ESPN Article questions USC Basketball team

[rock cock doc]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

 

[HI Cock]

You gotta earn respect. And that's right where we are right now. Vandy will be a good test. Watched them in the Maui Invitational and they've got some really good players. So do we, of course, but we can't go on those 5+ minute dry spells and expect to win games this year - like we did towards the end of the Clemson game. That will be the test for how much these guys have improved over last year's team.

 

[Atlanta Cock]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

I think the article is correct.

 

[vehemon]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

It's partial click bait as well.
They have Louisville ranked at 16th and they have just about as bad SoS according to Pomeroy as we do.
USC/292, Louisville/279

Looking at SoS and pre/early season rankings is just as bad in basketball as it is in football.
A majority of the talking mouth pieces of college basketball is simply looking for click bait or attention/air time. They are simply going to give the benefit of doubt to the teams they constantly see in the sweet 16. If USC can finally do that a few times... stupid articles like this will stop.

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

I can't bring myself to pull for the clemmers to win anything, but the more games they win the better that victory will be for us.

 

[Garnet chicken]

I really question that strength of schedule. That's saying that everyone played averaged at 292 in the nation. Wins away fromy home are tough to get no matter who you play. Clemson's football schedule stinks to high heaven yet because they were undefeated they are #1. Sounds hypocritical to me.

 

[mauze1]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

We have not played a tough schedule. But, we are undefeated. SEC play remains to be seen. Not enough Memphises on the schedule. It will all come down to holding our own in the conference.

I like our team, but don't confuse them with top ten teams until proven. So far the schedule has not done that.

 

[DirtyCock99]

Memphis was a test, no doubt. But even I thought just yesterday, Vandy will be the toughest test to date.

 

[jonesz21]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

I guess like all the talking heads said before football season that whoever won the UNC South Carolina matchup would go on to have a good season and the loser would be in for a long season lol

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

Need Hofstra to have a good conference season & do well in their tourney. Same for Tulsa. Would also be nice if Memphis won their conference. Can't, just can't hope Clem wins games.

Truth be told, I looked at the record of the teams we've played.....many are WAY below .500. Really bad teams. I hope we're not looking at fool's gold.

 

[jonesz21]

Need Hofstra to have a good conference season & do well in their tourney. Same for Tulsa. Would also be nice if Memphis won their conference. Can't, just can't hope Clem wins games.

Truth be told, I looked at the record of the teams we've played.....many are WAY below .500. Really bad teams. I hope we're not looking at fool's gold.

Reminds me of an acc football schedule

 

[4thgengamecock]

I don't have as many questions about the schedule as a lot of people do. Really, it's USF (3-13) and Drexel (2-12) that are dragging us down. Seriously, if you had checked the RPI right after those games, we tanked about thirty spots despite winning because those teams suck so much. If you took out those two games (and Francis Marion, I guess), we'd probably have a middle-of-the-road schedule. Not good enough for anyone to talk us up, but not low enough to make people say, "They've played a bunch of cupcakes and that's it."

 

[cockfight#]

I think Carolina in the polls are were they should be. I also believe that the media pundits will get it right one day, they said "Memphis will be their first real test" won that one, Auburn will be their first real road game" won that to, now they say "Vandy is the first big game" we will find out Saturday. I believe we will lose some games, but this is a very good basketball team, and like I have heard some say about that team who play football in the upstate " they played their schedule and won all their games what more can they do" so I will end it with this no matter what the pundits say "just win anyway". Spurs Up

 

[cock enforcer]

Vandy is easily the best team we will have faced thus far. Very good RPI, and a team that most have in the tournament despite a tough start. WHEN we beat them and beat Alabama on the road this week, we will gain a lot more respect nationally.

 

[DirtyCock99]

Vandy is easily the best team we will have faced thus far. Very good RPI, and a team that most have in the tournament despite a tough start. WHEN we beat them and beat Alabama on the road this week, we will gain a lot more respect nationally.

Bama is good. Watched them play a few times. Have been known to struggle @ bama too. But I totally agree about vandy.

 

[92Pony]

Vandy will be tough! (May even be our first L) From what I've been hearing on the radio and such, they've been down a couple of key pieces, which - surprise, surprise - they're getting back in time for our game with them. If we can manage a W against them, that will be big!

