Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2023-24

UCLA is undefeated and coming off an Invitational Tourney championship. SC is almost assuredly without Boston. Looks like a great opportunity for the Bruins to get a signature win, right?

Not happening. SC is so loaded in post players that UCLA won't have an answer down low. SC by 12+.
 
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UCLA is undefeated and coming off an Invitational Tourney championship. SC is almost assuredly without Boston. Looks like a great opportunity for the Bruins to get a signature win, right?

Not happening. SC is so loaded in post players that UCLA won't have an answer down low. SC by 12+.
Supposedly the boot was precautionary and nothing that's going to keep out her out for significant time. Does she play tuesday ? Id hope not at least give the foot a week off , but could she ? Im sure she could , SC if any team is the one team who can afford to lose a big and still contend.
 
I understand UT not being ranked being 4 and 4. However, UT dropped after winning both games this week. Wonder what UT SOS is with Virginia Tech #9 next. As the poll sits right now UT plays all 5 top 5 teams, and already played ranked Gonzaga and UCLA.
 
I understand UT not being ranked being 4 and 4. However, UT dropped after winning both games this week. Wonder what UT SOS is with Virginia Tech #9 next. As the poll sits right now UT plays all 5 top 5 teams, and already played ranked Gonzaga and UCLA.
I agree, And Louisville drop 8 spots after blowing out Longwood by 63

I think the AP poll that had Tennessee at #23 and Louisville at #10 was before they lost to Gonzaga and SDST in the Atlantis tournament. So that loss did not factor into the rankings last week, but is being considered along with their wins this week.
 
I understand UT not being ranked being 4 and 4. However, UT dropped after winning both games this week. Wonder what UT SOS is with Virginia Tech #9 next. As the poll sits right now UT plays all 5 top 5 teams, and already played ranked Gonzaga and UCLA.

You have a point there, Also it looks like Utah is ranked and moved up a spot, Due to hanging 124 on OU and beating two SEC team Ala and Ole Miss. Other then that it`s cup cake city.
 
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You have a point there, Also it looks like Utah is ranked and moved up a spot, Due to hanging 124 on OU and beating two SEC team Ala and Ole Miss. Other then that it`s cup cake city.
Hard to fault them showing Utah some love. Those three wins you mentioned are solid wins, even if the others were worthy of being on LSU's schedule.
 
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I think the AP poll that had Tennessee at #23 and Louisville at #10 was before they lost to Gonzaga and SDST in the Atlantis tournament. So that loss did not factor into the rankings last week, but is being considered along with their wins this week.

I get it also so how is Tex still in the top at #23 ?
 
Supposedly the boot was precautionary and nothing that's going to keep out her out for significant time. Does she play tuesday ? Id hope not at least give the foot a week off , but could she ? Im sure she could , SC if any team is the one team who can afford to lose a big and still contend.
Not sure on Boston tbh, no official report yet, but Staley will announce once she knows for sure, she doesn't hide injury news.

I think the only notable size on the UCLA team are the two German girls, 6'4" and 6'2"; I feel pretty confident that they will be in foul trouble early as SC sends waves of bigs at them. Bruins would need to shoot lights out to stay in this game imo, kinda like when they played UT and hit 16 threes. SC D won't let that happen.

FG% of Gamecock post players:

Boston 68.2%
Amihere 58.8%
Cardoso 68.0%
Watkins 71.4%
Feagin 72.2%
Saxton 42.3%
 
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South Carolina will take their lumps in conference play like last season when they loss to Kentucky and Missouri. I don’t see South Carolina being better than Stanford or Tennessee at the end of the season. Teams will catch on to them. I know a healthy TN will.
Mississippi

Take SC's starters out of the discussion altogether.

On SC's second string, I suspect Cardoso would start for UT over Key. Amihere or Hall (depending on opposing lineup) would start over Darby, and Watkins, Feagin and Hall/Amihere would be the first subs off the bench along with Key. Horston, Jackson and Powell stay starters when no SC starters are in consideration.

As Franklin gets healthier I would include her in the Watkins group somewhere but tbh Watkins probably has a better game already imo. The rest of the UT bench probably never sees the court, Raven is already better than all of the guards not named Powell and Cooper is catching up fast. So Key and Franklin would get minutes off the bench but probably no other players.

You can like yours better all day long. Pretty sure the scenario above is accurate however. That's how I think most would see it. Doesn't mean UT won't or can't beat SC, its just a look at the rosters after the starting 5 for each.
 
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I didn’t consider most of your post… but I’ll say there are zero starters or reserves from South Carolina that would start over Rickea Jackson or Jordan Horston. They are projected as Top 5 picks in the WNBA draft. Jasmine Powell and Tamari Key would compete for a starting position against the starters on South Carolina roster. Key would play alongside Boston in the front court. Saxton only advantage over TN backup C Jasmine Franklin is height and health. What pre-season list did Saxton make by the way?
It doesn’t say much about the SC reserves starting over Darby because I consider her a bench player and would start Puckett or Marta over Darby. Also, Cardoso is not better than Key. She didn’t make the pre-season player of the year list for centers like Key did. She wasn’t in consideration and should’ve won the defense player of the year award last year that was Tamari Key. Cardoso needs to focus on being better than Jillian Hollingshead. Jillian is heads and shoulders the better talent. Cardoso has a luxury being in South Carolina but she didn’t carry her weight in Syracuse. Therefore, don’t disrespect a player of Tamari Key status by comparing her to a backup center. Key is the all-time leading shot blocker of a 8-time nat’l title program. Humble yourself.
 
