South Carolina Adds Oregon Duck

[asuwish]

Staley must have been referring to…

Raven can't shoot so this girl and the incoming freshman point guard (who definitely can) should become the backcourt. They have as much depth as last year. If Cordoso can play big minutes put them in the final four conversation.

 

[TC22]

Raven can't shoot so this girl and the incoming freshman point guard (who definitely can) should become the backcourt. They have as much depth as last year. If Cordoso can play big minutes put them in the final four conversation.

Raven can shoot. She was coming off of major knee surgery and missed her entire freshman year and the summer. At the beginning of the year her shooting was terrible but improved over the course of the year. She was the #2 recruit behind Fudd for a reason. Raven‘s also a leader and this is her team now. I expect her to take a giant step forward next year. PaoPao wasn’t brought in to replace her. Raven, PaoPao, Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson will be an upgrade over the guard group we had last year. Dawn always has a good defense, although next year will be a work in progress. 5 of the 7 players remaining on this team played major minutes last year so we aren’t completely void of experience.

 

[sharris25]

Raven can shoot. She was coming off of major knee surgery and missed her entire freshman year and the summer. At the beginning of the year her shooting was terrible but improved over the course of the year. She was the #2 recruit behind Fudd for a reason. Raven‘s also a leader and this is her team now. I expect her to take a giant step forward next year. PaoPao wasn’t brought in to replace her. Raven, PaoPao, Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson will be an upgrade over the guard group we had last year. Dawn always has a good defense, although next year will be a work in progress. 5 of the 7 players remaining on this team played major minutes last year so we aren’t completely void of experience.

Also with this girl, this gives South Carolina 9 plus one possible McDonalds All Americans (Watkins, Cooper, Fulwilley, Johnson, Hall, Cardosa, Pao Pao, Feagin, Johnson, and Kitts (who assuredly would have been one if she did not start college early) and Sanyah Jah thus far to go with whomever else they bring in. Plenty of talent to be a force again next year. For those looking at our defene, these players made up our bench that served to change many games last year with their aggressivness and speed when they entered (See Stanford 2nd qtr, See Tennessee, Ole Miss (SEC tourney) and numerous other games. A lot of them played 15 plus minutes a game and all of them went against a wnba team in picks everyday in practice. Looking forward to those that doubt how the defense will be. Dawn has had stout defenses with much less talent in the past. Haha

 

[Gamecockfan77]

Raven can shoot. She was coming off of major knee surgery and missed her entire freshman year and the summer. At the beginning of the year her shooting was terrible but improved over the course of the year. She was the #2 recruit behind Fudd for a reason. Raven‘s also a leader and this is her team now. I expect her to take a giant step forward next year. PaoPao wasn’t brought in to replace her. Raven, PaoPao, Fulwiley and Tessa Johnson will be an upgrade over the guard group we had last year. Dawn always has a good defense, although next year will be a work in progress. 5 of the 7 players remaining on this team played major minutes last year so we aren’t completely void of experience.

Additionally, she was 3/6 from three in the Iowa game despite being unnerved in the first half by the disrespect.

I do think it will add more fuel to what was likely already to be a concerted off-season improvement goal.

She was a good high school shooter and the form looks ok to me. Just a little flat and rushed at times.

I think she'll be great.

 

[SCspur]

Hailey Van Lith is a point guard, so her presumably.

Van Lith is definitely not a point guard but ok.

 

[Bone Dog]

Additionally, she was 3/6 from three in the Iowa game despite being unnerved in the first half by the disrespect.

I’ve been loving this thread because I don’t think this will be a down year for SC. Dawn has prepared for the future well. But I really love the bolded line — pure comedic gold.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

Van Lith is definitely not a point guard but ok.

.
I mean she played the point guard last year and shared the role previously. She wants at mark the WNBA, at 5’7” it’s going to be at point guard. For all intents and purposes, she’s a point guard and I guarantee she’ll be playing that position wherever she ends up( which I’m pretty sure is LSU, they are just waiting to announce it).

This is like saying like said Paige isn’t a point guard because she also can also play off the ball.

 

[SCspur]

.
I mean she played the point guard last year and shared the role previously. She wants at mark the WNBA, at 5’7” it’s going to be at point guard. For all intents and purposes, she’s a point guard and I guarantee she’ll be playing that position wherever she ends up( which I’m pretty sure is LSU, they are just waiting to announce it).

