Charlie says

[cockhrnleghrn]

You'll be a 2 seed with that lineup and likely wind up watching the ff on TV. Wilson is no 3.

And I like Sessions much more as the starter. Cuevas is way too wild. She's a good player to come off the bench.

I disagree about Wilson. I can see her at the 4 and the 3. I agree with you about Sessions; Cuevas needs more seasoning before she starts at point. I think Dawn will work directly with Bianca and mold her into a great PG. They come from similar backgrounds and I think that will help Dawn with coaching her.

 

[BlueDevils]

You'll be a 2 seed with that lineup and likely wind up watching the ff on TV. Wilson is no 3.
There's only two freshman I saw this year that has a lot of potential at playing the 3 and the 4 efficiently. Gabby Wil
And I like Sessions much more as the starter. Cuevas is way too wild. She's a good player to come off the bench.[/QUOTE

If Wilson played any 3 last year it was just for "show." She is in no way a 3 as of this moment. Nor as it stands right now does she belong anywhere other than the paint. There is no way I believe she was a 3 for any significant time except in unique situations or blowouts.

There's only TWO freshman I sae this year that have tons of potential to play the 3 and the 4 efficiently while in college. Gabby Williams and Azura Stevens. THAT'S IT

 

[hoophuskee]

I disagree about Wilson. I can see her at the 4 and the 3. I agree with you about Sessions; Cuevas needs more seasoning before she starts at point. I think Dawn will work directly with Bianca and mold her into a great PG. They come from similar backgrounds and I think that will help Dawn with coaching her.

How many shots does Wilson shoot/hit outside the paint?

How many assists vs turnovers did she accumulate this year?

Would you say her assist to turnover numbers were great or good or mediocre or bad or awful?

If you were to set up a defense to defend Sessions, Mitchell, Wilson, Coates and White-- how would you defend them?

If I were to throw a box-and-one on your team defending Mitchell with the "one" and playing the others in a zone please tell me how good passers you have on the court together besides Mitchell and tell me how you expect to break that zone with sound ball movement. Because the zone is designed to stop the ball from going inside, right? I'm really interested to know how you break a zone without either good penetrators or good shooters.

On the defensive end how psyched would you be to know that Wilson be defending sf's that could shoot very well from 15 to 22 feet instead of grabbing many rebounds and initimidating the inside with blocked shots?

And how psyched are you of having either Coates or White guard stretch 4's?

 

[winlots]

Charlie Creme, that is, says that "South Carolina may have the best front line in the country next season". Whaddaya think? (He also is rating Duke as #15, but that is another matter entirely.)

ZORRO: Good thread. But where is KIB?? Won't wait any longer for him to point out that Crème is saying that he, Charlie, will permit SC to have the best front line (or duo).
My take is that SC might NOT have the best.

 

[BlueDevils]

How many shots does Wilson shoot/hit outside the paint?

How many assists vs turnovers did she accumulate this year?

Would you say her assist to turnover numbers were great or good or mediocre or bad or awful?

If you were to set up a defense to defend Sessions, Mitchell, Wilson, Coates and White-- how would you defend them?

If I were to throw a box-and-one on your team defending Mitchell with the "one" and playing the others in a zone please tell me how good passers you have on the court together besides Mitchell and tell me how you expect to break that zone with sound ball movement. Because the zone is designed to stop the ball from going inside, right? I'm really interested to know how you break a zone without either good penetrators or good shooters.

On the defensive end how psyched would you be to know that Wilson be defending sf's that could shoot very well from 15 to 22 feet instead of grabbing many rebounds and initimidating the inside with blocked shots?

And how psyched are you of having either Coates or White guard stretch 4's?

Checkmate

 

[triaddukefan]

Duke and South Carolina fans arguing about a basketball game 8 months away on a UCONN message board ? Gotta love the BY

 

[SCGamecock]

Our last game we didn't really matchup well with South Carolina. Yes we were big but also very young in the post. Sc had two post starters that were upperclassman to go with a banger in Coates and the number 1 recruit coming off the bench alongside her at the post. Hell one could argue South Carolina had more favorable matchups than Duke. This next year team has 5 different TYPES of post players to contain Coates and Wilson. Along with guards to attack Cuevas and Mitchell. I think that's the game you'll find out more about Salavadores and the level of competition she's faced in her career. So yes I stand by saying we will beat South Carolina next year based on matchups alone.

Good, that's fine. This is America, opinions are largely free. I still stand by my beliefs that Duke won't win versus SC but again... who knows. All I know for certain is that one of us will be wrong.

 

[SCGamecock]

You'll be a 2 seed with that lineup and likely wind up watching the ff on TV. Wilson is no 3.

And I like Sessions much more as the starter. Cuevas is way too wild. She's a good player to come off the bench.

