This is a battle for the #1 ranking. I am interested to see whether USC is for real. They have some good players on their team, and it could be an interesting game.
UConn v. South Carolina Girls Showdown Tomorrow
- Thread starter KhalidShockedTheWorld
- Start date
We Carolina fans are very excited about this match up tomorrow night. It will tell us if we are ready to play with the biggies in Womens College Basketball. According to Vegas Odds Makers, UCONN is a 10.5 point favorite over our Lady Gamecocks. We know that we haven't played a team of UCONN's caliber this season, we are hoping that Vegas is dead wrong on their assessment of this game. We signed the #1 player in the country last year in A'sa Wilson a 6-5 forward, but a 5-5 point guard from the Bronx, Bianca Cuevas, is quickly becoming a fan favorite of our fans. She, like Wilson, usually doesn't start, she just brings excitement and a love of the game that few players male or female bring to the game. Good Luck to your Huskies, and may we have a great game for the entire nation to witness!
USC isn't the #1 team in the country UCONN is and everyone knows that. However with one win tomorrow night and USC gets to wear #1 and could hold on for a long while.
I love this game tomorrow as we need some legit competition since ND isn't there this year. If we lose we get to let it stir until the tourney, great stuff.
Wilson is a interesting one......said no to uconn because she and her family thought she was a 1 or 2 guard. She playing either of those for you guys?
I love this game tomorrow as we need some legit competition since ND isn't there this year. If we lose we get to let it stir until the tourney, great stuff.
Wilson is a interesting one......said no to uconn because she and her family thought she was a 1 or 2 guard. She playing either of those for you guys?
Due to the weather forecast I am wondering if the game will be played? I live on the Connecticut shoreline and we have freezing rain right now, it's only going to be worse at Gampel which is far north of where I live.
gesweat
I also hope it's a great battle. Both teams need it. USC simply because they haven't had many really big ones, and UC because they now find themselves in a less than stellar league and have to continue to play the best outside of their conference and be challenged.
It's basketball, so nobody know's who's #1 until they lace em up. I'm just happy to have a chance to watch a close game. either way, good luck the rest of the season and hopefully we'll meet again in the tourney.
I also hope it's a great battle. Both teams need it. USC simply because they haven't had many really big ones, and UC because they now find themselves in a less than stellar league and have to continue to play the best outside of their conference and be challenged.
It's basketball, so nobody know's who's #1 until they lace em up. I'm just happy to have a chance to watch a close game. either way, good luck the rest of the season and hopefully we'll meet again in the tourney.
It's February, it really doesn't matter who is number one until March anyway. I think the most important thing is your ranking/position for the tournament seeding. I am hoping for and expecting a great game. I obviously give UCONN the advantage at home. If it was in Columbia, I think I would give a slight advantage to SC. Nothing but respect for your program, Your history a reputation precede you. I honestly do believe no matter what happens tonight, these two teams will meet again in the future.
I actually have not seen USC play this year so I don't know what to expect. The only significant common major opponent is Duke, which USC barely beat, while UConn handily blew Duke out. Unfortunately UConn has been playing a terrible conference schedule and the UConn players are not being challenged with any of these blowout wins, while USC plays in the far more competitive SEC. It's good that UConn has a game like this on their schedule where they can be tested by a top team because it's not happening at all in UConn's conference schedule.
I'm not sure this game will prove they are for real like you mention, I'm certain that has already been established with the talent and current record. Remember, while this is a big game for both schools, it's nothing more than a non-conference game at this point. Go Gamecocks!