This is like saying like said Paige isn’t a point guard because she also can also play off the ball.

That’s like saying Zia played PG at SC. Paige played PG and SG at UConn so that’s entirely different. Correct me if I’m wrong but Van Lith has never played PG at Louisville. Her freshman year Dana Evans was PG, sophomore year she played beside Chelsea Hall, and this past season she played alongside Chrislyn Carr and when Jeff was frustrated with her Mykasa Robinson manned the position. I think Hailey is an outstanding player and I commend her for recognizing she needs to change her game to make it to the next level, but at this point in time she’s absolutely not a PG. Her assist to turnover ratio would need to drastically improve asap and she would have to focus on making sure others score versus hunting shots. I think Kim could make her a PG collegiately like she did for Te’a Cooper and Chloe Jackson but I don’t see the natural ability for her to man that position at the next level. she doesn’t have PG intangibles. Her natural position is 2 guard like Cooke and Ogunbowale, playing her at the point would take her away from what she does best.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

That’s like saying Zia played PG at SC. Paige played PG and SG at UConn so that’s entirely different. Correct me if I’m wrong but Van Lith has never played PG at Louisville. Her freshman year Dana Evans was PG, sophomore year she played beside Chelsea Hall, and this past season she played alongside Chrislyn Carr and when Jeff was frustrated with her Mykasa Robinson manned the position. I think Hailey is an outstanding player and I commend her for recognizing she needs to change her game to make it to the next level, but at this point in time she’s absolutely not a PG. Her assist to turnover ratio would need to drastically improve asap and she would have to focus on making sure others score versus hunting shots. I think Kim could make her a PG collegiately like she did for Te’a Cooper and Chloe Jackson but I don’t see the natural ability for her to man that position at the next level. she doesn’t have PG intangibles. Her natural position is 2 guard like Cooke and Ogunbowale, playing her at the point would take her away from what she does best.

But Zia Cooke never payed point at South Carolina. Hailey Van Lith literally played point guard all season this year. Paige’s natural position is a shooting guard but she’s an excellent point guard as well. Hailey Van Lith natural position is shooting guard but she can also play point and will likely point guard for Kim Mulkey and get even better at it.

 

[SCspur]

But Zia Cooke never payed point at South Carolina. Hailey Van Lith literally played point guard all season this year. Paige’s natural position is a shooting guard but she’s an excellent point guard as well. Hailey Van Lith natural position is shooting guard but she can also play point and will likely point guard for Kim Mulkey and get even better at it.

That was my point. Zia has absolutely had moments where she was playing point but never looked natural in that position so Dawn didn’t force it on her.

Van Lith has never been a PG not this year not last year not the year before that or even in HS. Paige has ALWAYS played PG. Are you sure you’re a fan? Paige played PG at Hopkins, all the USA teams, and at UConn. Yes she plays SG but that’s definitely far from her natural position. She can score with the best of them that’s why it looks so natural for her to slide at the 2.

Van Lith is an entirely different scenario. She’s a natural SG and has always been on every team she’s played on including the USA team she played on with Caitlin and Paige. While I don’t doubt Mulkey will make her a serviceable PG while playing at LSU I don’t think she’s going to be a good enough PG at the next level. Her decision making is poor, she turned it over at a high rate at Louisville, and I don’t think she’ll like distributing and running the team more than she loves shooting. This is just my personal opinion so clearly you’re sticking to yours as I will with mine. I guess we’ll have to see in time.

 

[jabstep]

Hailey Van Lith is a point guard, so her presumably.

I think she is more of a shooting guard. LSU has Poole to play point.

 

[Rb335]

I’ve been loving this thread because I don’t think this will be a down year for SC. Dawn has prepared for the future well. But I really love the bolded line — pure comedic gold.

I almost think that the potential is there for South Carolina to be even better this season than last. I think most saw perimeter shooting as the major weakness, which allowed defenses to double and triple team Boston. The offensive glass was often the offsetting factor. But I always viewed the loss of Henderson to be huge for them.

Next year, they have loads of talent, even if many are new faces. Johnson was essentially their best PG last year, and I think she’ll be far improved. Further removed from injury and more than a freshman experience wise.

Pao Pao provides outside shooting and ball handling. She’ll be different than Cooke, but addresses the shooting weakness.

