Who wins this weekend? #6 Notre Dame at #3 U$C, #1 SCAR at #5 fUCLA

[nwhoopfan]

I'll try not to crown UCLA

Probably a good idea. They looked pretty good early last year when they beat UConn, and did not go on to do anything real significant.

 

[Dillon77]

TCU? You have Van Lith even close to the level of all those other guards? I don't...

Perhaps not individually, but TCU has a collection of solid guards that collectively could present an issue: Van Lith, Madison Conner, Taylor Bigby, Donovyn Hunter. Perhaps I didn't make the point as concisely as I intended but that's what I'm after. Besides, ND will see Van Lith and instantly think she's still wearing a red and white uniform (remember what team ND was playing when Miles was injured).

Plus, these games are one after another and they'll present a collective challenge as well as a team-by-team and player-by-player match-up.

I might give more credit than one thinks is due, but TCU is 5-0 and they're up next for the Irish, so that's the challenge.

 

[Stagnant]

Bad loss for South Carolina. They were never in the game. I think Dawn needs to drop the favouritism and start playing the best players.

 

[DRR25]

Well, I’d love to see Betts & Co. absolutely smoke South Carolina, but I‘m afraid it’s just wishful thnking! While UCLA has the horses to give Dawn’s team a run, I have very little faith in UCLA’s coach and think it is far more likely that Dawn will be the big difference in this game. I’ve got my fingers crossed, but I don’t think it’s very likely!

Looks like you got your wish.

 

[DRR25]

I wish it would have been a "barn burner" of a game with both teams playing lights out. My Gamecocks have work to do. On to the next one.

 

[oldude]

UCLA gave SC a dose of their own medicine. They bottled up the Gamecocks on defense and outrebounded them by 7. Huge win for Cory Close and the Bruins. They are the real deal.

 

[jdote33]

I'm so high on Notre Dame and not as high on USC. Sonia Citron is as good of a matchup there is for Juju. I think Hidalgo could terrorize TVO in terms of putting pressure on the ball. I do like USC's size and athleticism at the 4 or 5. So I think ND will win and I don't think it will be particularly close. Like they'll win by +6.

I think South Carolina will beat UCLA. I think SC has so much big game experience and UCLA is still kinda in the process of figuring things out. For example,I think Cori Close will start Kiki, even though Elina has been big time all season. I remember probably in 2023 there was a regular season game that was really good between the two schools. And UCLA lost. I think it may have been the game Kiki got a technical late. After the game Charisma Osbourne was super emotional. It was interesting to see how much that game meant to them. So it's undoubtedly a bigger game for UCLA than it is for SC. I do think SC has to lose eventually and it will probably be on the road. I just think it won't be this particular game.

Was way off on South Carolina game. But I will say I didn't realize Fulwiley wasn't going to play (update: I missed the first like 8 minutes didn't realize she was benched). Shout out to all the posters who were saying UCLA's guard play is fine. They were the difference today. I've always been high on Kiki Rice. I think she gets too much criticism. Elina has been a revelation. She's so fun to watch and of course is unfazed by the opponent. LJ broke out of a really bad shooting slump. I actually enjoyed watching the game. I think it was kind of a statement for UCLA and I was always super high on their talent. SC hasn't caught a rhythm this season. I watched them Wednesday with Clemson and they struggled for a half. But without Fulwiley and an off night from their bigs, I think it's understandable and good for them. I trust Paopao and Tessa in a big game, they were still getting to it. They just struggled inside.

 

[Bone Dog]

I was totally wrong about UCLA-SC. Am I wrong to think they both looked bad?

 

[rvwsleep]

What is going on with Fulwiley? Dawn trying to humble her?

She was on the bench in tears. Not sure why. Maybe it had to do with quality of her brief play ?

 

[Rb335]

Bad loss for South Carolina. They were never in the game. I think Dawn needs to drop the favouritism and start playing the best players.

Agree. Hall and R.Johnson need to make way for T.Johnson and Fulwiley. I’d also favor Joyce edwards over Faegin.

Without the dominant interior player, Dawn needs to tighten her rotation. There is way less margin. Her starters got blitzed and that essentially was game.

 

[Stagnant]

Time to end the Raven Johnson experiment.

 

[LwrcasefaN]

SC took 7 more shots than UCLA and still came out on the bad end. Sometimes shots just don't fall and taking bad ones doesn't help. And their energy level was not good. UCLA shot the lights out (47% from 2 and 3). They are definitely contenders, but sustaining that level is not easy. UCLA defense was pretty solid. I thought their length and athleticism caught SC by surprise. This was an upset, but not that big of an upset in my opinion. SC was #1 by default even though it's obvious (at least to me) that their offense and identity haven't quite peaked. And I don''t care what the stats say...Rice had more than one TO. She needs to work on her composure. Nonetheless, good win for UCLA.

 

[cjdd]

Time to end the Raven Johnson experiment.

Time to give up on the point guard who is something like 79-2 in her career as a starter? Nah. She'll find her way, though something isn't quite right for her this season.