GamecockToast.com game info:
GamecockToast.com game info:
When I said "for real", I meant a team that can legitimately threaten to beat UConn in a big game on a neutral court. UConn hosed ND on their court although ND was not at full strength. ND did not really look like a threat and Stanford to be honest got lucky to beat UConn and I think UConn would blow Stanford out if they played again. I know USC has a good team but what I am looking for is an ability to beat UConn in a neutral court game down the road that means something. We know already that UConn and USC will both be NCAA #1 seeds. Even if USC doesn't win tonight (and I don't expect USC to win), I want to see if they show signs that if these teams play in the finals it will actually be a competitive contest. UConn has played a bunch of good teams this year OOC, and other than the Stanford game which I believe was an aberration, they have beaten the crap out of all of them, and seriously beaten the crap out of the AAC teams which are admittedly a joke. It would be nice to see someone play UConn competitively and show signs that they can threaten UConn for all of the marbles. I have not seen such a team this year. Including ND.In close games and tight games I believe that a team must show its toughness and UConn kind of gets an "incomplete" in this regard as other than the Stanford game they really haven't been in any close games.
After the Stanford game, Chong (who played horrible defense that game) was benched in favor of Nurse who is a vastly superior defender. The main reason UConn lost to Stanford was that Chong let her man go to the hole all game long. Geno buttoned that up in a hurry and so in my mind that loss was not a loss that really meant anything. Stanford would get hosed by UConn in a big way if they played again home, away or neutral.
This post was edited on 2/9 3:19 PM by KhalidShockedTheWorld
After the Stanford game, Chong (who played horrible defense that game) was benched in favor of Nurse who is a vastly superior defender. The main reason UConn lost to Stanford was that Chong let her man go to the hole all game long. Geno buttoned that up in a hurry and so in my mind that loss was not a loss that really meant anything. Stanford would get hosed by UConn in a big way if they played again home, away or neutral.
This post was edited on 2/9 3:19 PM by KhalidShockedTheWorld
Are you ready to Ruuuumble ??? WOW.....
Hello UCONN Nation..........WOW.........cant believe I am fired up soooooo about a Women's Basketball game but YESSS I am. Not sure if we will win, but this is a Grrrreat OPPORTUNITY. To be the man( woman ) you got to Beat the Man ( woman).........sooooo with that being said.......here's to a good , clean , hard fought game. Hope my Gamecocks prevail.......see u in March and next year in Columbia,SC.
Hello UCONN Nation..........WOW.........cant believe I am fired up soooooo about a Women's Basketball game but YESSS I am. Not sure if we will win, but this is a Grrrreat OPPORTUNITY. To be the man( woman ) you got to Beat the Man ( woman).........sooooo with that being said.......here's to a good , clean , hard fought game. Hope my Gamecocks prevail.......see u in March and next year in Columbia,SC.
Hope to Meet Yall in the Finals..................
Congratulations. WOW..........didnt think we would lose by 25 but we did. Sigh.........obviously better coaching in this one. I think talent wise we are about even.........but COACHING is the MAJOR Difference. Maybe one day Dawn Staley will get us a few titles..........not anytime soon I am afraid. Hope to meet yall in the Finals.........I think UCONN and SC are the 2 BEST Teams in the Nation..........although we got to do some Serious Regrouping between now and then. Love Stewart, Lewis and Jefferson for yall.
Congratulations. WOW..........didnt think we would lose by 25 but we did. Sigh.........obviously better coaching in this one. I think talent wise we are about even.........but COACHING is the MAJOR Difference. Maybe one day Dawn Staley will get us a few titles..........not anytime soon I am afraid. Hope to meet yall in the Finals.........I think UCONN and SC are the 2 BEST Teams in the Nation..........although we got to do some Serious Regrouping between now and then. Love Stewart, Lewis and Jefferson for yall.
Re: Hope to Meet Yall in the Finals..................
I actually think Staley's a good coach, and with time will be great. Auriemma loves her and that's rare. It looked to me that UC was looking to run and SC got tired. I was surprised since UC didn't use their bench that much.
Anyways, like someone said on this thread doesn't matter who's #1 now...
good luck the rest of the way
I actually think Staley's a good coach, and with time will be great. Auriemma loves her and that's rare. It looked to me that UC was looking to run and SC got tired. I was surprised since UC didn't use their bench that much.