Add Cardoso, who was to me their most imposing interior presence. She’ll have more responsibility, but hopefully more room to maneuver. Then a plethora of young talent in Watkins, Faegin, Kitts.

Hall is the X factor to me. She can play great defensive and showed flashes of shooting ability. Imagining a best case scenario where Hall, Pao Pao, and Johnson shoot the ball well will make them title contenders, given the interior athletes they have. Doesn’t even factor in their freshman class.

Long story short, their roster is looking far more balanced for next year. Which is intriguing to me.

 

[JellyBean]

.
I mean she played the point guard last year and shared the role previously. She wants at mark the WNBA, at 5’7” it’s going to be at point guard. For all intents and purposes, she’s a point guard and I guarantee she’ll be playing that position wherever she ends up( which I’m pretty sure is LSU, they are just waiting to announce it).

This is like saying like said Paige isn’t a point guard because she also can also play off the ball.

Hailey Van Lith is not a point guard, in the traditional vibe. A lot of players, like Hailey Van Lith, are given the ball because they can handle the ball better than other players. Like others have said, Hailey Van Lith is more of a shooting guard than point guard, in the traditional vibe.

 

[Bone Dog]

Hailey Van Lith is not a point guard, in the traditional vibe. A lot of players, like Hailey Van Lith, are given the ball because they can handle the ball better than other players. Like others have said, Hailey Van Lith is more of a shooting guard than point guard, in the traditional vibe.

I think you’re right. Hailey’s got all the tools to be a pg. But she doesn’t think like a playmaker, at least not primarily. Like Zia and Te-Hina, she can score at all three levels. Same with Paige. But I suspect the reason Paige strikes so many as more like a pg is the way she uses her midrange jumper. They can all shoot the midrange jumper well, of course. But if you wield it as a threat (as Morris did in the second half against Iowa), different passing lanes open up. When people praise Paige’s passing skills, some of that is based on opportunities created by her midrange game.

 

[visitingcock]

I'm in amazement that this thread is still on this board rather than The General. But it's kinda' fun to watch it being discussed by (mostly) UConn fans. Carry on. I'll watch.

 

[Cuango]

I think this may be huge for SC! The question for me is whether Paopao can produce anywhere close to the percentages shown while playing in Dawn’s system. If she does, this will be a big time pick up for a team that often struggles with their shooting percentages. Can she stay on the floor? We’ll see, but I must say, it does not fill me with joy to see a high percentage shooter like this, joining the arch rivals!

 

[visitingcock]

I think this may be huge for SC! The question for me is whether Paopao can produce anywhere close to the percentages shown while playing in Dawn’s system. If she does, this will be a big time pick up for a team that often struggles with their shooting percentages. Can she stay on the floor? We’ll see, but I must say, it does not fill me with joy to see a high percentage shooter like this, joining the arch rivals!

Thank you for the choice of words, but I'm not sure you are in the majority with that opinion.

Anyways, thank you Geno and Dawn that it is a "series."

 

[JellyBean]

I think you’re right. Hailey’s got all the tools to be a pg. But she doesn’t think like a playmaker, at least not primarily. Like Zia and Te-Hina, she can score at all three levels. Same with Paige. But I suspect the reason Paige strikes so many as more like a pg is the way she uses her midrange jumper. They can all shoot the midrange jumper well, of course. But if you wield it as a threat (as Morris did in the second half against Iowa), different passing lanes open up. When people praise Paige’s passing skills, some of that is based on opportunities created by her midrange game.

Morris was a huge threat with that ability. Paige is just a natura at the point guard position. Like you said, her passing and shooting allows for so many options out there. Looking forward to seeing how everything blends together in a few months.

 

[hoopsnloops32]

That was my point. Zia has absolutely had moments where she was playing point but never looked natural in that position so Dawn didn’t force it on her.

Van Lith has never been a PG not this year not last year not the year before that or even in HS. Paige has ALWAYS played PG. Are you sure you’re a fan? Paige played PG at Hopkins, all the USA teams, and at UConn. Yes she plays SG but that’s definitely far from her natural position. She can score with the best of them that’s why it looks so natural for her to slide at the 2.

