player for SC now if anyone has missed that transition. Fulwiley being given more minutes every game now and it shows. Kitts and Feagin filling in nicely in the absence of Watkins. They ready for another run perhaps.

Darwin, I think the results of the next three games will determine how ready we are for another run. We beat Texas by 17 and Alabama by 18, so we’re trending in the right direction. I think we have the best head coach in the country, so if anyone knows how to fix our issues, she will.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Darwin, I think the results of the next three games will determine how ready we are for another run. We beat Texas by 17 and Alabama by 18, so we’re trending in the right direction. I think we have the best head coach in the country, so if anyone knows how to fix our issues, she will.

I agree with much of this.

The three remaining opponents in the gauntlet don't necessarily scare me, but the one game that makes me a bit uneasy is the one involving the orange-clad folks on Rocky Top. Oklahoma and LSU have too many flaws that can be exploited, and both of those are home games. Tennessee is looking for that one moment to show everyone that they're back.

 

[visitingcock]

I agree with much of this.

The three remaining opponents in the gauntlet don't necessarily scare me, but the one game that makes me a bit uneasy is the one involving the orange-clad folks on Rocky Top. Oklahoma and LSU have too many flaws that can be exploited, and both of those are home games. Tennessee is looking for that one moment to show everyone that they're back.

Tennessee has flaws too. The most obvious is defense. In particular, their half court defense is horrible after you break their press. Their half court offense is not much better. We just have to stay disciplined. In the full court situations.

 

[Tngamecock]

We are simply having to win in a different fashion since we don’t have a dominant big person in the middle. To be honest with you I don’t see a team in the SEC remotely close to being better than us. Not saying we can’t drop a game, But right now, it appears UCLA, SC, along with maybe UConn are the cream of the crop.

while watching South Carolina play Alabama last night, there was not one minute to me that it didn’t appear South Carolina was in complete control. Even when Alabama cut it to 4, I never felt they were a threat. We kept a 10 point lead for 90% of the game.

 

[USMC(ret)]

We are simply having to win in a different fashion since we don’t have a dominant big person in the middle. To be honest with you I don’t see a team in the SEC remotely close to being better than us. Not saying we can’t drop a game, But right now, it appears UCLA, SC, along with maybe UConn are the cream of the crop.

while watching South Carolina play Alabama last night, there was not one minute to me that it didn’t appear South Carolina was in complete control. Even when Alabama cut it to 4, I never felt they were a threat. We kept a 10 point lead for 90% of the game.

I’d add Notre Dame to that cream of the crop list.

 

[USMC(ret)]

Big news today… Coach Dawn Staley getting a pay bump, new contract worth in excess of $25 mil.
Every time I see CLA sold out for a WBB game, I am reminded how fortunate we are to have her as our program leader. Congrats, Coach… you earned it!

 

[TC22]

We are getting a lot more shots blocked because we are driving a lot more. MiLaysia has a couple blocked every game. Of course she also gets fouled a couple of times and gets to the free throw line.

Sshhhhh on the FT. Don’t jinx them.

Playing on the road is hard. We couldn’t throw it in the ocean last night but Bama had to defend the 3 pt line because we are capable. It opened up the inside. Feagin was very, very good again last night. She made some huge passes into Joyce and Chloe. I liked when Chloe and Joyce played together also last night.

It’s very telling that Miriam was a starter for Arkansas last year but just looks lost out there for us. At this point just put Adhel in for those few minutes and let’s let her learn.

One thing can be said for our team…they don’t panic. They have the same demeanor Dawn has.
My picks for the FF come from UCLA, SC, Notre Dame, USC, UConn. LSU, Texas, Tennessee, Md, Kansas State could all go on a run and get there but I really think it will come down to that first group.

Beat Oklahoma!.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

We are going on a season and a half of the team getting loose with a lead.

Hazard of so many good players wanting to shine perhaps.

Fulwiley is determined to do it her way and it is what is with the resulting blocks and turnovers. She tends to come out ahead but she hasn't made much progress from last year, if any.