Will South Carolina be undefeated entering the NCAAs? (Merged thread)

[bballnut90]

I say it's about a 30/70 shot at this point. They don't look like a dominant number 1 team, barely eeking out a win at Stanford and being played very tough by UCLA. Their only other win of note is over Maryland who was without Diamond Miller. That said, their schedule is quite underwhelming the rest of the way. Non conference is a bunch of cupcakes until SEC play, and SEC looks quite weak this year. The road game at UCONN should be the biggest test.

Games remaining vs the top 40 (top 25 plus anyone who received votes):
vs. unranked Mizzou at home
vs. #21 Arkansas at home
@ #6 UCONN (should have Fudd back)
vs. #11 LSU at home
@ Tennessee (notable even though not currently top 40).
SEC Tournament

Dissecting those games, I think SC would be favored by 10+ in all of those excluding vs. UCONN, though the Huskies have been decimated by injury and it's hard to know how the team will look then. If Tennessee finds its groove they could be tough based on size/physicality, but they're now without Tamari Key the rest of the year and who knows if Jackson is coming back. LSU is dangerous since Kim is a great coach and Angel Reese is a handful, but do they have enough to actually beat SC? They've played no one of note so far. I don't see Mizzou/Arkansas pulling it off on the road, nor do I see anyone else in the SEC being a threat. I think UCONN is the most likely team to pull it off, though it's not out of the realm of possibilities for a weird flukey loss this year like we saw last year to Mizzou. Teams can also improve like Kentucky did in a major way finishing out the regular season/SEC tournament. For now, I'm guessing no but it'll be worth tracking if SC stays undefeated for a while.

 

[Coler]

 

[triaddukefan]

they will stink it up against Bama... or UGA... or LSU.

 

[TC22]

This is what Kamilla the killa thinks about the prognosticators on this here board.

 

[JellyBean]

 

[SECbbfan24]

Never say never, I mean they dropped a game to Missouri last year with no Blackwell. That said they will be favored to win every game this year. SC is very deep all around.

 

[GamecockFam]

Never say never, I mean they dropped a game to Missouri last year with no Blackwell. That said they will be favored to win every game this year. SC is very deep all around.

I feel like that is less likely to happen this season just because we have proven depth who are hungry for playing time. They can step in and raise the bar if the starters are having an off night.

 

[UcMiami]

It is a very rare event and generally takes a little luck, an incredibly focused and talented team, and a really good coach. I am not sure how often a team has gotten all the way to the NCAA tournament undefeated and then lost, but the number of teams who won undefeated is 9 - 6 by Uconn and 1 each by TX, TN, and Baylor. Uconn also entered the NCAAs undefeated 3 times and lost and I know ND also entered undefeated and lost in 2014 when both Uconn and ND were undefeated and played for the title. (Princeton also entered in 2015 at 30-0 and were (in)famously given an eight seed.

Anyway ... the above is meant to show how rare undefeated seasons are. I think SC definitely has the talent and the coaching required, I am not sure they have the focus to bring their game every night. Because going undefeated is often derailed by teams that are clearly inferior, but have a hot night against a unfocused team. I would give better odds on SC winning the championship than going undefeated.

 

[SCGamecock]

Not another SC thread created by a non-SC fan… “Somebody” is about to get mad at SC fans again.

I better go create a similar thread for the Cardinal.

 

[MilfordHusky]

It's tough to go undefeated. Only 3 teams other than UConn did it. Tennessee had Holdsclaw and Catchings; Baylor had Griner and Sims; Texas had Clarissa Davis and Kamie Ethridge. All 6 UConn teams were extremely loaded with talent.

 

[ThatCG1801]

Yawn. More hopes and dreams from folks hoping they can wish South Carolina into taking an L.

 

[SCspur]

Y’all want SC to lose so badly lol this thread is hilarious.

 

[Bigboote]

The OP gave the odds at about 30%, and the poll gives the odds at about 30%. Sounds reasonable to me. They have as good a shot at it as anyone has had in a few years.

 

[visitingcock]

I want us to have a loss or two in the regular season. Don’t need big heads going into the tourney where being undefeated matters.

 

[GamecockFan]

I say it's about a 30/70 shot at this point. They don't look like a dominant number 1 team, barely eeking out a win at Stanford and being played very tough by UCLA. Their only other win of note is over Maryland who was without Diamond Miller. That said, their schedule is quite underwhelming the rest of the way. Non conference is a bunch of cupcakes until SEC play, and SEC looks quite weak this year. The road game at UCONN should be the biggest test.

Games remaining vs the top 40 (top 25 plus anyone who received votes):
vs. unranked Mizzou at home
vs. #21 Arkansas at home
@ #6 UCONN (should have Fudd back)
vs. #11 LSU at home
@ Tennessee (notable even though not currently top 40).
SEC Tournament

Dissecting those games, I think SC would be favored by 10+ in all of those excluding vs. UCONN, though the Huskies have been decimated by injury and it's hard to know how the team will look then. If Tennessee finds its groove they could be tough based on size/physicality, but they're now without Tamari Key the rest of the year and who knows if Jackson is coming back. LSU is dangerous since Kim is a great coach and Angel Reese is a handful, but do they have enough to actually beat SC? They've played no one of note so far. I don't see Mizzou/Arkansas pulling it off on the road, nor do I see anyone else in the SEC being a threat. I think UCONN is the most likely team to pull it off, though it's not out of the realm of possibilities for a weird flukey loss this year like we saw last year to Mizzou. Teams can also improve like Kentucky did in a major way finishing out the regular season/SEC tournament. For now, I'm guessing no but it'll be worth tracking if SC stays undefeated for a while.

