South Carolina: "Rotation For Next Year Could Be Deadly"

[JavaMan]

South Carolina's women's basketball team next year will be more talented than the one that made it to the Final 4 before losing by a point to Notre Dame, USC coach Dawn Staley says.

The reason is quite simple. With the departures of two starting seniors in Aleighsa Welch and Elem Ibiam and a third key role player in Olivia Gaines - each of whom were instrumental to USC's run to Tampa, it should be noted - the Gamecocks will have more playing time to offer younger players with more potential.

That could mean a starting role for forward A'ja Wilson, the nation's top recruit a year ago, who came off the bench as a freshman last season and scored 13.1 points per game - the second most on the team behind two-time SEC Player of the Year Tiffany Mitchell.

And one for forward Alaina Coates, who scored 11.1 points and grabbed a team-high 7.9 rebounds per game off the bench last season as a sophomore and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Greensboro Regional.

Toss in more minutes for speedy guard Bianca Cuevas, another former McDonald's All-American who gave USC a spark of life off the bench last year, and the Gamecocks' regular rotation for next year could be deadly.

[LINK]

 

[Bigpetunia]

Well, I, for one, hope that this assessment proves valid...the game needs it. But I remain fairly skeptical. The operative word in your post is "potential," and, although I am an admirer of Dawn, there are two points on which I am yet to be convinced: First, however good teams appear on paper, some have yet to prove they can win in the big contests when the stage is biggest and the lights are brightest. USC has not yet demonstrated that it's players are ready to do that, that they are true warriors in the sense that ND players, for example, pretty consistently have. Second, while I agree that Wilson, Coates and Cuevas will all be great, for the potential to be transformed into reality, there's going to have to be an awful lot of reliance on the performance of Freshmen...never a certain or very reliable prospect. I hope it happens, and I know it eventually will at SC, but their 2016 version of "deadly" is not looking, at least to me, like its ready to dethrone the champs.

 

[Raoul]

The South Carolina rotation next year might also include 6-2 forward Sarah Imovbioh, the fifth-year grad transfer from Virginia who led the ACC in rebounding in 2014-15. The Gamecocks are rumored to be the front-runner to land her.

 

[ctfjr]

Hope springs eternal from the human breast

 

[huskeynut]

Dawn might find it more difficult than she thinks.

Team chemistry will be the key for SC. Anytime you graduate talent, you have to replace those with talent. Not that SC doesn't have the talent, but it changes the team chemistry. Welch was the heart and soul and quiet leader of SC. Who takes her place? Mitchell maybe or possibly Sessions. I don't see Coates or Wilson stepping up.

SC still doesn't have a legitimate 3 point threat. Teams will be able to double down in the paint to frustrate Coates and WIlson and deny the entry pass.

Any questions, ask Geno, who had to deal with a new team chemistry this past season.

 

[jcoton56]

This may all be true, we still have the kryptonite and no one has proven they can duplicate it ;-) Go Huskies

 

[meyers7]

While I think S Carolina will be good (very good, E8 to FF level), I don't know that they will be a better version than this year. Losing quite a bit of leadership and depth. I think the FR to SOPH jump in the talent level can make up for that, but I don't know that it can expand on it.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow down your door! Cuevas has a lot of growing of game to do, Wilson has a lot of growing up to do. Coates is a force down low but with movement issues.

 

[Raoul]

Sarah Imovbioh to South Carolina is now official. See this tweet (my attempt to embed didn't work).

 

[UConnCat]

SC's lineup would be more deadly if it had a guard (not named Mitchell) who is willing to take and make a perimeter shot on the big stage.

 

[Bayareahusky]

I agree with those who say SC will be very good but not great this coming year.....

 

[Bigpetunia]

I think the top four teams for next season will be UConn, ND, Tenn, and SC, pretty much in that order. Those who predict that ND will fall off the map due to Jewell's departure are going to be surprised yet again, but why they would be is a mystery to me. Those with Tenn hatred in their DNA are going to be disappointed by that team's success, but the Vols will undeniably have the talent to go a lot farther than people like us would like. Dawn does have plenty of very skilled players and there are few legitimate contenders to block SC's path to the FF. But, when all is said and done, there ain't no reason for the head that wears the crown to lie uneasy.

 

[Aluminny69]

The Tenn - SC games should be very entertaining. I am thinking that UConn playing at SC next season will be UConn's biggest challenge.
I would definitely like to see more games between UConn, ND, Tenn, and SC, and you can add Baylor and possibly Maryland to that mix. Those are the games that will be most entertaining, every other game, not so much... ( did I leave anyone out?)