Van Lith is an entirely different scenario. She’s a natural SG and has always been on every team she’s played on including the USA team she played on with Caitlin and Paige. While I don’t doubt Mulkey will make her a serviceable PG while playing at LSU I don’t think she’s going to be a good enough PG at the next level. Her decision making is poor, she turned it over at a high rate at Louisville, and I don’t think she’ll like distributing and running the team more than she loves shooting. This is just my personal opinion so clearly you’re sticking to yours as I will with mine. I guess we’ll have to see in time.

I've never watched Paige play but in highlights she looks like a shooting guard to me.

 

[Gamecockfan77]

That was my point. Zia has absolutely had moments where she was playing point but never looked natural in that position so Dawn didn’t force it on her.

Van Lith has never been a PG not this year not last year not the year before that or even in HS. Paige has ALWAYS played PG. Are you sure you’re a fan? Paige played PG at Hopkins, all the USA teams, and at UConn. Yes she plays SG but that’s definitely far from her natural position. She can score with the best of them that’s why it looks so natural for her to slide at the 2.

Van Lith is an entirely different scenario. She’s a natural SG and has always been on every team she’s played on including the USA team she played on with Caitlin and Paige. While I don’t doubt Mulkey will make her a serviceable PG while playing at LSU I don’t think she’s going to be a good enough PG at the next level. Her decision making is poor, she turned it over at a high rate at Louisville, and I don’t think she’ll like distributing and running the team more than she loves shooting. This is just my personal opinion so clearly you’re sticking to yours as I will with mine. I guess we’ll have to see in time.

Fudd and Haley were the primary ball handlers for that generation of Team USA - Bueckers was more like an all around glue player.

Funny how the two NPOY (Boston) were both more the glue players who thrived without a lot of intentional touches.

I think Bueckers was later a much bigger part of team USA though I didn't have reason to scrutinize that as closely.

I do think she's a much better player and point guard that Hailey Van Lith.

 

[Darwin]

Well PaoPao transferred to start, not sit. So she and Raven are the starting backcourt. That moves Bree Hall to the 3, where she played most of last year anyway. She is the best returner defender on the team and has a nice 3 point shot as well. Watkins and Feagin therefore battle for the starting 4 spot and Cardoso of course starts at the 5.

I look for S.C. to add one more player, a backup 5 that can defend and rebound in the post while Cardoso is out of the game. Fulwiley will be terribly difficult to keep on the bench even as a true freshman, she will play a bunch. Cooper may be the odd girl out if she doesn’t show some more growth in her game quickly though she is still very young and so talented.

 

[SECbbfan24]

Hailey Van Lith is not a point guard, in the traditional vibe. A lot of players, like Hailey Van Lith, are given the ball because they can handle the ball better than other players. Like others have said, Hailey Van Lith is more of a shooting guard than point guard, in the traditional vibe.

IF she did end up in BR, she will probably be used in the same way like Kim used Chloe Jackson at Baylor running the offense. Its not going to be flashy.... but she will get the ball where it needs to go. Poole while she can be very good is more careless with the ball than not, she did have a good stretch at the end in the tournament but not full convinced she can handle a full time role, plus LSU is losing a lot of offense between Morris, Ladazhia and Carson, so you will see Hailey Van Lith start with Flaujae and M. Williams. Thats a pretty dang good back court, the last question would be the post spot

 

[Charliebball]

I’ve been loving this thread because I don’t think this will be a down year for SC. Dawn has prepared for the future well. But I really love the bolded line — pure comedic gold.

They certainly have the talent to be in the running again next season but it's hard not to miss so many great defenders who also helped them control both ends of the glass as well.........if healthy I like UConn's chances in a rematch

 

[TC22]

I certainly think we will have more shooters. Raven and Paopao have good midrange games. Fulwiley will most definitely be in the rotation from the start. Imagine Raven, Paopao, Fulwiley in with Cardoso and Feagin/Watkins. Firepower. That won’t be the starting lineup but I can see that rotation with some minutes.

 

[Bigboote]

The whole thread would have been immeasurably improved if the thread title had said "South Carolina Bags Oregon Duck".

I heard an interview several years ago with two friends, on an Oregon fan, one an Oregon State fan. The interviewer asked the OSU fan if he knew the Oregon fight song. He replied, "I dunno, Aflac!"? (I guess I haven't seen the commercials for some time, but there was a series of commercials for Aflac insurance that always ended with a duck saying Aflac!)