 

[dcdayday]

The Gamecocks are the number ten team mentioned. Saying basically the Vandy game would be the first big game on the schedule and will judge the season based on that game. I don't think the schedule has been weak, Memphis was certainly a quality, tough win.


http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebask...46/top10thursday-teams-you-shouldnt-trust-yet

Their schedule has been weak. They're also correct in saying Vandy will be their first big test. Vandy has several guys that shoot from the perimeter and they have some good post players.

 

[4thgengamecock]

I'm still not sold on Bama. People are talking them up for beating a then-ranked Notre Dame club who hasn't sniffed the poll in weeks and a Wichita State team that was so thin at the time that they started a walk-on at guard. For some reason, people remember those and completely forget their total annihilation in an 80-48 loss against Dayton. Bama is about like Clemson: they slow the game down, play defense, and pray to God things work out. They'll finish 9th in the SEC, tops, and are more likely to be in the bottom four.

 

[Gradstudent]

No Issue with article, plenty to prove

 

[DirtyCock99]

I'm still not sold on Bama. People are talking them up for beating a then-ranked Notre Dame club who hasn't sniffed the poll in weeks and a Wichita State team that was so thin at the time that they started a walk-on at guard. For some reason, people remember those and completely forget their total annihilation in an 80-48 loss against Dayton. Bama is about like Clemson: they slow the game down, play defense, and pray to God things work out. They'll finish 9th in the SEC, tops, and are more likely to be in the bottom four.

After last nights loss to ole miss, they're 7-4. With losses to Dayton(only bad loss) Oregon, Xavier. They are in a transition year under Avery, but they have talent. They're always tough at home vs USC.

 

[cockfight#]

Vandy is easily the best team we will have faced thus far. Very good RPI, and a team that most have in the tournament despite a tough start. WHEN we beat them and beat Alabama on the road this week, we will gain a lot more respect nationally.

While I agree with what you say, if Carolina wins, this is what I think we will hear. Vandy is 0-3 in the SEC are they really as good as we thought they were in December? I like this team and do believe they will get more respect nationally if they keep winning. Dawns team beat Ark. by 53 points and last night beat Vandy by ten and their are some out their that question if SC is as good as they are ranked. While they may be some that think because of this post I care to much about what they write, for you I don't, but Carolina won back to back NC in baseball and played for the third and was not ranked #1 preseason in any of those years. Two of the three NC from the past three years were ranked #1 the next year in preseason polls... go figure.

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

I don't have as many questions about the schedule as a lot of people do. Really, it's USF (3-13) and Drexel (2-12) that are dragging us down. Seriously, if you had checked the RPI right after those games, we tanked about thirty spots despite winning because those teams suck so much. If you took out those two games (and Francis Marion, I guess), we'd probably have a middle-of-the-road schedule. Not good enough for anyone to talk us up, but not low enough to make people say, "They've played a bunch of cupcakes and that's it."

It's not just those 2.

Norfolk St. currently @ 4-10
Oral Roberts, normally a winning program, @ 8-8
DePaul, a name brand, 6-9
Lipscomb @ 4-8
Western Carolina @ 4-9
St. John's, a name brand, @ 7-9

Our resume of wins wreaks. We have to get to 24+ wins.

 

[dcdayday]

The keys for this team going forward will be the play of P.J. Dozier and our post guys. Laimonas has to get more aggressive in the post.

 

[4thgengamecock]

It's not just those 2.

Norfolk St. currently @ 4-10
Oral Roberts, normally a winning program, @ 8-8
DePaul, a name brand, 6-9
Lipscomb @ 4-8
Western Carolina @ 4-9
St. John's, a name brand, @ 7-9

Our resume of wins wreaks. We have to get to 24+ wins.

We're not like a lot of other schools who have played a couple of big teams to boost their ratings and a bunch of crap-cake duds. We just have a lot of average wins against a lot of average schools. A lot of those teams will probably end up at or above 0.500 (except for maybe St. John's and DePaul, due to being in a brutal Big East). I would agree that we didn't play a murderer's row, but it's not like we were playing the Little Sisters of the Poor, Deaf, and Blind every week like a lot of people think.

And it's not like other teams aren't doing this. Louisville's schedule is 229; Maryland's, 232; SMU's, 225 (all according to KenPom). Pittsburgh's schedule is ranked 312, and they're being talked up as an ACC dark horse. We're only getting flack for it because we weren't expected to be any good. Change our name to "Arizona" (presently 224th in strength of schedule), and all criticism would disappear.