 

[BlueDevils]

I like what Dawn is doing. Every player she's targeting brings some type of experience. In the great words of Drake "they like you took the summer off we couldn't tell."

 

[CocoHusky]

The Tenn - SC games should be very entertaining. I am thinking that UConn playing at SC next season will be UConn's biggest challenge.
I would definitely like to see more games between UConn, ND, Tenn, and SC, and you can add Baylor and possibly Maryland to that mix. Those are the games that will be most entertaining, every other game, not so much... ( did I leave anyone out?)

Yes FSU and OSU are both on the comeup. Solid recruiting classes or transfers into both of those programs I'm interested to see if they make a leap.
Texas also just to see if they rebound from the UCONN thumping or flatline. Duke because they are Duke and with the incoming PG they are flat out of execuses.
USF just to see if UCONN has a legit conference opponent.
Penn State- because they will have Brianna Banks and I can't believe how far they have fallen- hoping for a rebound.

 

[DobbsRover2]

Not sure why there would be a big reliance on freshmen when it appears that the Canadian guard Shay Colley is the only one for a the G-Cocks still big roster.

Many of the same questions for next year's team are the same as for this year, since with an average of less than 5 made 3-pters a game is something that opponents can take advantage of. Colley seems to be a brick from the perimeter if her Team Canada stats are an indication, so she won't help much there. Mitchell and Sessions share the PG\assists duties, but Sessions is a poor shooter that teams can lay off of. Cuevas may grow into the role, but she has not shown herself a threat at making any kind of baskets at this point.

 

[Kibitzer]

First, however good teams appear on paper, some have yet to prove they can win in the big contests when the stage is biggest and the lights are brightest. USC has not yet demonstrated that it's players are ready to do that, that they are true warriors in the sense that ND players, for example, pretty consistently have.

Permit one example to illustrate the point you made about rising to the challenge when the lights are brightest.

In the decisive ND game,when playing for a shot at the NC game, SC had the ball to pass in in the front court after a time out, about 16 seconds on the clock.

Predictably, the inbounds pass went to Mitchell, who then dribbled out the clock. None of the very big and very talented SC front line demanded the ball or moved to get it. I thought it was a manifestation of the "pucker factor" that often afflicts inexperienced players and coaches alike. If given a similar situation next season, I would expect SC (especially Staley and Mitchell) to handle it differently. And better.

 

[CocoHusky]

Out of the Final Four teams in this year's tournament, USC was the only one that had never been there before: each of the other 3 were there the previous season. But USC had a higher shooting % than the other 3.

All valid points except the one in bold. FG% for the Final Four Teams are as follows: South Carolina 48%, Maryland 47%, ND 49%, UCONN 54%. If you are talking 2Pt FG% the numbers are as follows South Carolina 52%, Maryland 51%, ND 51%, UCONN 60%. South Carolina does have a shooting problem, lack of long range shooters allows the defense to only have to defend the paint as PhillyCoach and other have pointed out in thier posts.

 

[RockyMTblue2]

USC will only have one (1) freshman on it's roster next season (unless Staley somehow still finds more prospects to bring in), and that one is higher rated by Canadian prospect services than they rated Kia Nurse in last year's class, and will be a 20-yr old true freshman and former team captain of her nationals team.

Out of the Final Four teams in this year's tournament, USC was the only one that had never been there before: each of the other 3 were there the previous season. But USC had a higher shooting % than the other 3. In the ND game, USC was the stronger team down the stretch thanks largely to a true freshman on it's team that was playing pretty unstoppable. Got 2 Irish players to foul out trying to stop her, including their own heralded true freshman who many have stated they thought she was the better prospect but didn't play the better game in this head-to-head matchup. ND advanced to the championship game NOT because it had "true warriors" on it's team, but because USC - who outplayed ND in the 2nd half - missed the final shot to win the game. But it was a learning experience for USC.

Next season USC could have 3 players who each average around 15-20 ppg, plus several others (White, Cuevas, Imovbioh, perhaps Duckett) who should contend towards dbl-digits per gm. Staley has had to develop 3* talent in her earlier years at USC, and she has done an outstanding job of it, turning those teams into NCAAT sweet-sixteen teams (her first one at USC only had 2 4* or higher rated players on it in Welch and PG Ieasia Walker). Now she'll field a team next season with 4* Mitchell, 4* Coates, 5* Wilson, 4* Sessions, 5* Cuevas, 5* White, 4* Dozier, 5* Duckett, 4* Imovbioh, 4* Cliney, etc. And this team now has Final Four experience....

