We can win the national championship in WBB next year if...

[Sending an SOS]

1) Coates realizes her potential and plays aggressively and confidently
2) Wilson continues to develop
3) Mitchell has another good year
4) Cuevas continues to develop as a PG (fewer TOs, potentially develop a stronger perimeter shooting game)
5) Improve perimeter shooting at the SG positions
6) Improve backcourt defense
7) Staley puts our best players on the floor to start the game

That may sound like a lot, but they are all reasonable goals for next year. I don't see any reason why we can't win it all next year if these things happen.

Anyone disagree? Or did I miss anything?

 

[cocky lady]

Also, work on 3 pt. shooting and free throws! Could've won this one with better ft shooting imo!!

 

[67gamecock]

Originally posted by cocky lady:

Also, work on 3 pt. shooting and free throws! Could've won this one with better ft shooting imo!!

Ahh, yes, in a previous post re: improving our 3-point shooting next year, I failed to mention: get better AND more consistent at the FT line. Failure to do so could cost us a vital game.

 

[sanfordcock]

It is all about player development. That's the one thing that was pointed out about UConn's program, they get the best players, but they also make them better each year, and that is why they dominate every team. We have gotten some of the best players that last year or so. Now we have to see if they develop to be better players.

If we do this, we can reach the final four, and maybe the finals, but I don't see any chance we rise to the level of UConn in the near future.
This post was edited on 4/7 8:19 AM by sanfordcock

 

[Sending an SOS]

While improvements in FT shooting would definitely be a good thing, it may be asking a lot with our current style of play. Seems like our bigs primarily are the ones who get to the line, and you can expect their FT% to be lower. We need to create more opportunities for our guards, and they definitely need to be shooting 80%+ from the line. I felt like Coates and Wilson shot decently from the line for bigs, but Coates missed some critical FTs down the stretch the other night. I don't think it's her FT ability as much as it was pressure. The F4 experience this year should help in that regard next year. Also - while the loss of Welch hurts us in some areas, it will probably help our team FT%...

 

[Quisp]

It seems to me that WBB is where the men's game was during the Wooden era. Everyone was playing for the Final Four and 2nd place. It may even be that UConn, in relative terms, is even more dominant than UCLA was back then.

So the team may check off every item on your list and it not matter one wit. It's way hard to get on the UConn level.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

We play UCONN in Columbia next year, which will show us where we are. I think we will be even better next season.

 

[fightingcock103]

Play Wilson more than 24 minutes when we get back to the Final Four would be tops on my list.

 

[dansby660]

Uconn loses Stewart who looks to be about 8 feet tall and they lose the big girl that hits every 3 she takes it seems like. I'm sure they will reload but I'm glad to see those 2 go.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[RSCock]

Breanna Stewart is a Jr and will be back. UConn loses two SR's and only one started. They replace those two SR's with the #1 and #7 recruits in 2015.

Staley knows what it takes to get to the Final Four and she will get us back there. Once there anything can happen.

 

[DarkCock]

Originally posted by RSCock:
Breanna Stewart is a Jr and will be back. UConn loses two SR's and only one started. They replace those two SR's with the #1 and #7 recruits in 2015.

Staley knows what it takes to get to the Final Four and she will get us back there. Once there anything can happen.

UCONN basically played 6 players last night, so losing two key contributors is losing 1/3 of their team. Notre Dame returns their entire starting lineup. South Carolina loses Welch, but Wilson's increased minutes will make up for her loss.

So both Notre Dame and USC will have the talent to beat UCONN, but they will have to be much more talented to make up for the coaching discrepancy.

 

[ReadR00ster]

Originally posted by DarkCock:

Originally posted by RSCock:
Breanna Stewart is a Jr and will be back. UConn loses two SR's and only one started. They replace those two SR's with the #1 and #7 recruits in 2015.

Staley knows what it takes to get to the Final Four and she will get us back there. Once there anything can happen.

UCONN basically played 6 players last night, so losing two key contributors is losing 1/3 of their team. Notre Dame returns their entire starting lineup. South Carolina loses Welch, but Wilson's increased minutes will make up for her loss.

So both Notre Dame and USC will have the talent to beat UCONN, but they will have to be much more talented to make up for the coaching discrepancy.
Uconn will still be dominant because Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck will be back and they are monsters. And they will still have plenty of 3 point assassins to compliment them.

 

[dcdayday]

Both Tennessee and UNC will be much improved. Tennessee will be getting Deshields and they have a 6'7" player that transferred. UNC will be getting Xylina McDaniels back.

 

[chucktowncock]

might also help if we don't play the first ten minutes of each game with two of our five best players on the bench

go cocks!

 

[Holy City Cock]

Both the men's and women's teams need a shooter. It would greatly help the other team's from packing the middle, especially against Wilson and Coates. Free throws also killed us in the Notre Dame game.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Originally posted by ReadR00ster:

Originally posted by DarkCock:

Originally posted by RSCock:
Breanna Stewart is a Jr and will be back. UConn loses two SR's and only one started. They replace those two SR's with the #1 and #7 recruits in 2015.

Staley knows what it takes to get to the Final Four and she will get us back there. Once there anything can happen.

UCONN basically played 6 players last night, so losing two key contributors is losing 1/3 of their team. Notre Dame returns their entire starting lineup. South Carolina loses Welch, but Wilson's increased minutes will make up for her loss.

So both Notre Dame and USC will have the talent to beat UCONN, but they will have to be much more talented to make up for the coaching discrepancy.
Uconn will still be dominant because Stewart, Jefferson and Tuck will be back and they are monsters. And they will still have plenty of 3 point assassins to compliment them.

My, your 3 point shot is quite beautiful today.

 

[CONNGAMECOCK]

If UCONN does away with Women's Basketball and replaces it with Sand Volleyball.

 

[cockhornleghorn]

Originally posted by CONNGAMECOCK:
If UCONN does away with Women's Basketball and replaces it with Sand Volleyball.

Are you sure you're a Gamecock? Let's see how the game goes in Columbia next season, first.

 

[budman1976]

ND AND UCONN BOTH HAD THEIR FAIR SHARE OF YOUNGER PLAYERS AS WE DID. THEY BOTH WILL BE BETTER ALSO

 

[DarkCock]

Originally posted by budman1976:
ND AND UCONN BOTH HAD THEIR FAIR SHARE OF YOUNGER PLAYERS AS WE DID. THEY BOTH WILL BE BETTER ALSO

Easy on the caps lock there, bud. Jewell Loyd declared for the WNBA draft yesterday. No way the Irish can lose a player of her caliber and be better next season.

 

[mbsurfside]

"If UCONN does away with Women's Basketball and replaces it with Sand Volleyball."


I agree Conn. They will be loaded again next year.

 

[redyns54]

What they said.....if UCONN doesn't field a team.

 

[Paws66]

As much as I know that loss to ND hurt. It may very well be the thing that pushes the players to that next level. Honestly , anyone can see the sudden and consistent rise of your women's BB team. It has been a steady rise, and I anticipate it going further next yr. see no reason why it won't , barring injury or something unforeseen. Hoping our ladies program will begin making strides in that direction this coming year. But Staley has SC on the rise for sure!!

 

[bosoxcock]

I 3rd or 4th the above...SC wins if.......... UCONN disbands their women's basketball program.

 

[Winyah Bay]

Replacing Welch may be harder than we think. She performed well at some critical times.