Who's Number Two?

[Bigpetunia]

From the very beginning of last season, I felt that ND had the second best team and second best coach in the country. They still have, in my opinion, the second best coach, and possibly the second best team, though they'll have to rely heavily on Freshmen for an effective presence down low. Westbeld and Turner look promising for them, but who knows? It seems much more of a tossup this year as to which team looms as the most formidable candidate to dethrone us (unlikely) or at least face us in the Final. I would appreciate your preseason predictions as to which team can most effectively make that run.

 

[semper]

I agree with you. I think ND will be the competition. Really looking forward to Dec. 6 to see what's happening....

 

[easttexastrash]

IMO, SC will be better team than ND. ND, like UCONN, lost two WNBA first round draft picks. SC has everyone back and is adding game-changing talent.

I think it's UCONN and SC and then everyone else.

 

[Vowelguy]

SC should be very good.

 

[LouS]

Don't forget Dawn Staley and South Carolina, they are my 2nd best....

 

[semper]

So if UCONN, SC, and ND are the top three, who's currently no. 4 in your estimation?

 

[HuskyFan1125]

So if UCONN, SC, and ND are the top three, who's currently no. 4 in your estimation?

Likely preseason? Tennessee I would guess.

 

[Vowelguy]

So if UCONN, SC, and ND are the top three, who's currently no. 4 in your estimation?

Tenn

Followed by Texas, tx A&M, and UNC.

 

[AnotherVolFan]

Yea I'd have to say SC on paper.

 

[triaddukefan]

I would have to say the Lesser Carolina as #2.

 

[PalPa]

SC because they have the 3rd best coach in the country. The 'ville with a young, but talented, team might be a FF contender because they have the 2nd best coach.

 

[CL82]

Likely preseason? Tennessee I would guess.

I agree. I've always thought of Tennessee as "number two."

 

[Beemer]

I agree. I've always thought of Tennessee as "number two."

I see what you did there

 

[rford53]

UConn
South Carolina
Notre Dame
Texas A&M
Tennessee

 

[mhshuskies]

You may be right regarding 2nd ranked team, simply because of a lack of competition. I think Gary Blair is a better coach. His team gave us the toughest game in tournament last year. Jeff Walz and Tara area as good. Muffet's teams as yet have not stepped up in the big games. nd has a lot of questions as far as their players are concerned. Loyd is over-rated (especially as the main focus) and the the rest are inexperienced.

 

[johnnyc]

UConn

SC
ND or Texas A&M
Baylor or West Virginia

 

[sawxfan23]

South Carolina is hands down the 2nd best team in the country.

 

[OneTrickPony]

Seems based on incoming freshman, ND and SC are close, and since ND arguably lost quite a bit more to graduation, I have to think Baja Carolina is in excllent shape talent-wise to be #2. That doesn't mean they will...ND is certainly the more seasoned team at the tournament level and they have a coach that we know produces a quality product. I think a lot will depend on just how far Dawn Staley has come as a coach, and whose freshman manage a Bre Stewart style epiphany in the tourney. Dawns's world championship experience ought to be a great primer for a fast start this season...

 

[geneticrex]

UCONN
South Carolina
Notre Dame
Tennessee

Unless injury shuffles the deck.

 

[watanabe]

Dawn spent some time watching and working with Geno this fall. Who else (coach) has actually put their ego in check enough to learn from the master? SC will be very surprising if lessons learned are actually implemented.

 

[mhshuskies]

Dawn spent some time watching and working with Geno this fall. Who else (coach) has actually put their ego in check enough to learn from the master? SC will be very surprising if lessons learned are actually implemented.

Maybe she could replace Geno when he retires?

 

[rocky rococo]

SC's starting front line will be 6-4, 6-5, 6-5, with another highly rated 6-5 available off the bench. Huge. They have an incoming PG of outstanding potential, who may well be the test case of whether Dawn can teach what she knows, and their fifth starter is a senior wing that is universally viewed as a first-round draft pick.

 

[MilfordHusky]

SC looks good on paper. But ND is tough and well coached. Until someone proves otherwise, I have them at 2. I have USC-East at 3. Don't underestimate ND. I did 2 years ago, and I was wrong.

 

[Bgillon]

Dawn Staley has yet to prove she is a better coach than Jeff Walz. He pulled off the upset of the century when his team beat Griner and Sims.

 

[Tonyc]

I gotta think SC with it starters back. ND next and both have great coaching. Tenn I have no idea where they will finish. The past few seasons they have underperformed. IMO many were uncoachable and with Pat in the wings it was tuff for Holly. It really wasnt Hollys team. The big question this season is Tenn coachable? Russell is out so Harrision must avoid foul trouble. Will Graves come back and be what she was? Alot of questions need to be answered. Tenn could be a top 4 team or could be a top 10 team. We will have to wait and see. Gary Blair and TAM are always competitive. They could be top 4 too. Right now its UConn and everybody else and UConn is far and above 20 pts+ better then any other team in WCBB. SC ND and TAM have the best coaches after that.