There are only 2 people on the roster who averaged over 10 ppg this year, so there sure is a lot of hope in the "could ...15-20" that kicks off your analysis or maybe team fan uber fest analysis!

 

[rocky rococo]

There's a constant refrain that SC can't hit outside shots, and I haven't seen a single reference to Tina Roy. Obviously not enough to carry a team, but definitely a weapon.

 

[toadfoot]

USC will only have one (1) freshman on it's roster next season (unless Staley somehow still finds more prospects to bring in), and that one is higher rated by Canadian prospect services than they rated Kia Nurse in last year's class, and will be a 20-yr old true freshman and former team captain of her nationals team.

Out of the Final Four teams in this year's tournament, USC was the only one that had never been there before: each of the other 3 were there the previous season. But USC had a higher shooting % than the other 3. In the ND game, USC was the stronger team down the stretch thanks largely to a true freshman on it's team that was playing pretty unstoppable. Got 2 Irish players to foul out trying to stop her, including their own heralded true freshman who many have stated they thought she was the better prospect but didn't play the better game in this head-to-head matchup. ND advanced to the championship game NOT because it had "true warriors" on it's team, but because USC - who outplayed ND in the 2nd half - missed the final shot to win the game. But it was a learning experience for USC.

Next season USC could have 3 players who each average around 15-20 ppg, plus several others (White, Cuevas, Imovbioh, perhaps Duckett) who should contend towards dbl-digits per gm. Staley has had to develop 3* talent in her earlier years at USC, and she has done an outstanding job of it, turning those teams into NCAAT sweet-sixteen teams (her first one at USC only had 2 4* or higher rated players on it in Welch and PG Ieasia Walker). Now she'll field a team next season with 4* Mitchell, 4* Coates, 5* Wilson, 4* Sessions, 5* Cuevas, 5* White, 4* Dozier, 5* Duckett, 4* Imovbioh, 4* Cliney, etc. And this team now has Final Four experience....

So by my math you're predicting that USC will average 85+ points/game:

3 x 15 (low end of your prediction)
White/Cuevas/Imovbioh/Duckett 8 points/game (you didn't provide a target but 8 seems appropriate given your wording.
Add in a couple of baskets for Roy/Sessions/Dozier per game.

Total = ~83-91 points/game.

This from a team that averaged 75+ this past season. I'll believe it when I see it.

 

[fanatichusky]

All these number and percentages really doesn't matter. Its what you do against UCONN. No team shoots well against UCONN's defense. We make other teams looks bad. From what i've seen of USC, they just don't pass the "eye" test. Like Dawn Staley said of UCONN, they just play a beautiful game and its hard to replicate that style. USC plays a type of game that is not really fun to watch. They fail the "eye" test and i just don't believe they will be deadly next year. I believe ND, TENN, Baylor may be better. Hard to overcome the loss of Welch. She was the heart and soul of that team.

 

[UConnCat]

There's a constant refrain that SC can't hit outside shots, and I haven't seen a single reference to Tina Roy. Obviously not enough to carry a team, but definitely a weapon.

Roy is a good shooter but experience has shown us it's easier to make perimeter shots in November through February than it is in March. It's even more difficult to make perimeter shots in April. Roy looked over-matched by the big stage.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

Dawn might find it more difficult than she thinks.

Team chemistry will be the key for SC. Anytime you graduate talent, you have to replace those with talent. Not that SC doesn't have the talent, but it changes the team chemistry. Welch was the heart and soul and quiet leader of SC. Who takes her place? Mitchell maybe or possibly Sessions. I don't see Coates or Wilson stepping up.

SC still doesn't have a legitimate 3 point threat. Teams will be able to double down in the paint to frustrate Coates and WIlson and deny the entry pass.

Any questions, ask Geno, who had to deal with a new team chemistry this past season.

Welch was not a "quiet" leader in any way, shape or form. She was quite a vocal leader. Tiffany Mitchell and Khadijah Sessions next year will be more quiet leaders.

 

[fanatichusky]

LOL. So if i said USC was awesome and i thought they would win next year's title, then it would be relevant, huh? Its all relevant! You don't see any tangential relevancy? Wow!