 

[Stagnant]

Time to give up on the point guard who is something like 79-2 in her career as a starter? Nah. She'll find her way, though something isn't quite right for her this season.

they would probably be 75-6 with me on the court. kidding. but my point is when the other 4 are great; a player can hide on the court. I don't rate Raven Johnson. I never have. She is a player that is on the floor that won't lose the game. But she will never win the game either. That's up to her teammates.

 

[mudcat]

I know somewhere on this board some posters insist Gottlieb is a much better coach than Close. I think it's close to even, and I'm sticking with it.

I actually prefer Cori Close, as I think she has improved: I think Gottlieb had the better success at first, but hasn't progressed at all as a coach. Which is to say, I'm agreeing with you, but at least Close is moving in the right direction.

 

[Stagnant]

Close better make it to the final four this year. No more excuses. No more coming up short.

 

[cancontent]

Missed the first half, which sounds like it pretty much told the story of the game. SC going 0-9 to start the game definitely didn't help things.

Kudos to UCLA for keeping their foot on the pedal and making it impossible for SC to get back into the game. Aarnisalo is one heck of a pick up by Close. She's going to be fun to watch during her college career.

 

[Cornell Lt]

Not Dawn's best coaching job for sure. At one point I was saying to myself that she was going to let the players sink or swim on their own and they sank. Maybe she was sending a message ???

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Close better make it to the final four this year. No more excuses. No more coming up short.

Or what? You going to give her a knuckle sandwich?

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Missed the first half, which sounds like it pretty much told the story of the game. SC going 0-9 to start the game definitely didn't help things.

Kudos to UCLA for keeping their foot on the pedal and making it impossible for SC to get back into the game. Aarnisalo is one heck of a pick up by Close. She's going to be fun to watch during her college career.

They didn't really get very good shots so I wouldn't say it was an anomaly.

 

[Floridaduck]

UCLA is going to cause match up problems all year. I thought their defense was quite active and effective. Glad to see Kiki was gifted a running mate at guard with Charlese Leger-Walker still rehabbing. Aarnisalo was a revelation.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Agree. Hall and R.Johnson need to make way for T.Johnson and Fulwiley. I’d also favor Joyce edwards over Faegin.

Without the dominant interior player, Dawn needs to tighten her rotation. There is way less margin. Her starters got blitzed and that essentially was game.

Fulwiley has played terribly to start the season.

Just bad decision after bad decision.

Pao is the one who has played well every time out.

Weird mix of players lacking co fence and having too much of it.

Cardoso was grossly underrated, which we knew, but seems like the supporting cast might have gone a little the other way.

Everyone is playing a position too big in a game like that.

 

[Stagnant]

i think Watkins will replace either Feagin or Kitts in the starting lineup after a few more games and a few more practices.

 

[Bone Dog]

It looked to me like Kitts was exposed, too slow, not strong enough, to play power forward. Something similar with Hall, and Raven at PG.

Dawn could favor Tessa more -- she's been a favorite of mine since her hs years -- and it wouldn't disrupt much of Dawn's game planning. But she's already playing 24 minutes.

I don't exactly know who to blame for the poor PG play. Only 13 assists? Of course, UCLA only had 16. The thing is, if the team isn't built around a dominant front court, it needs much better guard play, and they didn't get it today. Maybe haven't gotten it yet this season.

Dawn appears to be cursed with a long bench and not enough PGs, though she has great SGs. Could McDaniel get more minutes at PG? She led the team in assists.

As for UCLA, they shot a little better. But they looked pretty disorganized to me. Maybe I missed all the incredible plays when I got up to make a sandwich. But mostly they looked like they weren't all running the same play or they had not enough experience in a read-and-react offense. I suppose they played pretty good defense, but I just didn't feel impressed.

On Betts, she hit a 15 footer, which has not been a significant part of her game so far. She needs to develop this for the next level, so I'm glad to see it now. She got a few blocks and had a few turnovers. But she ought to have been even more of a presence than she was, or that UCLA's guards let her be. 14 pts in 37 mins? That's not making good use of her.

And where were the other bigs on either team? Barker? Dugalic? Gardiner? So far it look like it's just Betts and Jaquez and a few confused guards. I know, I'm being too hard on them. Rice and Jones played ok. But they were outclassed by a freshman, Aarnisalo. How does that happen? It sure wasn't because SC knocked them off their game.

And on SC, what happened to Walker, Tac, Dauda??? And Kitts and Feagin seemed like no-shows. It's time for Dawn to focus on Watkins and Edwards as the starters and give the others reserve minutes. She's gotten into the habit of playing a long rotation all year long. That may not serve the team so well this year. Right now, it looks like the group that's earned starting minutes is PaoPao, Tessa, Mcdaniel, Edwards and Watkins. Those 5 ought to be the core. That's a dynamite lineup and by February they should be playing 30 mins each.

 

[bbsamjj]

This was only Rice's second game of the year, coming off a shoulder injury. Seems like she is well on her way to being back in form.