UConn vs South Carolina

[HookedorNot]

The atmosphere for the UConn vs. South Carolina game was amazing!!! We have to do better for our team! I am going to make it the rest of the home games. Our players deserve our support! We want a winning product but we don't show up all the time.

http://www.spursandfeathers.com/sports/wbkb/2015-16/Releases/geno208

 

[rattfatt]

The atmosphere for the UConn vs.South Carolina game was amazing!!! We have to do better for our team! I am going to make it the rest of the home games. Our players deserve our support! We want a winning product but we don't show up all the time.

http://www.spursandfeathers.com/sports/wbkb/2015-16/Releases/geno208

South Carolina has been winning at a high level for about four or five years. Give it time, the fans will show up if the program continues to win.

 

[utfannforlife]

South Carolina has been winning at a high level for about four or five years. Give it time, the fans will show up if the program continues to win.

2010-11 Dawn Staley 18–15 8–8 T-5th WNIT Second Round
2011-12 Dawn Staley 25–10 10–6 T-4th NCAA Sweet Sixteen 21 25
2012-13 Dawn Staley 25–8 11–5 T-4th NCAA Second Round 14 17
2013-14 Dawn Staley 29–5 14–2 1st NCAA Sweet Sixteen 8 9
2014-15 Dawn Staley 34–3 15–1 1st NCAA Final Four 3 4

Again we have to remember that location matters, their program right now doesn't have to compete with much right now for fan attention or program market share. They're probably in the midst of their worst sports years in 15 years. Texas fortunately is not. Certainly think and expect our base to grow and get better, but I just don't see us getting to 18k anytime soon, maybe even ever. The times have changed from the days when Jody could sell out the FEC. I think a sweet spot is to have the lower bowl filled night in and night out. I think that would put us around 8-10k?

 

[brnkj]

South Carolina against UConn looked kind of like us against Baylor. They didn't handle the big event/big crowd very well, tried to force to much, etc.

 

[HookedorNot]

South Carolina against UConn looked kind of like us against Baylor. They didn't handle the big event/big crowd very well, tried to force to much, etc.

I disagree. The officials we horrible early and called a lot of quick fouls. We had players in foul trouble and that's how that game got out of hand. Our young ladies are ok on the big stage. I recall Brooke and Celina had to sit out the entire 2 QTR. We were leading Baylor early and we will get them in Waco if we can stay out of foul trouble. I suggest playing more zone to save our starting line up.

Baylor likes to attack the basket, so our guards are prone to picking up fouls and our offense is based on feeding the post players. Two different styles, so I think we need to keep our players out of foul trouble. Especially know that it is an emotional in state rivalry.

 

[rattfatt]

South Carolina against UConn looked kind of like us against Baylor. They didn't handle the big event/big crowd very well, tried to force to much, etc.

Texas is very similar to South Carolina, good inside play but struggles to shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter. Uconn basically dared their guards to shoot the ball and they wouldn't because they're not good shooters.

 

[utfannforlife]

South Carolina against UConn looked kind of like us against Baylor. They didn't handle the big event/big crowd very well, tried to force to much, etc.

The only reason I would disagree with that is because Uconn came out and jumped them from the beginning, it looked like South Carolina was over matched from the outset. I would say we looked highly competitive from the outset and then again at the end of the game.

 

[HookedorNot]

Texas is very similar to South Carolina, good inside play but struggles to shoot the ball consistently from the perimeter. Uconn basically dared their guards to shoot the ball and they wouldn't because they're not good shooters.

I think you are referencing last year's team. This 2015-2016 team is letting the ball go from outside, we don't always shoot it well but I will give them credit that they're shooting the outside shot and hitting more.

 

[rattfatt]

I think you are referencing last year's team. This 2015-2016 team is letting the ball go from outside, we don't always shoot it well but I will give them credit that they're shooting the outside shot and hitting more.

Yes, they're letting the ball go from outside and shooting the ball a little better but it's still a major issue. This team shot 37% and 36% from the field the last two games. If they had been playing against better competition they would've gotten blown out. When Brooke is not making her jump shots this team really struggles shooting the ball from the perimeter.

 

[Moooooo]

Dawn Staley just isn't the best teacher of offense. She does of lot of good things, but not sure offense is her strong suit; that kind of surprises me, actually, since as a player at Virginia, she sure ran the Cavalier offense very well.

UConn and Notre Dame run great offensive sets, and have the shooters to execute them. After that, most other teams in the Top 10 can get stagnant on offense every now and again. If we can stay away from those two team's quadrants of the bracket, we have a very good chance of advancing very far in the tourney.

