USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two | Page 30 | The Boneyard

USC Gamecocks 2024-25 Season: Part Two

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GamecockFam said:
I'm really interested in seeing how Dawn uses Ayla and Agot next year. They both have a lot of crossover in skills and are probably best suited to play the 3. With that said, they're both very versatile and could play 2-4. We'll have a huge need to have someone backup MiLaysia at the 2 next season, especially if Raven goes pro. MiLaysia will probably be the backup PG behind Maddie, and Tessa would probably play more 2 guard. With Paopao and Hall leaving, that leaves plenty of playtime at the 2/3 next season. I wouldn't be surprised is Coach Staley brings in a veteran PG or SG in the portal. But let's say that doesn't happen and Raven goes pro. I think we would be looking at the following depth chart:

PG: McDaniel, Fulwiley
SG: Fulwiley, T. Johnson
SF/W: T. Johnson, Makeer/McDowell
PF: Kitts, Dauda, Edwards
C/F: Edwards, Dauda, Tac

I left Watkins out, just because we'll have to wait and see how fast it takes her to return to her old self but she is definitely a wildcard on next year's team.
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Here’s to hoping Serah Williams from Wisconsin or Audi Crooks from Iowa State enters the portal
 
oldude said:
Clearly Dawn has coached some outstanding Bigs during her time at SC. But if I’m a Big looking to find a new home, I have to carefully consider whether SC is the best place to go in lieu of the fact that the 3 true Bigs on the roster don’t see the floor much in big games and presumably both Edwards & Watkins will be back for the Gamecocks next season.
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If you send your last 3 bigs to the WNBA and they are 2 No.1 picks and a No.4 pick.... you go there because she knows how to develop them. It has nothing to do with Watkins or Edwards. They are more power forwards and not true centers. Geez....
 
jumpstart said:
If you send your last 3 bigs to the WNBA and they are 2 No.1 picks and a No.4 pick.... you go there because she knows how to develop them. It has nothing to do with Watkins or Edwards. They are more power forwards and not true centers. Geez....
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You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
 
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oldude said:
You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
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Tac is coming from off 2 major injuries and still a freshman. Walker has been battling injuries since she came here and has been a step slower than everyone else as a result. I don't think it's surprising that either of them are where there are in the depth chart given who else is on the team.

Dauda is the only one I consider as fair criticism, but again it's her first year here and she's still adapting to a new style of basketball. Unlike at Arkansas, defense is the #1 priority and she still learning to bang and make more prototypical post moves. Despite what the stats says she has improved some in those areas, but her biggest issue right now is her mental. You can tell she's afraid to make a mistake but I'm optimistic she'll loosen up eventually.

Outside of that if you're confident in your skills, value defense and you're a post player South Carolina is the place to be. You'll always be a priority on a Dawn Staley team.
 
oldude said:
You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
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Dauda was a star at Arkansas for a poor team, but she mostly played outside. Unfortunately, Mike Neighbors' playing style doesn't win in the SEC. Dauda has struggled with changing her game. Walker doesn't play much for a reason. Tac will be a good player, but she didn't play for 2 years. It takes a while to shake off the rust.
 
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oldude said:
You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
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Kima was a last minute pickup. There were no expectations for her. I would be real surprised if she is back next year.

If you know anything at all about Arkansas then know that they play zero defense. If you don’t play defense, you don’t get much PT. Ask Sania Feagin how that works. I actually think she’ll contribute next year. She seems to be coming around.

Who knows about Tac. It may take a while, but I do believe she will contribute sooner rather than later.
 
oldude said:
You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
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Tac is a freshman coming off two knee surgeries,

Walker was a Juco depth piece and Dauda is hardly a true center.

If you think that's stopping any post player who remembers A'ja Wilson, Boston or Cardoso I think you're incorrect. Not to mention Coates who maybe still kicks around pro rosters.
 
First ranking I’ve seen of the top teams by likelihood to win the title. It’s not the same as who is best. It’s which is best suited to win five games against tough opponents with very little prep time for three of them.

www.sbnation.com

7 college basketball teams that can win women’s national championship in 2025, ranked by likelihood

UConn? South Carolina? USC? We broke down some data in an attempt to figure out who has the best chance of winning a national title in women’s basketball this year.
www.sbnation.com www.sbnation.com

My inclination is to move UConn higher, but I understand the belief they will have a night the perimeter shots aren’t falling.
 
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oldude said:
You miss my point entirely. Tac, Dauda & Walker are all true centers who hardly ever see the court for SC. Dauda & Walker both transferred in and now basically ride the bench. Clearly, when it comes to these 3 bigs, Dawn has not been able to develop them effectively.

I know Tac is injured. But Walker had about a minute of PT during the UConn game with zero stats. Dauda is the most perplexing. She was a star at Arkansas and Dawn was very excited to bring her in as a transfer. So far this season, Dauda has played in 25 games, 0 starts, averaging 2 ppg.
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Walker was never a player that was going to get much playing time. Dauda is still trying to adjust to Dawn's type of playing. Cordoso was not a breakout player her first year. She developed over that season and the next. Walker was never going to be that player. Geez....
 
WBBTakeover said:
This version of Lay is a cheat code. NOBODY has a counter for her when she's playing like this!
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There was a game (we won) where I despaired that it was ever going to click for Fulwiley. Idk if I could have timed it any worse, as she started to play much more consistently under control almost immediately after. The lesson is I’m an idiot.
 
jumpstart said:
Walker was never a player that was going to get much playing time. Dauda is still trying to adjust to Dawn's type of playing. Cordoso was not a breakout player her first year. She developed over that season and the next. Walker was never going to be that player. Geez....
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You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
 
oldude said:
You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
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Seriously???? :confused:
 
oldude said:
You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
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Dauda isn’t Cardoso and isn’t meant to be, but she is finally playing like a post and not a 6’4 SG who can’t really shoot. She could get some key spot minutes in the tourney and, with a full offseason, be a regular contributor next year.
 
oldude said:
You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
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Because we had several scholarships available and we needed another Post. There aren’t many 6’5” post players available that would choose to come sit behind Cardoso.

