By james art 
South Carolina women’s basketball ends the first half of the SEC season with a trip to Tennessee. Learn how to watch and what to keep track of NO. 17 Lady Vols.
1. Run Running Run
Tennessee is the most productive team in the nation with an average of 93.4 points per game. This is nothing new for South Carolina, which comes out of games against teams ranked fourth, 15th, fourth and third place to come into the game.
However, Tennessee is different from other teams. Tennessee leads to the country with 33.9 attempts for three points per game, and Lady Vols want to run and shoot for 40 minutes.
In the attack, they want to get as many strokes as possible, especially threes. In defense, Tennessee presses and captures the whole court to make it difficult. This exhausts the opponents physically and mentally and all five players must be on the same page.
“As we are determined and just go to the ball, the meeting passes,” said Tea-Paopa. “Just being really determined with the ball and knowing what you want to do with it.”
You have to be patient against Lady Vols, protecting the ball and not accelerating. In defense, you should stay glued to your player. Lady Vols have problems scoring goals in the half -car when they don’t get stopped.
“There are certain things that we need to take care of,” Down Stelley said. “The ball is one. Two protects our speeds if we turn the ball. Three is obviously a transition and a three -point line. It is four that we have to defend ourselves. Although you will not disturb them so much because they are shifting you, we have to deal with the opportunity to keep one in one. “
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2. Depth
Both South Carolina and Tennessee use many players. Tennessee has 10 players playing between 13 and 25 minutes.
Lady Vols are not afraid to replace all five players at a time. All this is created to make their press feel ruthless and to tire the opponents physically and mentally.
South Carolina did this earlier in the season, but lately Down Staley prefers to change one or two players at a time to stay fresh.
The rotation of 10 South Carolina players has been shortened to eight recently due to injuries by Ashlin Watkins and Madi McDetan. McDaniel was slowly returning to where he was before he received a concussion. She and Mariam Dauda have only received a short time to play lately, but this may be a game in which Staley is expanding the rotation, especially if there is a need for another ball holder like McDaniel.
“Good two days of workouts,” Staley said. “I think she will play. I think she will play. Her speed, her ability to be a little different from all our guards, will pay dividends. We will need this against Tennessee. “
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3. Three points shooting
South Carolina scored only 2-13 against LSU and was 0-6 in the second half. This continues a recent trend. Gamecocks were 10-28 against Oklahoma, but only 3-20 against Alabama and 3-7 against Texas.
This came to 26.5% (18-68) in the last four games. South Carolina shot about 35% over the majority of the season.
The strangest part of the recent decline is that most of the attempts have been found from the-Hina Paopa, Tessa Johnson and Brie Hall. This group usually shoots over 40%, but they have combined 33.3% in the last four games.
It seems that a breakthrough should be made.
4. Availability Report
South Carolina remains as healthy as it will be by the end of the season. Only Ashlyn Watkins (Out) is listed in the availability statement.
For Tennessee, Kaiya Wynn is out. It was out all season with Achilles injury.
The biggest question of the availability in the game does not affect players, but Tennessee coach Kim Caldwell.
Caldwell said on Sunday that he plans to train Lady Vols on Monday night, just seven days after the birth of his first son, Connor Scott Caldwell, on January 20. Caldwell returned to training on Friday.
Caldwell missed Lady Vols’s last match in Texas. Assistant coach Jenna Burtet led Tennessee in her absence.
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5. Lady Vols Intelligence
Tennessee went through the season without a conference without a loss, including a 139-59 victory over NC Central, where Lady Vols made the stunning 30 threes, a NCAA record.
It was a different story in the SEC game where Lady Vols are 3-4. However, these four losses have one point from the 13th Oklahoma, two points of # 6 LSU, one point from Vanderbilt and four points of # 7 Texas.
The ten -point margin seems to be disappearing lightning with Tennessee, who returned from 19 against Oklahoma and 18 against LSU. But there are also dry periods that dug these holes in the beginning.
“The different style will probably take a little time to adapt,” Staley said. “We have to make them adapt to us. The whole goal is to adapt to them. Then, somewhere in the middle, a team will handle it. I just hope we are. “
Caldwell reworked Tennessee through the transfer portal. The five players who have started and play the most are transfers. All with the exception of one, Jeal Spriar (12.8 points), who came from Wake Forest, play for their first season for Lady Vols.
This includes Ruby Whitehorn (13.5 points), the highest-ranking rookie in the history of Clemson, who has finally realized his potential in Knoxville. Zi Speyman (11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds) was part of the surprising elite eight of Miami in 2023. Samara Spencer (11.3 points, 5.5 assists) was part of the Arkansas mass eviction last season.
Finally, there is a former Gamecock Taleysia Cooper. Cooper was a freshman on the Gamecock team, who lost to Iowa in the final four in Dallas. When South Carolina added Poopa from the transfers portal in the next off -season, there was not much time for Cooper to play.
Cooper decided to transfer late and missed the window to get an immediate right. She was absent last season and has become one of the best players of SEC this season. At 6-0, Cooper is a long, flexible-playing remote athlete.
The Caldwell system maximized Cooper’s strengths and minimized its weaknesses. This is a reminder of how important the fit is. The smooth, helpless Tennessee style and pressing protection are perfect for Cooper.
Cooper has an average of 17.8 points, 5.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 3.3 stolen balls and is the leader of Tennessee on blocks. This is a return to her career at East Clarendon high school, when she had many quadruple couples.
“A great player. A great player, “Staley said. “We are gaining great players and we had great players in our program. I’m very glad for a bunch. I’m glad she found her happy place. She is a bear you have to deal with because she can do everything. It can protect. It can score three levels. She can play in several positions. I think the style of the game fits her perfectly. “
Ws
Who: No. 2 South Carolina (19-1, 7-0) to No. 17 Tennessee (15-4, 3-4)
When: 7:00 et, Monday, January 27
Where: Thompson-Boling Arena, Knoxville, TN
Watch: ESPN2