USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

[LwrcasefaN]

I was thinking about teams that had this many hs AA. Unverified...maybe UCONN and ND. And most unlikely, division 2, Cheney State.

 

[GamecockFam]

I was thinking about teams that had this many hs AA. Unverified...maybe UCONN and ND. And most unlikely, division 2, Cheney State.

UCLA is another possibility. They have the top three ranked players from 2022 class (Betts, Rice, Barker) plus many other top 25 recruits from various classes.

UConn has three #1 overall recruits on its roster with Bueckers, Fudd and Strong -- which should be a merit unto itself.

 

[TC22]

UCLA is another possibility. They have the top three ranked players from 2022 class (Betts, Rice, Barker) plus many other top 25 recruits from various classes.

UConn has three #1 overall recruits on its roster with Bueckers, Fudd and Strong -- which should be a merit unto itself.

Hard to believe Dawn has only had 1 #1 recruit in her career - A’ja.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

The answer to has anyone ever is almost always: Yes, UConn.

I came into season thinking that LSU is on another tier from Oklahoma, and I'm not sure I have changed my mind.

I'd be surprised though if the LSU game went to wire at CLA.

It certainly seems as though Feagin and Edwards are turning the corner on comfort.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

The answer to has anyone ever is almost always: Yes, UConn.

I came into season thinking that LSU is on another tier from Oklahoma, and I'm not sure I have changed my mind.

I'd be surprised though if the LSU game went to wire at CLA.

It certainly seems as though Feagin and Edwards are turning the corner on comfort.

It's hard to tell, they really haven't played anyone.

 

[SCspur]

LSU has. Experience playing SC and playing them in CLA. Kim and her veterans won’t be as shell shocked by the crowd as Texas and Oklahoma were.

The only players on lsu roster that has played in the CLA before is Smith and Flau’jae. That’s when they lost by 24. I suspect they’ll be more level this time but the team as a whole will definitely feel the shock of that environment. Playing against 18,000, a 68 home game win streak, and the #2 team in the country will be tough for any team to overcome.

 

[Baller29]

The only players on lsu roster that has played in the CLA before is Smith and Flau’jae. That’s when they lost by 24. I suspect they’ll be more level this time but the team as a whole will definitely feel the shock of that environment. Playing against 18,000, a 68 home game win streak, and the #2 team in the country will be tough for any team to overcome.

And SaMyah has regressed pretty badly

Kitts, Feagin and Joyce could easily combine for 50-60 points alone

 

[WBBTakeover]

If LSU can keep the deficit under 20, they should consider that to be marginally successful. While they might be able to compete with us on the perimeter (maybe), they will be feeling the burn inside. They don't have an answer for our three-headed post monster. Also, I predict that Bree Hall will slow down one of those wings (probably Mikaylah) while Raven and Te-Hina take turns giving Flau'jae fits.

 

[Alydar]

I agree, which means they aren't really a cream of the crop team.

I think they will be by March. Seeding is earned for play during the entire season. Titles are won by the team playing the best right then. UConn is starting 2 freshmen and a transfer. They will be playing their best in March/April.

 

[WBBTakeover]

I think they will be by March. Seeding is earned for play during the entire season. Titles are won by the team playing the best right then. UConn is starting 2 freshmen and a transfer. They will be playing their best in March/April.

I agree with this. It's a long season for a reason!

 

[USMC(ret)]

The only players on lsu roster that has played in the CLA before is Smith and Flau’jae. That’s when they lost by 24. I suspect they’ll be more level this time but the team as a whole will definitely feel the shock of that environment. Playing against 18,000, a 68 home game win streak, and the #2 team in the country will be tough for any team to overcome.

Don’t underestimate Mulkey, one of the game’s elite coaches (her, Geno, and Dawn) and recruiters. No, LSU has played a weak schedule, but she knows that. She’ll have them ready. LSU can’t match our bench, and that means their starting five will play an average of 30+ minutes. We’re coming off a 41 point beatdown of a ranked team, and I am concerned we might be a little overconfident, but Dawn knows who’s she’s coaching against, and I trust the message at practice this week will have that in mind.