You say that we "barely eeked out a win at Stanford..." Well, that's correct because Stanford is a dominant team as well lol. They're about the closest team to us (besides a healthy UConn) that can match us with talent and physicality. I get people want to see top teams lose here and there or fall short, but this narrative that SC is supposed to be this unstoppable team with no holes is quite interesting. Even SC fans will tell you we have holes. If somebody wants to see us lose, then beat us.

 

[GCKSFN4L]

You say that we "barely eeked out a win at Stanford..." Well, that's correct because Stanford is a dominant team as well lol. They're about the closest team to us (besides a healthy UConn) that can match us with talent and physicality. I get people want to see top teams lose here and there or fall short, but this narrative that SC is supposed to be this unstoppable team with no holes is quite interesting. Even SC fans will tell you we have holes. If somebody wants to see us lose, then beat us.

Agreed, honestly I don't see too much difference between this year's team and last year's team. Our strengths and weaknesses are largely the same. The margin of victory against similar opponents is about the same as well. If anything the one key difference is that depth off the bench is way more reliable and impactful. This team is about as dominant as last year's team. We can be beat but we can more than hold our own against any team as well.

 

[TC22]

Agreed, honestly I don't see too much difference between this year's team and last year's team. Our strengths and weaknesses are largely the same. The margin of victory against similar opponents is about the same as well. If anything the one key difference is that depth off the bench is way more reliable and impactful. This team is about as dominant as last year's team. We can be beat but we can more than hold our own against any team as well.

Agree. Dawn said she told every member of our team that their goal should be to make the other team have a scout on them. They are getting the PT.

 

[triaddukefan]

Yawn. More hopes and dreams from folks hoping they can wish South Carolina into taking an L.

Y’all want SC to lose so badly lol this thread is hilarious.

The only two games I wanted yall to lose was to Clemson and/or Charleston Southern. The first didn't happen, and I would bet the second won't happen either. I'm not gonna miss any meals if yall do in fact go undefeated.

 

[cockhrnleghrn]

The only two games I wanted yall to lose was to Clemson and/or Charleston Southern. The first didn't happen, and I would bet the second won't happen either. I'm not gonna miss any meals if yall do in fact go undefeated.

You donut miss many meals...

 

[UcMiami]

In a follow on to what I wrote above:

Uconn has won 11 NCs and has entered an NCAA tournament undefeated only 9 times.
TN has won 8 NCs and has only entered an NCAA undefeated 1 time.
Baylor has won 3 NCs and has only entered the NCAA undefeated 1 time.
ND has won twice and entered an NCAA undefeated once. (And they didn't win that year.)
Stanford has won 3 NCs and has never entered a tournament undefeated.
SC has won twice and never entered the NCAA undefeated.

29 - 12 And if you leave Uconn out of the numbers as a total outlier than the number is 18 - 3

There are 40 years of NCAA tournament champions and while there may be a couple more like Notre Dame and Princeton out there who entered a tournament undefeated and lost, The total is likely below 15 and definitely below 20.

The point of the above - winning 6 games in the NCAA is easier and has happened 40 times. Teams entering the tournament undefeated I come up with the 14 (the ones listed above plus Princeton and TX.) And again, if you drop out Uconn from the numbers it is 29 tournaments and 5 undefeated teams.

 

[Baylorfan]

Gamecocks have become the new perennial powerhouse. I’m a BU fan first, not hiding that fact, but can they be stopped? A once in a lifetime player leaves, and SC soon reloads with equal talent. Can Kim M and LSU cause SC trouble? If not who? AM is down, Tenn down, and SEC appears to be strongly tilted forever toward SC. How can Dawn be stopped from stealing all the WBB highlight spots? This BU fan is concerned. We have injuries and a new coach (who will eventually be a winner), so I’m looking for some help to end SC reign. UConn is injury prone like BU. Any ideas on who mIshtar step up? Stanford will not get the job done.

 

[hoopsfan22]

Staley's young so she's just getting started IMO. I think this year they are the favorites to win it all, so that would make 3 titles in the last 6 seasons if they follow through, which puts them in some rather elite company as far as programs go. South Carolina is the top program now and probably will be for as long as Dawn is there.

 

[LoboDays]

Clearly the best but one off night against a hot shooting team and it’s over.

 

[GamecockFam]

As a Gamecock fan it feels so weird to be referred to as a Goliath of any sport. Thank you Dawn Staley! May she regn forever!

Next year will be an interesting one for South Carolina. We'll definitely be a preseason top 10 team (probably top 5) with a chance to shoot up the rankings, but we'll be more vulnerable than you suggest. A healthy UConn will definitely be favored over South Carolina next season in the preseason polls.

 

[MSSportsGuy]

Right now SC is the top of the line in the sport. I do think they can be beaten if they have off nights. Stanford and a healthy UConn could give them a run for their money.

As good as SC is, I don't think the separation is as pronounced as it was for 2013 to 2016 UConn. I'm not sure that will ever be seen again.