I'm 90% sure that Sessions will be the starter. Dawn knows what she's getting with Sessions. Cuevas adds another variable to the game instantly. Good or Bad. Her freshmen year it was mostly bad. It's up to Dawn to make that mostly good. I'm assuming by Cuevas being "Wild" you're referring to the turnovers and the ridiculous fouls... If Cuevas cuts down on the turnovers and learns foul discipline then we could see a shakeup at point....Cuevas does what few other SC players do... attack, attack, attack... and Dawn likes that. That's her style. Attack the basket.

 

[hoophuskee]

I'm 90% sure that Sessions will be the starter. Dawn knows what she's getting with Sessions. Cuevas adds another variable to the game instantly. Good or Bad. Her freshmen year it was mostly bad. It's up to Dawn to make that mostly good. I'm assuming by Cuevas being "Wild" you're referring to the turnovers and the ridiculous fouls... If Cuevas cuts down on the turnovers and learns foul discipline then we could see a shakeup at point....Cuevas does what few other SC players do... attack, attack, attack... and Dawn likes that. That's her style. Attack the basket.

Just saying sometimes it's not good to always be in "all-out attack" with a small pg that is not a good shooter. It's better to let Mitchell, Wilson and Coates "attack."

 

[Rocket009]

Duke and South Carolina fans arguing about a basketball game 8 months away on a UCONN message board ? Gotta love the BY

I was thinking exactly the same. It is much more interesting having you all come and chat here than just us UCONN fans preaching to the choir. Really happy to have you all here.

 

[VolFan]

VolFan - when I visited your board earlier in the year I was really surprised with the vitriol directed toward Graves. I have always liked her game, but felt she has suffered greatly from a somewhat limited offensive scheme and especially in previous years from indisciplined guards. At times she almost seemed to give up two years ago as she watched yet another wild Simmons jumper sale through the air. Do you get the sense that the fan base has 'rewarmed' to her?

I think Bashaara had a sophomore slump, but the people who say she isn't skilled enough or hasn't expanded her game aren't intelligent.One look at her performance versus Notre Dame can show how she's developed since her freshman year to her junior season. The problem for Bashaara these past 2 seasons is that as a freshman, she was option #1 in the paint. After the emergence of Izzy, people attacked her for her lack of production, though she was just getting fewer touches and not having to get as many rebounds. Once Izzy went out, and she performed at an extremely high level as option #1 again, the critics shut up.

 

[CocoHusky]

Charlie was simply saying what could be a possibility.. he didn't say "SC WILL have the best frontcourt duo next year" he said we could... Which is true. We COULD.
Don't even start talking about the plethora of big bodies that Baylor will be throwing at people this season.

South Carolina could not be and WILL not be the best front line in the country. UCONN post isolation game is devastating and South Carolina does not have a post player to either defend the post or go to secondary post move. I 'll just call it out Coates does not have a secondary post move. She has to finish over the defender with her first move. Same with Wilson. Baylor??? might be throwing size at people, UCONN will be throwing Skill. I like UCONN skills. That is what we are talking about right-Skills?

 

[triaddukefan]

I was thinking exactly the same. It is much more interesting having you all come and chat here than just us UCONN fans preaching to the choir. Really happy to have you all here.

 

[hussybulldog]

SC will probably be the biggest, but the best ? will they play 3 posts, with Wilson at the 3 ?

They will miss Welch, she was a tough, physical player

I agree, surprised she did not get picked up till the third round. (vs. Kia get drafted in the first round, no slight meant here. I just thought two could be drafted close to each other.)

 

[hussybulldog]

Anyone can make the statement that Xyz college has the best front line next year--the proof is next year when REAL front lines clash.
I won't say Uconn will have the best or 33rd best just yet, Butler, Stewie, Tuck, Boykin, Collier, KLS, Gabby, ---Bigger isn't always better--the proof was this year. Uconn did NOT have the bigger front line in a few of their overly large point wins --I won't say the obvious : the difference was in the coach--or darn I said it...

I would not say just coach, the players are very important as well!

 

[hussybulldog]

SC will probably be the biggest, but the best ? will they play 3 posts, with Wilson at the 3 ?

They will miss Welch, she was a tough, physical player

They can play three bigs next year, but UConn can play BS/MT and Butler to counter. So the word BEST is dubious at best.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

South Carolina could not be and WILL not be the best front line in the country. UCONN post isolation game is devastating and South Carolina does not have a post player to either defend the post or go to secondary post move. I 'll just call it out Coates does not have a secondary post move. She has to finish over the defender with her first move. Same with Wilson. Baylor??? might be throwing size at people, UCONN will be throwing Skill. I like UCONN skills. That is what we are talking about right-Skills?

The good thing is that we play each other again next season so that we can see it live and in technicolor.

 

[EricLA]

The good thing is that we play each other again next season so that we can see it live and in technicolor.

Absolutely. I'd bet a lot of money that UCONN wins by more than we did this past year.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Absolutely. I'd bet a lot of money that UCONN wins by more than we did this past year.