 

[packwrap]

And SaMyah has regressed pretty badly

Kitts, Feagin and Joyce could easily combine for 50-60 points alone

It's a rotation of Smith, Wolfenbarger and Morrow v. Kitts, Feagin and Joyce.

Mulkey has been dealing with tough matchups for a long time. I'm sure she will have some decent gameplan cooked up. Morrow will have to watch fouling.

I've been looking forward to this game forever.

 

[JDuro]

Had the pleasure of meeting Brenda Paul, former WBB HC at Miss St., Georgia State, and Elon, who happened to be sitting behind me at the OU game. Her words when we started talking about LSU, “They have no bench.”

 

[Baller29]

Had the pleasure of meeting Brenda Paul, former WBB HC at Miss St., Georgia State, and Elon, who happened to be sitting behind me at the OU game. Her words when we started talking about LSU, “They have no bench.”

They may have the worst bench of the entire SEC.

 

[WBBTakeover]

Don’t underestimate Mulkey, one of the game’s elite coaches (her, Geno, and Dawn) and recruiters. No, LSU has played a weak schedule, but she knows that. She’ll have them ready. LSU can’t match our bench, and that means their starting five will play an average of 30+ minutes. We’re coming off a 41 point beatdown of a ranked team, and I am concerned we might be a little overconfident, but Dawn knows who’s she’s coaching against, and I trust the message at practice this week will have that in mind.

So when they barely beat teams (Washington, Stanford, and Vanderbilt) that they should've soundly defeated, does that mean that the elite coach didn't properly prepare her teams and underestimated her team's opponents? Sorry--I don't get this logic.

I don't think that LSU is being underestimated. I think people are realizing that they just don't pass the eye test. If the game is closer than usual, it won't be because Kim is a coaching genius. It'll be largely because her elite players are playing at an elite level while ours are playing a cut below. Kim ain't entering CLA with a bunch of two stars. She's got two legit SEC POY/All-American candidates.

 

[Baller29]

So when they barely beat teams (Washington, Stanford, and Vanderbilt) that they should've soundly defeated, does that mean that the elite coach didn't properly prepare her teams and underestimated her team's opponents? Sorry--I don't get this logic.

I don't think that LSU is being underestimated. I think people are realizing that they just don't pass the eye test. If the game is closer than usual, it won't be because Kim is a coaching genius. It'll be largely because her elite players are playing at an elite level while ours are playing a cut below. Kim ain't entering CLA with a bunch of two stars. She's got two legit SEC POY/All-American candidates.

LSU is a very talented team filled with a bunch of ball hogger stat chasers. They do not play as a a team, half of them are chasing their own stats and refuse to pass the ball. ‘Ball hog’ Johnson in particular is the most egregious one with her mom going on Twitter encouraging her to not pass the ball so much. Anyone who has seen them play this year knows exactly what I’m talking about.

When you have a team who plays individual basketball instead of team basketball you get a mediocre product comprised of close games not maximizing your talent and vulnerability to lots of potential losses


And Kim isn’t an elite coach, Vic is 10x the coach she is and you could make a case a couple of other SEC coaches are far superior to her. She just lands big talent, that’s it

 

[USMC(ret)]

So when they barely beat teams (Washington, Stanford, and Vanderbilt) that they should've soundly defeated, does that mean that the elite coach didn't properly prepare her teams and underestimated her team's opponents? Sorry--I don't get this logic.

I don't think that LSU is being underestimated. I think people are realizing that they just don't pass the eye test. If the game is closer than usual, it won't be because Kim is a coaching genius. It'll be largely because her elite players are playing at an elite level while ours are playing a cut below. Kim ain't entering CLA with a bunch of two stars. She's got two legit SEC POY/All-American candidates.

My opinion: you don’t win four natties by accident. She’ll go about seven players deep for the vast majority of the 40 minutes, while we’ll probably play ten. Her players will play with tempo, will be aggressive, and if they’re too aggressive, we’ll get to the foul line often.CLA will not bother them… LSU draws pretty well at home, not equal to us, but they’re not playing in a half empty arena.

What will get us the win is defense. In a battle of attrition, our bench beats their bench. We’ll probably get a rematch with them in the SEC tournament.

