I'm not sure if we'll be as good as we were this year.. but I don't think our drop off is going to be as steep as most people probably think it should be after losing three first rounders.
Like it's been said already, we still return Wilson.. and next year is definitely going to be the A'ja Wilson Show for us. She wont have a Coates to dominate the paint and relegate her to the high post... now Wilson will be able to move all over the court. How far SC goes depends on how much her supporting cast steps up. Harris is a good point guard and a hard worker.. I think she's going to take a nice sophomore leap. Cuevas, who I accurately predicted last year to be much improved this season, is going to further establish herself as a scorer at the shooting guard spot... a role I think she's perfect for.. Cuevas pushes tempo and attacks the basket relentlessly, either making the layup or drawing the foul (occasionally both). She was also our best 3-point shooter last season.
I'm looking forward to seeing what Jennings will bring to the team. She's a proven competitor in the SEC and is versatile in a way that Coates wasn't, she also has exceptional footwork (Kentucky post players tend to.. Mitchell does well there, I guess). SC is going to need Cliney to expand her role as more than a defensive stopper... she has shown that she can score but needs to be more consistent (she's capable of some bad misses). Our 2016 class will be counted on heavily for depth and I expect Harrigan to improve a lot.. she got a lot of playing experience for a freshmen this year.
Our incoming freshmen class will be expected to play a lot according to Dawn. I think our class is a little underrated.. Williams is a 6'4 stretch 4 with a nice offensive game, can pop from the arc and score inside, she needs to get stronger to consistently play inside.... Grissett, at 6'2, is a strong wing that can defend 1-5, freakishly athletic and attacks the basket with aggression... Troup and Jackson are both 2/3 type guards (with Jackson being more of a 3-guard) and are very sharp offensively. Troup is very reminiscent of Tina Roy, but will likely end up being a better 3 point shooter and she can put the ball on the floor (something Roy couldn't do)... Jackson's game is more akin to Tiffany Mitchell. All four of them will see the court a lot this year.
We lost bonafide guards in Gray and Davis and a stalwart at center in Coates.. but our depth situation improved greatly this upcoming season. Like it's already been said, we have a lot of players just waiting in the wings...
