Great insights!!!!
So much to learn and unpack from this game.
We won! Are we the better team?? Yes by about an inch but we got exposed in some ways I found worrisome and unexpected.
Questions/needs work
* Vandeveer makes better game plans than anybody in the country. Three games in a row she has knocked us on our *** in the first half. Not slowed us down, knocked us on our ***.
* As DarkCock noted Saxton was just nullified totally. We can live without her O but she has to rebound and play D. I was shocked by how physically overmatched she was by Iriafen. Brilliant strategy to put her on the block and Brink on the perimeter.
* We dump on Brink so much. Too whiny, too pretty, so dirty, so overrated. Well she kicked our *** yesterday. Showed why she is so highly regarded.
* 3pt shooting for us is always going to be, “Will it-show up today? And which shooter will it be?”.
We are better but NOBODY is game planning to stop our 3s.
As you say, we have gotten better. The biggest thing is, we have more players who are willing to take 3s: it once was just Henderson and Cooke, then Amihere came and went, then Boston started trying a few of her own when she was getting swamped down in the paint. Now Henderson has left, but Beal has developed a 3-ptr., and Hall and Johnson look like they are interested in taking attempts. Even Watkins made one a game or two back. Watkins, Feagin, and Saxton are a combined 3-4 on 3-pt FGs thus far this season, through 4 games!!! Those names aren't going to be high on your list of expected Gamecocks for 3-pt FG attempts.
But with more options on the team that will attempt those shots, it will help keep opposing defenses more honest. Raven needs to seriously improve on her efficiency, however: our top 3 players in 3-pt attempts thus far this season is Cooke with 19 attempts (47.4% FG completion leads the team), Beal with 16 attempts (43.8% is 2nd on team), and Johnson's 15 attempts (13.3% is......yeesh!). But Raven is taking on a huge load this season as a RS-Frosh, and she seems to have confidence in taking those shots, so perhaps her efficiency there will start to climb.
Saxton was also a no-show versus Stanford in our Final Four game with them in the '21 NCAAT, as well. There must be some match-up issue there that just doesn't go V's way, against that team, I dunno.
* PG play. Raven and Kierra are really good BUT they are not physically or clutch game ready to direct a national championship game YET. They have 35 games to get ready. PLEASE EXPLAIN how we can go 45 minutes against Stanford with just 11 turnovers and turn it over 20 times against taters and terps.!!??
It is interesting: In the Maryland and Clemson games, Johnson was a combined 7 assists and 3 turnovers, and Fletcher was a combined 4 assists and 3 turnovers. In both games, it was Amihere who led the team with the most give-aways (4 TOs vs MD and 3 TOs vs CU, to just 2 total assists), and she along with Cooke played the most minutes at Point vs Stanford. Those team turnovers against the other two opponents look to be just that - TEAM turnovers. Perhaps it was match-up situations
We are currently ranked 88th in WCBB in forcing turnovers per game, with an even 20.0 per game. Clemson is right behind us at 98th, with a 19.5 per game average. Maryland is 125th with a 18.6 per game average. So having those teams force us into 20 TOs on their home floors, with our young and inexperienced PGs doesn't seem too out of the norm.
Stanford is ranked 288th in Forced Turnovers per game, with an average of 14.5 TOs per game. I think the meat of their team defense comes from their great length in the post (they are 2nd nationally behind us in blocks per game) and defensive rebounding (9th - we are currently 20th). Their top guard is also their top player in Jones, and she's not know for excellent perimeter defense, which might be expected considered how much energy she puts out on the offensive end.
Overall, I think the team turnover issue is more opposing match-up oriented than individual player oriented, at this stage. But I would also like to see those numbers lowered as well. As with Amihere playing so much Point versus Stanford, I think it was a case of Dawn trying to match up with more length versus length, especially with both Boston and Saxton getting into foul trouble.
* Our Bench while best in the country has some weaknesses. This is situational not talent.
* HEY GUARDS, Stanford is tall and blocks shots!! They are not ETSU, Hampton or the taters. Don’t take that 5’7” weak *** crap on a wild foray down the lane.
Yep this drove me crazy as well. I think Cooke was trying (more like hoping) to draw fouls against their bigs, especially Brink who is foul prone. But she did do a great Wiley Coyote impression, running full steam into so many brick walls, didn't she?
Good news
* Yes, Tara May be the best game planner in the country, BUT dang if DS is not the best counterpuncher. She never panicked. She made adjustments, coached up her players and found what worked. She played the long game sitting Boston in the first half. Lots of coaches would have freaked and risked the third foul.
* We are really really mentally tough. Our mental toughness not just our depth and physicality wears teams out. Everybody was exhausted in OT, you saw it on the Stanford players faces, but not on ours. Only exception, REALLY V and Brea! Four free throws in a row. Stop that!
Dawn has always held strong to her principles here: if you pick up a 2nd foul in the 1st half, you sit until the 2nd half, no matter the circumstances. I've only ever seen her relent once or twice. Also you sit the rest of the 3rd period if you pick up your 3rd foul.
As for the late free throws by V and Beal: felt bad for V - her FTs came at the very end of the game in overtime. She once was a horrendous FT shooter, but has slowly worked on and improved her shooting at the line until she's gotten more dependable. She came into the Stanford game 9-10 from the charity stripe thus far this season. So I guess the pressure of those 2 FTs were just too much for her. And Beal, well her FT shooting has been and still is pretty shaky. She's now 2-6 from the line on the young season. But her shooting from the field and from the 3-pt arc has improved so much, that we probably shouldn't expect everything from her, LOL.
* Shocking, l know, yeah we got the best bench in the country.
LA is becoming a mad Kiki. She plays with determination, almost anger now. FIVE POSITIONS!!! She played all 5 positions yesterday! God I hope she comes back.
Watkins and Feagin are monsters. Both are stronger, taller, jump higher and better scorers than Saxton. Interesting to see how that position plays out over the season.
Bree Hall and Olivia T are fearless. “ HEY, last woman on the bench get in there! We are going to run a play for you first thing, knock down the three!” Got it coach! I mean what the..... Bree seems to get better in clutch situations.
* Boston and Cooke are killers.
I think Feagin and Watkins are going to push each other and compete with each other (in a friendly way) as long as they are fellow Gamecocks, much like Wilson and Coates did early on. They both have already shown so much of their talents - post scoring, rebounding, blocks, steals, athleticism, 3-pt shooting, defense. About the only thing Feagin has on Watkins right now is FT shooting. It will be exciting watching these two future stars blossom over their careers.
Final note
Three games in a row Stanford has stepped in a fresh pile of steaming dog poo in the last 30 seconds of the game against us. What’s up with that?
Turn the ball over on the inbounds in the semi final
Lane violation and total brain cramp on the last inbounds play last year
5 second violation and time out call this year
I totally agree, and with such a veteran HOF head coach in Vanderveer who has always been known as a heady prep coach, it's pretty surprising to see.....
that Feagin doesn’t hit the portal!! Also, to me Saxon needs come off the bench, don’t see any value there when we’re playing in big time games when the opponent team has height !!!
It's bad enough with Boston, Saxton, and LA, but then add in 6-7 Cardoso.