Living in Texas for the better part of 30 years, I followed her Baylor teams when they gave her the HC job. Her coaching style hasn’t changed over those years, and neither has her personal style… annoyingly abrasive. She won three natties at Baylor, and then another at LSU. Has a chip on her shoulder the size of an anvil. Practically begs to get a technical foul with her histrionics on the bench. It’s all calculated to give her team an “us against the world” mentality. I think we win by 10.

 

[packwrap]

Nothing but fun in the LSU pre game.

Depth: LSU comfortably plays 7, as they platoon at 1 Poa/Day-Wilson, and 5 Smith/Wolfenbarger.

They get to an 8th player with their energizer 6th man Gilbert, and have started to play a 9th - Shepard.

In an emergency they bring in #10, the post project Del Rosario. So bench not a strength, but particularly the first 8 are still useful.

Team: Last year LSU full of drama, this year they play for each other. All the 1 on 1 play with cleanup by Morrow is actually their offense. Morrow in foul trouble would really hurt them though.

It's 2 big athletic teams banging heads. SC has advantage at home, with 3pt shooting, and bench. LSU won't be intimidated.

 

[WBBTakeover]

LSU is a very talented team filled with a bunch of ball hogger stat chasers. They do not play as a a team, half of them are chasing their own stats and refuse to pass the ball. ‘Ball hog’ Johnson in particular is the most egregious one with her mom going on Twitter encouraging her to not pass the ball so much. Anyone who has seen them play this year knows exactly what I’m talking about.

When you have a team who plays individual basketball instead of team basketball you get a mediocre product comprised of close games not maximizing your talent and vulnerability to lots of potential losses


And Kim isn’t an elite coach, Vic is 10x the coach she is and you could make a case a couple of other SEC coaches are far superior to her. She just lands big talent, that’s it

I do agree that LSU has a bunch of stat chasers (and the one you named here is one of the most egregious of them all). Where I disagree is about Kim's status as an elite coach. I think she's elite, which is why the suggestion that we shouldn't underestimate her is a little much.

Kim is bringing a Top 5 team (by the poll numbers) that boasts two SEC POY/All-American candidates into CLA in two days. ESPN College Gameday will be there. Kim is not an underdog by any stretch. She is highly respected in the sport, and she will go back to Baton Rouge after a double-digit points beatdown in those tacky, attention-seeking threads she likes wearing.

 

[WBBTakeover]

My opinion: you don’t win four natties by accident. She’ll go about seven players deep for the vast majority of the 40 minutes, while we’ll probably play ten. Her players will play with tempo, will be aggressive, and if they’re too aggressive, we’ll get to the foul line often.CLA will not bother them… LSU draws pretty well at home, not equal to us, but they’re not playing in a half empty arena.

What will get us the win is defense. In a battle of attrition, our bench beats their bench. We’ll probably get a rematch with them in the SEC tournament.

Living in Texas for the better part of 30 years, I followed her Baylor teams when they gave her the HC job. Her coaching style hasn’t changed over those years, and neither has her personal style… annoyingly abrasive. She won three natties at Baylor, and then another at LSU. Has a chip on her shoulder the size of an anvil. Practically begs to get a technical foul with her histrionics on the bench. It’s all calculated to give her team an “us against the world” mentality. I think we win by 10.

My point is that Kim is not an underdog and neither is her team. That schtick is outdated, and I'm beyond thrilled that it didn't work last season (her team horribly mismanaged the gigantic target they had on their backs). She could pull that nonsense at Baylor in 2005 (despite having a first team AA/2006 first round pick/future HOFer with San Antonio) but wasn't able to do it beyond then for that program. It's not like you can have Brittney Griner for four years and claim underdog status. Seems like when you build a program to elite status, you can't claim the "underdog" role without being mercilessly derided. Brenda Frese found that out the hard way post-2006.

You can't call yourself an underdog when you coach a Top 5 team that has multiple conference POY/AA candidates. Nobody on this coast is falling for the, "it's big bad South Carolina versus little ol' LSU" song and dance. It's a Top 5 match-up on ESPN, and it just so happens that one team will show itself to be significantly better than the other thanks to top notch preparation by Coach Dawn Michelle Staley.

 

[visitingcock]

Pre-game bragging makes me squirm. Kym has taken four teams to the promised land. That’s enough for me to disregard her game time behavior and choice of clothes. She can coach PERIOD