My point isn't that we're as good as those teams or have played a schedule as tough as those teams, but that having a low SOS at this point is pretty normal for a lot of really good teams. Take a glance at the Top 100 schedules on KenPom and you'll see a scattering of major-conference teams (mostly in the lower reaches) and a butt-ton of small conference and mid-major schools. Those include, incidentally, Western (#5), Norfolk St. (#19), Oral Roberts (#22), Drexel (#60), DePaul (#64), Tulsa (#70), and Lipscomb (#92). We've played a lot of teams that are better than their records because they were scheduled as sacrificial lambs for stronger teams.

 

[Rod Dangerfield]

We're not like a lot of other schools who have played a couple of big teams to boost their ratings and a bunch of crap-cake duds. We just have a lot of average wins against a lot of average schools. A lot of those teams will probably end up at or above 0.500 (except for maybe St. John's and DePaul, due to being in a brutal Big East). I would agree that we didn't play a murderer's row, but it's not like we were playing the Little Sisters of the Poor, Deaf, and Blind every week like a lot of people think.

And it's not like other teams aren't doing this. Louisville's schedule is 229; Maryland's, 232; SMU's, 225 (all according to KenPom). Pittsburgh's schedule is ranked 312, and they're being talked up as an ACC dark horse. We're only getting flack for it because we weren't expected to be any good. Change our name to "Arizona" (presently 224th in strength of schedule), and all criticism would disappear.

My point isn't that we're as good as those teams or have played a schedule as tough as those teams, but that having a low SOS at this point is pretty normal for a lot of really good teams. Take a glance at the Top 100 schedules on KenPom and you'll see a scattering of major-conference teams (mostly in the lower reaches) and a butt-ton of small conference and mid-major schools. Those include, incidentally, Western (#5), Norfolk St. (#19), Oral Roberts (#22), Drexel (#60), DePaul (#64), Tulsa (#70), and Lipscomb (#92). We've played a lot of teams that are better than their records because they were scheduled as sacrificial lambs for stronger teams.

Well 4thgengamecock.....have the lambs stopped screaming?

 

[DirtyCock99]

Change our name to "Arizona" (presently 224th in strength of schedule), and all criticism would disappear.

Yeah, if that were the case this team would be top 3, if not #1, right now.

 

[4thgengamecock]

Well 4thgengamecock.....have the lambs stopped screaming?

Yeah, I ate their livers with some fava beans and a nice chianti.

 

[IH8FATBRAD]

The thing that sucks is you don't know these teams are going to suck when you schedule them.

 

[whythis28]

These next 5-games will determine a lot in regards to building a resume'. 3 of the next 5 are on the road...@Ole Miss and @Tennessee will be tough games. Tennessee smashed Florida and Ole Miss just broke in their new area last night vs Alabama.

 

[Sending an SOS]

Last I checked, we won all of our games. So I'm not sure what there is to criticize. It's not like we are the ones voting for the polls. Our guys are just going out and competing. And taking care of business. Respect will come with time. Until then...screw the critics.

 

[dcdayday]

Last I checked, we won all of our games. So I'm not sure what there is to criticize. It's not like we are the ones voting for the polls. Our guys are just going out and competing. And taking care of business. Respect will come with time. Until then...screw the critics.

I don't think we should be ranked until we win 20 games.

 

[IH8FATBRAD]

I think we have a good team, and are deserving. Honestly all of CBB kinda looks weak this year. Anyone know the spread for tomorrow. .?

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Continued winning will take care of everything. I think we've continued to improve.

 

[whythis28]

I think we have a good team, and are deserving. Honestly all of CBB kinda looks weak this year. Anyone know the spread for tomorrow. .?

Not entirely sure but the line on ESPN says "Even." They probably haven't determined the line as of yet. Also on ESPN they have a projected score of 72 to 66 Gamecocks. You can take that for what it's worth...

 

[sgacock]

Don't care.

I just wanna' dance y'all

 

[Mikmojo11]

More ESPN garbage

 

[whythis28]

I think we have a good team, and are deserving. Honestly all of CBB kinda looks weak this year. Anyone know the spread for tomorrow. .?

The current line is Gamecocks by 4.

 

[Freddie.B.Cocky]

Don't care.

I just wanna' dance y'all

I would give anything to get to the dance and win just one game.

 

[dcdayday]

I would give anything to get to the dance and win just one game.

I know it will be long over due. Just wished that folks in South Carolina would start to look at South Carolina as a potential top Basketball program given the amount of high level talent we've had coming through the state the past 40 years. It's a crying shame this program hasn't had much success.