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Not sure on Boston tbh, no official report yet, but Staley will announce once she knows for sure, she doesn't hide injury news.

I think the only notable size on the UCLA team are the two German girls, 6'4" and 6'2"; I feel pretty confident that they will be in foul trouble early as SC sends waves of bigs at them. Bruins would need to shoot lights out to stay in this game imo, kinda like when they played UT and hit 16 threes. SC D won't let that happen.
South Carolina women's basketball: Aliyah Boston will be game-time decision
Dawn Staley announced Monday that Aliyah Boston will be a “game-time” decision for Tuesday night’s game against UCLA.
When Staley was asked if Boston had requested to play, Staley turned around and shouted, “Aliyah, are you going to play tomorrow?” Boston responded with a big grin. Boston was limited in practice Monday. She had a small brace on her injured right ankle.
“She feels a lot better than she did yesterday,” Staley said. “I think for the most part it scared her.”
If Boston cannot play, Staley had not yet decided who would start in her place.
“One of the bigs,” Staley said. “We won’t go small.”
 
I didn’t consider most of your post… but I’ll say there are zero starters or reserves from South Carolina that would start over Rickea Jackson or Jordan Horston. They are projected as Top 5 picks in the WNBA draft. Jasmine Powell and Tamari Key would compete for a starting position against the starters on South Carolina roster. Key would play alongside Boston in the front court. Saxton only advantage over TN backup C Jasmine Franklin is height and health. What pre-season list did Saxton make by the way?
It doesn’t say much about the SC reserves starting over Darby because I consider her a bench player and would start Puckett or Marta over Darby. Also, Cardoso is not better than Key. She didn’t make the pre-season player of the year list for centers like Key did. She wasn’t in consideration and should’ve won the defense player of the year award last year that was Tamari Key. Cardoso needs to focus on being better than Jillian Hollingshead. Jillian is heads and shoulders the better talent. Cardoso has a luxury being in South Carolina but she didn’t carry her weight in Syracuse. Therefore, don’t disrespect a player of Tamari Key status by comparing her to a backup center. Key is the all-time leading shot blocker of a 8-time nat’l title program. Humble yourself.
Respect your opinions. I believe Cardoso is way more productive in boards and points than Key per minutes played however. And Cardoso was a starter at Syracuse as a freshman, the ACC freshman of the year, so she pulled her weight there just fine. She is more aggressive offensively and on the boards than Key is. Her freshman stats were quite good, 13.6 PPG, 8 RPG and 2.7 blocks per game.

At Syracuse (2020-21)
ACC co-Defensive Player of the Year
ACC Freshman of the Year
All-ACC First Team
ACC All-Defensive Team
ACC All-Freshman Team

So yeah, she pulled her weight at Syracuse…….

Nobody doubts Jordy or Jackson would start at any school, and Powell is potentially the best pure PG on the two rosters right now, though when Cooke plays PG I prefer her over Powell at that spot. As for the other reserves, Amihere, Watkins, Hall and Feagin all are better than Hollingshead, and it’s not close imo. Anyway, we have the pleasure of watching them play against one another this year so we have that to look forward to.
 
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I just watched the Uconn / Iowa game on youtube. Not the result I would have hoped for but that was a really exciting game. Well played by both teams. A couple of made shots by Iowa down the stretch and they could have had it.
 
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I didn’t consider most of your post… but I’ll say there are zero starters or reserves from South Carolina that would start over Rickea Jackson or Jordan Horston. They are projected as Top 5 picks in the WNBA draft. Jasmine Powell and Tamari Key would compete for a starting position against the starters on South Carolina roster. Key would play alongside Boston in the front court. Saxton only advantage over TN backup C Jasmine Franklin is height and health. What pre-season list did Saxton make by the way?
It doesn’t say much about the SC reserves starting over Darby because I consider her a bench player and would start Puckett or Marta over Darby. Also, Cardoso is not better than Key. She didn’t make the pre-season player of the year list for centers like Key did. She wasn’t in consideration and should’ve won the defense player of the year award last year that was Tamari Key. Cardoso needs to focus on being better than Jillian Hollingshead. Jillian is heads and shoulders the better talent. Cardoso has a luxury being in South Carolina but she didn’t carry her weight in Syracuse. Therefore, don’t disrespect a player of Tamari Key status by comparing her to a backup center. Key is the all-time leading shot blocker of a 8-time nat’l title program. Humble yourself.
Bad timing on the day we get bumped out of the Top 25. This was a back pocket post in a 1-2 matchup between us and SC.
 
I just watched the Uconn / Iowa game on youtube. Not the result I would have hoped for but that was a really exciting game. Well played by both teams. A couple of made shots by Iowa down the stretch and they could have had it.
Clark went scoreless in the second half until the last few minutes of the 4th, meanwhile Fudd went off in the second half.
 
Bad timing on the day we get bumped out of the Top 25. This was a back pocket post in a 1-2 matchup between us and SC.

Fans are still desperately clinging to the hope of what we thought this team would be coming into the season, versus the reality of what the team actually is -- one that isn't even in the top 25 anymore. As I've said before, there is no evidence at this point that suggests Tennessee could even give the South Carolinas and Stanfords a competitive game, let alone beat them.

Could the Lady Vols improve? Sure, and I imagine they will work their way back to the top 25 before too long. The problem is South Carolina will also improve. So will Stanford. And UConn. Unfortunately the gap is already so wide and, unlike Tennessee, those programs have coaches with extensive Final Four/championship experience. That's just the reality...
 

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