Anyways, like someone said on this thread doesn't matter who's #1 now...
good luck the rest of the way
I think that's right- South Carolina was doing fine until Geno made some subtle defensive adjustments, UConn went on a 23-4 run which was fueled by fast breaks and transition buckets, USC fatigued, and then it was game over. Staley is a very good coach. I think what happened is that USC is a team that uses its size and athleticism but they were matched up against a team that is built to run and they didn't know how to stop it. For the USC fans that don't watch UConn, UConn has done what it did last night to every good team they played this year except for Stanford- a game in which Chong was then the starter.
If USC plays ND in the Final 4 semis I think ND will beat them, mainly because Jewel Lloyd is the best player I have seen this year among UConn opponents. In any event I think it will be a very good game but I am not convinced USC is better than ND.
If USC plays ND in the Final 4 semis I think ND will beat them, mainly because Jewel Lloyd is the best player I have seen this year among UConn opponents. In any event I think it will be a very good game but I am not convinced USC is better than ND.
It looks like Geno's girls just needed someone to push them and finally got it from USC. I guess they've been sleep walking
through 50 point blowouts in the AAC. I saw some of the SNY replay early yesterday... of the Memphis game on Saturday.
Geno said he would rather lose to Memphis than play as lackadaisical as they had been playing, when he kept his 3 bigs...
Stewart, Tuck and Stokes out for the whole 2nd half with Stewart and Tuck not playing after the first 5 minutes. I don't think
USC knew what they were getting into. And what real intensity and sound fundamentals looks like until they met the Uconn
gals. Which has been a theme for many of the latest and greatest teams not named Uconn over the years. But USC will be
better for it and they have plenty of height. It still comes down to putting the ball in the hoop when some one is in your
face with constant pressure, so in that way it's a win for both teams and I'm happy to see USC step up and take
Tennessee's spot ....who's been afraid to play Uconn for years.
This post was edited on 2/10 12:34 PM by the Blades
through 50 point blowouts in the AAC. I saw some of the SNY replay early yesterday... of the Memphis game on Saturday.
Geno said he would rather lose to Memphis than play as lackadaisical as they had been playing, when he kept his 3 bigs...
Stewart, Tuck and Stokes out for the whole 2nd half with Stewart and Tuck not playing after the first 5 minutes. I don't think
USC knew what they were getting into. And what real intensity and sound fundamentals looks like until they met the Uconn
gals. Which has been a theme for many of the latest and greatest teams not named Uconn over the years. But USC will be
better for it and they have plenty of height. It still comes down to putting the ball in the hoop when some one is in your
face with constant pressure, so in that way it's a win for both teams and I'm happy to see USC step up and take
Tennessee's spot ....who's been afraid to play Uconn for years.
This post was edited on 2/10 12:34 PM by the Blades
This statement particularly applies to Duke, which has lost to UConn by an average of 30 points over the last 9 games they played UConn, including this year. Virtually all of those Duke team were ranked in the top 10. The story was the same every year, turnovers and shellshocked play by Duke on offense.
The only teams that have had some degree of success against UConn over the last 10 years are ND and Stanford. ND runs a very good offense, recruits girls who are fundamentally sound and likes to put girls who can shoot and handle at all positions. UConn has had problems defending the offense they run. Stanford has featured large frontcourt players and has played very physically against UConn.
USC has overall good size and good athleticism but I was not impressed with their game smarts or toughness. Stewart blocked a bunch of shots that frankly should not have been taken, and towards the end of the game I repeatedly saw UConn ripping away rebounds from USC that USC should have had. USC simply lost the will to fight back, when confronted with UConn's combination of fundamentals and intensity. Honestly, with USC's size and athletes, they should have been able to avoid getting blown out and made it a respectable 10 point loss. Their failure to do so was due to not very smart offensive play and poor toughness after getting smacked with the 23-4 run. When they watch the film they will see this- bad offensive possessions which led to the 23-4 run, and lack of toughness after the run.
This post was edited on 2/10 11:50 AM by KhalidShockedTheWorld
I hope al the AP Poll voters and USA Today voters who have been voting South Carolina #1, are eating crow this morning, and I hope all of them watched the game. I like Coach Staley and SC somewhat, but anyone who knows anything about basketball, should have known UConn was the better team, even before last night.