I'd take that bet since the game is in Columbia.

 

[EricLA]

I'd take that bet since the game is in Columbia.

I'd give about 5-7 points for a home field advantage, and maybe I'm overconfident, but the amount that both schools lose, compared to what UCONN adds - I'm of the opinion that UCONN will be better by more than SC. I actually could see Baylor being better than SC next year as well as possibly Notre Dame and Tennessee.

In other words, we lose KML and Stokes - roughly equal to what Welch and Ibiam gave SC. But bringing back Stewie, Tuck, Jefferson, and Nurse as well as the quartet of Newbies (3 frosh + Butler) is far substantial to what SC adds in that PG from Canada. And against a team like SC, having Butler will be absolutely huge. Not saying she's as good as Coates or Ibiam, but against a really big team like SC, she will be invaluable.

For the record I was one of the UCONN fans that said we'd beat you guys by 20 this year. SC just didn't have the horses to hang with UCONN in my opinion. A really good team and in a universe where there was no UCONN, you'd have been in the NC game vs. ND. Next year you will have 3 legit players who could be AA's - Mitchell, Wilson and Coates. Problem is UCONN has 4, and they bring in the 2 best freshmen in the nation in Samuelson and Collier. And that's why I think the gap between UCONN and SC will be even larger next year... But hey, that's why they play the game.

 

[CocoHusky]

I'd give about 5-7 points for a home field advantage, and maybe I'm overconfident, but the amount that both schools lose, compared to what UCONN adds - I'm of the opinion that UCONN will be better by more than SC. I actually could see Baylor being better than SC next year as well as possibly Notre Dame and Tennessee.

In other words, we lose KML and Stokes - roughly equal to what Welch and Ibiam gave SC. But bringing back Stewie, Tuck, Jefferson, and Nurse as well as the quartet of Newbies (3 frosh + Butler) is far substantial to what SC adds in that PG from Canada. And against a team like SC, having Butler will be absolutely huge. Not saying she's as good as Coates or Ibiam, but against a really big team like SC, she will be invaluable.

For the record I was one of the UCONN fans that said we'd beat you guys by 20 this year. SC just didn't have the horses to hang with UCONN in my opinion. A really good team and in a universe where there was no UCONN, you'd have been in the NC game vs. ND. Next year you will have 3 legit players who could be AA's - Mitchell, Wilson and Coates. Problem is UCONN has 4, and they bring in the 2 best freshmen in the nation in Samuelson and Collier. And that's why I think the gap between UCONN and SC will be even larger next year... But hey, that's why they play the game.

Eric as your self appointed chief negotiator I would like add a cause equal 3-6 additional points depending one when the game is played. If played before the start of AAC conference play I would give those points to South Carolina just based on the theory that UCON has more new part to integrate. UCONN still wins big IMO but an earlier game might be the difference between 20 point win vs. 14 point win.

 

[watanabe]

I'd take that bet since the game is in Columbia.

I'll cover that, AND give you what ever odds you want. Making it look like SC is going to give us a challenge is good off season fodder, but next year is going to be one for the UConn record books. NO one will be near UConn's skill level next season.

 

[meyers7]

This summer will be important for Wilson because now.. she knows the defense, she's witnessed the speed of the game, she's played in the final four... now she knows where her offense needs to be in order to play the best she can. She's gone up against the Loyds, Stewarts, Tucks, etc.. so she knows how her game should look. I would love for Wilson to just watch tape on Stewart all summer and model her game after her. Wilson is a forward that wants to be a guard, and Dawn told her if she wants to be a guard then she has to put in the work.. so hopefully this summer she does that.. and knowing her, she will.

Not really sure how SC is supposed to have the best front court with Wilson playing guard.

She can drive and shoot like a guard, mid range and behind the arc.. and she can post up in the paint, plus more.

 

[meyers7]

I won't talk up how good SC is going to be next year because I honestly don't know.. nobody really knows for sure how their team will return from the summer.

I don't think SC will be better next year. Certain players will be better, but overall as a team, I don't know that they'll be better. And unfortunately for them, others teams will improve. Duke will be better with some guards, Baylor and Tennessee will be improved. And of course UCONN will be better, not a lot probably, but better.

 

[Frodo]

[QUOTE="...having Butler will be absolutely huge. Not saying she's as good as Coates or Ibiam...[/QUOTE]

I'll be stunned if Butler isn't way better than Ibiam and probably better than Coates. Ibiam averaged 6 points and less than 4 rebounds per game and Coates was 11/8. Neither of those are especially impressive. Ibiam's status, especially, far exceeded her ability. Against UConn, Ibiam and Coates were a combined 6/6. Butler was basically 14/14 as a freshman, including a 16/15 game against Cal's Reshanda Gray. Her only problem at Georgetown was a tendency to turn the ball over. I think her greatest asset, if she earns a starting spot, will be to allow Stewart and Tuck more even options on offense.