Guru’s WBB March Madness - 1: Two No. 1s Will Get It Done for South Carolina

By Mike Siroky

 

Two of the top women’s coaches will match No. 1 seeds, East vs. West, in the National Semifinals when South Carolina takes on Stanford on Friday night.

 

The Gamecocks coasted and the Cardinal rallied in the Regional Championships in the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, where the three-week marathon that began with all 64 teams will conclude this weekend.

 

Each coach brings in multiple years of recent success.

 

Dawn Staley has a team without a senior, geared for a long national run. 

 

All-American sophomore Aliyah Boston, at 6-5, is the best player in the Southeastern Conference (13.7 points per game, 11 rebounds and 76 blocks). 

 

Even when she is double-teamed, all that does is allow her talented teammates room.

 

No one is more talented than the team director, ,5-9 guard Zia Cooke (15.9). She led SC in scoring against Texas to get here, 15 as one of five in double figures in that domination.

 

  The previous game she was 5-of-6 on 3s. 

 

Another sophomore Leticia Amihere,  is still rehabbing a second ACL tear. Her 11.3 points per game in the tournament is double her season average. 

 

 The Canadian is working toward the national team again if there are Olympic Games. 

 

A third starting sophomore is 6-1 Brea Beal (7.2, 5.2 rebounds), whom the team nicknamed “mud” because she is willing to do the dirty work. 

 

The juniors are represented by forward Victaria Saxton (8.7 with 33 steals) and 5-7 guard Destanni Henderson (12.1 with 139 assists, 92 3s, 5.2 rebounds per game). 

 

 Saxton and Beal have missed one start.

 

 Saxton hit her first eight points to establish what was going to happen in the Regional Final, showing Staley was just fine if the victim of the night wants to concentrate on Boston.

 

Every Cardinal has minutes in at least 20 games of the 28-2 season. 

 

The leaders are Kiana Williams, a 5-8 senior guard  (14.5 points per game, 35 steals, 90 assists, 39 3s), 6-1 sophomore Haley Jones (12.8, 7.4 rebounds, 30 blocks,  87 assists), 6-0 junior guard Lexie Hull (11.1 with 46 steals) and 6-4 freshman frontliner Cameron Brink (10.1,  6.7 rebounds with 75 blocks) are the double-figure scorers. 

 

Brink tweaked her leg in the Regional Final. 

 

Her coach said she is not fully recovered.  

 

Williams has had a supportive season and may cash in the magic ticket or extra eligibility from the NCAAS. 

 

But this is also a relatively young team, like SC always trying to get better recruiting classes every season.

 

Ashten Prechtel, a 6-5 sophomore, averages 13.6 minutes and 5.6 points per game and barely played in the first half of the Regional. 

 

She came off the bench to score 16 in 16 minutes without a missed shot from the field.

 

Tara Vanderveer started her basketball life playing at Indiana as a Boston recruit with IU’s first All-America,  Debbie Oing. The original IU coach, Bea Gorton, just passed this year.  

 

Vanderveer coached at Ohio State. She came West and dominated the left coast in a legendary career. 

 

She has the most wins of any women’s coach ever.

 

She has two National Championships. 

 

This is her 14^th Final Four. 

 

She knows the joy and pain of this level. 

 

VanDerveer stepped aside for the 1996 season to coach the Olympic Gold Medal team. 

 

Imagine if Staley had taken this year and last year off for the Olympic commitment. off. 

 

VanDerveer last won a national title 29 years ago.

One assistant, Kate Paye, not only attended and graduated from Stanford, but was born in the university’s hospital. 

 

The way Stanford works is both Paye and Vanderveer’s costs are underwritten by corporate sponsors.

 

 Another, Kate Steding, was Vanderveer’s first Stanford recruit and led the1990 National Champions.

 

Stanford is the national No. 2 in limiting opponent field goal percentage (32.6). SC is 32^nd (36.7), Stanford is No, 13 in national scoring (78.9); SC is two points behind.

 

Stanford is No. 4 in scoring margin (25) South Carolina is eighth (17.6). 

 

South Carolina has never been outrebounded all season and is third (14.8) in rebound margin. Stanford is 13^th  (10.5).

 

“I have total faith in every one of many players,” Vanderveer said.

 

 “We have to get on the boards. We can’t let them run us. They have an inside game and an outside game. We can’t wait until the second half. We have to play the complete game.

 

“This is a low-maintenance team. Any one can score at any time. Any player can step up at any time. Any one can do a solo. I trust each one of them.”

 

She coached Staley in the Olympics.

 

“She was a tremendous leader. Whatever Dawn decided to go into, she was going to be at the top of her career. l cheer for her every game except tomorrow.”

 

Stanford is supremely confident.

 

Hull is the player she chose to represent the team.

 

“We have to play 40 minutes, come out ready and come out aggressive,” she said. “They are a very good team.

 

“I definitely think we learned about ourselves (in the last game).

 

“We know we have it in us.”

 

Amihere has been rehabbing her second ACL tear and yet here she is an integral part of a national semifinal team, part of the All-Region team after the Texas game with nine blocked shots.

 

“I just stood strong and stayed in my faith, trust in God to get where I am. Coach told me it is part of my testimony.

 

“The hype around us is very different.

 

“This is the goal we put in for the beginning of the season. To see the work paying off. I am happy I have been able to step up for my team.

 

“It’s win or go home. People are going to punch back. We need to work hard and bring it.”

 

Staley said: “For all the coaches doing this, like Tara, they’re doing it the right way. I show my appreciation for them.

 

“What I remember (in 2017) was we weren’t playing our best basketball. I asked our team why we aren’t playing the best. We all huddled together, got it down and won.

 

“This one feels a lot different, but it feels like a Final Four. I look around and only see three other teams. 

 

“This is the pinnacle of our game. We practice, we play for, we cry for this.

 

“Losing is not in our DNA. The light comes on and Ding! Ding! Ding! they’re ready to go. We have to play fast and generate more possessions.

 

“Let the chips fall where they may. Defensively, we think we have some concepts in the things they like to do. For us, we have to bring it to them.”