Dauda has played very well lately. I hope she’ll be able to eat some minutes next year.
 
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Recruits, elite or on the cusp: make sure you're paying close attention to what is happening in this SEC championship game. Look at who's involved. Look at the difference between the teams (and focus your attention on who's roaming those sidelines). Take mental notes.
 
SC with a +32 margin against Texas in three games. Still not a team I’d want to see in the tournament.
 
GoChips20 said:
SC with a +32 margin against Texas in three games. Still not a team I’d want to see in the tournament.
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I think the range of outcomes for South Carolina-Texas is from Texas by 5 to South Carolina by 25.

Of the likely opponents, I would be thrilled to see them in Tampa.
 
oldude said:
You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
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I absolutely can compare the two. The bench is much deeper now in the center position than when Cardoso was there. They are much deeper now and don't have to rely on a transfer to fill the gap. Geez...you do realize that the scholarship number is 13 for most teams and no team....not any...play 13 players. You are always going to recruit and sign players (like Walker) who are not going to play.
 
Rank the teams you most want to avoid in the postseason. As many as you want, presumption is everyone not listed is some degree of generic “don’t screw up” opponent.

1. UCLA (second year in a row for me)
2. UConn (likely our 2 seed if we lost today)
3. Duke (i think? Idk)
4. LSU
5. Notre Dame
6. Southern Cal
7. Texas
8. Texas Christian
9. NC State

I’d put tiers at 2 and 6. Ie, big drop in levels of worry from UConn to Duke and from Southern Cal to Texas.
 
Been an up-and-down season for us at times, but we’re likely now the #2 overall seed and look to be playing our best basketball at the right time. It’s overshadowed by the fact it was a championship victory but today was also a 19-point win over the #1 team in the country.

Won’t be easy but I think we can win it all if we can avoid UCLA and UConn.
 
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oldude said:
You can’t really compare Dauda to Cardoso. Dauda barely sees the court. Cardoso played when she first transferred in from Syracuse. As for Walker, why even recruit someone who’s not going to play?
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Are you serious with this stuff?
 
Gamecockfan77 said:
Are you serious with this stuff?
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Am I serious about what? Initially, I responded to a SC poster who suggested that Dawn needed to go out and get a Big in the portal. I pointed out that there were already 3 Bigs on SC’s roster who didn’t get much PT. The responses from other SC posters were respectfully: Tac is injured, Walker is basically an end of the bench Big who doesn’t play and Dauda was 1) learning Dawn’s system, 2) comparable to Cardoso during her 1st year at SC and 3) played very well lately, which is extremely confusing and contradictory considering that Dawn praised Dauda’s ability when she initially signed her as, “Having a skill set that changes the game.”

What I know is that Cardoso averaged 13 mpg her 1st year at SC as a capable replacement for both Boston & Amihere. In her 2nd year Cardoso averaged 18 mpg, once again on a roster that included Boston & Amihere, 2 future WNBA post players.

So far this season, Dauda has averaged just 6 mpg, including exactly 1 minute today against TX, a team with 2 Bigs. So I have no idea which theory of Dauda’s role at SC is accurate.

My original point continues to be that any Big in the portal needs to seriously consider whether or not SC is the best landing spot, particularly when you consider that Watkins should be back next year and Edwards is a rising star, and on that point I am absolutely serious.
 
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Coburn said:
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Love It Clap GIF by Golden Globes
 
Coburn said:
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Mannnnnnnn. Southern Cal fans probably didn't even pay attention to the lawsuit. but they have no idea how hyped South Carolina fans will be for this. I don't think U-S-C is part of their home arena chants, but they will get a wall of sound when the crowd strikes that one up.
 
oldude said:
Am I serious about what? Initially, I responded to a SC poster who suggested that Dawn needed to go out and get a Big in the portal. I pointed out that there were already 3 Bigs on SC’s roster who didn’t get much PT. The responses from other SC posters were respectfully: Tac is injured, Walker is basically an end of the bench Big who doesn’t play and Dauda was 1) learning Dawn’s system, 2) comparable to Cardoso during her 1st year at SC and 3) played very well lately, which is extremely confusing and contradictory considering that Dawn praised Dauda’s ability when she initially signed her as, “Having a skill set that changes the game.”

What I know is that Cardoso averaged 13 mpg her 1st year at SC as a capable replacement for both Boston & Amihere. In her 2nd year Cardoso averaged 18 mpg, once again on a roster that included Boston & Amihere, 2 future WNBA post players.

So far this season, Dauda has averaged just 6 mpg, including exactly 1 minute today against TX, a team with 2 Bigs. So I have no idea which theory of Dauda’s role at SC is accurate.

My original point continues to be that any Big in the portal needs to seriously consider whether or not SC is the best landing spot, particularly when you consider that Watkins should be back next year and Edwards is a rising star, and on that point I am absolutely serious.
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With Wilson, Boston, and Cardoso being first round picks and 2 being the No.1's.....do you really think that would be a concern??? No...just bluster. No one needs to consider whether a team that has that much success with so many players would not be a seriously great landing spot. Geez....Dawn will get what she wants. I can't believe you even suggested that anyone would question Dawn's ability to develop players. Not every player is 100% going to be that player, but her track record is exceptional.
 
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