 

[Dr. D]

As Muffin McGraw once said of UConn, "You can't stop them; you have to out score them."
I think that's largely true of most modern era top level championship teams. You can't consistently beat them with defense. In some games they become virtually unstoppable scoring machines. You need the same kind of fire power to keep up with them. Teams like UConn and Notre Dame obviously have that quality. South Carolina and Texas do not--yet. It's largely a matter of personnel. I've seen several teams this year that have that potential---not every night, but often. Maryland and Ohio State, Louisville and Baylor, have some scoring artists who can light you up, and there are others. I watched Ohio State vs. Maryland a couple of nights ago, and the scoring power on both teams was phenomenal. That doesn't make any of them unbeatable; they can all be beat; but it does make it pretty darn hard to get past two or three of them in a row from the Sweet Sixteen to the Final Four. Atkins looks like she may be evolving into a good to great scorer. If Higgs could hit the three consistently, or even 18 footers, she and Atkins would be a tremendous offensive combination. But alas, not yet.

 

[JoeDallas]

Dr. D, I have to say I agree with every word of your post. The one player you didn't include as a potentially great scorer is Brooke. I think at this point she is more of a sure shot than Atkins, though Atkins has been looking really fine lately. I don't know what to make of Higgs. So much talent, but way off on so many shots. She shot great at the Tennessee game. I thought then that a new star was born.

 

[brnkj]

I disagree. The officials we horrible early and called a lot of quick fouls. We had players in foul trouble and that's how that game got out of hand. Our young ladies are ok on the big stage. I recall Brooke and Celina had to sit out the entire 2 QTR. We were leading Baylor early and we will get them in Waco if we can stay out of foul trouble. I suggest playing more zone to save our starting line up.

Baylor likes to attack the basket, so our guards are prone to picking up fouls and our offense is based on feeding the post players. Two different styles, so I think we need to keep our players out of foul trouble. Especially know that it is an emotional in state rivalry.

I think you make some good points. What I was referring to is that we had the table set for us to beat Baylor... Huge crowd, lots of hype, home court advantage, etc. and we LITERALLY gave it away with all the live-ball turnovers that allowed them to get out in transition. That made us vulnerable defensively. I was VERY proud that our team fought back and made a game of it. I hope I'm wrong, but I think we may have blown our chance to beat them during this regular season. I don't see them letting us come in on Senior Night in Waco and take the Big 12 from them. Again... I sure hope I'm wrong. In the meanwhile, we've got other business to take care of as there are tough games to be played before Waco.

 

[HookedorNot]

As Muffin McGraw once said of UConn, "You can't stop them; you have to out score them."
I think that's largely true of most modern era top level championship teams. You can't consistently beat them with defense. In some games they become virtually unstoppable scoring machines. You need the same kind of fire power to keep up with them. Teams like UConn and Notre Dame obviously have that quality. South Carolina and Texas do not--yet. It's largely a matter of personnel. I've seen several teams this year that have that potential---not every night, but often. Maryland and Ohio State, Louisville and Baylor, have some scoring artists who can light you up, and there are others. I watched Ohio State vs. Maryland a couple of nights ago, and the scoring power on both teams was phenomenal. That doesn't make any of them unbeatable; they can all be beat; but it does make it pretty darn hard to get past two or three of them in a row from the Sweet Sixteen to the Final Four. Atkins looks like she may be evolving into a good to great scorer. If Higgs could hit the three consistently, or even 18 footers, she and Atkins would be a tremendous offensive combination. But alas, not yet.

There are only a handful of prolific scorers in women's basketball. UConn has Stewart, Ohio State has Mitchell, Tenn has DeShields, Baylor has Jones, South Carolina has Mitchell. I actually think Atkins can be that scorer for us but we have to get her in the lineup and let her play 30 plus minutes.

I don't consider post players as scores because most of the time they are receivers of the bball and can't create their own shots.

A great team finds away to win even when they aren't shooting the ball well. Teams hit their strides at different times and I think we hit one earlier and will hit later in the conference. It's hard to play at a high level all night. As for UConn, I thought their play was pretty sloppy the other night against South Carolina. South Carolina offensively look worst than Texas. I agree they have bad guard play other than Mitchell. I like our chances with our core 7 to 8 players.

Celina
Brooke
Empress
Ariel
Imani
Brianna
Kelsey
Jordan/Higgs/Brady/Tasia (we just can't have two of these players on the floor at the same time)

I think this team last year would have loss those games where Imani didn't play well but now we are finding ways to win. IMO this is a sign of a great team! When everyone is playing well we look just as good as UConn & ND. I think we have to get our chemistry right before we get deeper into Feb.

 

[UTFORLIFE]

Atkins has been a great scorer . They are just giving her the ball now. We won't beat a team like South Carolina through the post .