South Carolina women's basketball: Five Things to Watch - #9 NC State

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#1 South Carolina makes the short trip up to Charlotte to face #9 NC State. Here’s what to watch for in the second game of the season for both teams.

1. Will Ashlyn Watkins play?
Junior forward Ashlyn Watkins returned to the team on November 6. She had been suspended for nearly two months following her arrest on August 31. The charges were dismissed and Watkins is fully eligible to play. But will she?

On Friday, Dawn Staley stopped short of saying Watkins would play against NC State, but said “If she’s out here, she’s going to play.” Later she said Watkins would not start. 

It certainly sounds like she will play, which would be huge. Last year in the Final Four against NC State, Watkins grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds and blocked two shots. You’ve got to think the Wolfpack hoped she’d be out at least one more game.

Read more about Watkins’ return.

2. Gamecock bigs
The timing of Watkins’ return couldn’t have been more fortuitous. It came just days after a completely underwhelming performance by South Carolina’s other post players against Michigan. They combined for just four blocks and gave up 52 rebounds (20 offensive) to a team that started five guards.

Starter Chloe Kitts had 19 points, 14 rebounds, and one of those blocks, but she was the only player who didn’t have a disappointing game. 

Reserve Joyce Edwards had 10 points and seven rebounds and hit a couple of late free throws to ice the game, but for most of the day, she looked like a freshman. Michigan involved her in a lot of pick-and-roll action and Edwards didn’t always make the right read. She also got visibly frustrated after some early mistakes.

Sakima Walker did not play, and Adhel Tac and Maryam Dauda played just five and four minutes, respectively. Tac grabbed three rebounds and disrupted some shots, but she missed her only layup attempt and missed a pair of free throws. Dauda, who is still learning South Carolina’s system, had a block and rebound but missed two three-point attempts.

The biggest disappointment was senior Sania Feagin. Feagin got in early foul trouble and finished with just two points and a block. After the game, Staley said “I’m not saying Feagin gave us nothing,” but the implication was otherwise.

Feagin didn’t have much impact in the exhibition games either, so on Friday I asked Staley if she might change the lineup so Feagin could come off the bench, where she seemed more comfortable. 

“She’s responding. I don’t have an issue with Feagin in practice,” Staley said. “She’s got to give us a little more to start the basketball game. We’ll see. We’ve got one more prep day.”

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3. Wolfpack bigs
NC State has a lot of the same concerns as South Carolina. River Baldwin and Mimi Collins, the top two forwards last season, have both moved on. In their place, NC State has a mixture of veterans and freshmen with lots of size but very little experience and, at least after one game, little production.

6-5 super senior Lizzy Williamson started against ETSU but played just six minutes, grabbing a pair of rebounds. 6-3 sophomore Mallory Collier played the most and had six points and five rebounds in 16 minutes. 

NC State also has two talented freshmen bigs. 6-5 Lorena Awou had five points and three rebounds in 11 minutes. Tilda Trygger, a 6-6 Swede, had three points, three rebounds, and two blocks in 10 minutes. 

That’s four players combining for 14 points, 13 rebounds, and two blocks. 

Why does it matter? Last season the Wolfpack was a Final Four team with Baldwin in the lineup, but close to .500 in games that she missed. The Pack needs some post production to balance out the guard play.

4. Get guards going
Tessa Johnson scored 15 points on 6-12 shooting (3-6 from three) against Michigan. The rest of South Carolina’s backcourt – Bree Hall, Te-Hina Paopao, Raven Johnson, and MiLaysia Fulwiley – combined for 22 points on 9-34 shooting (2-16 from three).

The Gamecocks really need more production from that group, especially since Fulwiley and Paopao are the top two returning scorers. Fulwiley missed some shots early, seemed to get frustrated, and ended up only playing four minutes in the second half. 

That’s not the way she expected to start her sophomore campaign, and Fulwiley is going to want to show out on Sunday. She is more than capable, but Raven Johnson said the key for all of the perimeter players is to stay within the team concepts.

“We’ve just got to be ready, go with the gameplan, and be disciplined, and follow what coach wants each one of us to do,” Johnson said. “We’ve just got to be disciplined.”

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5. Scouting the Wolfpack
The Wolfpack lost Baldwin and Collins but brings back the core of last year’s Final Four team: Saniya Rivers, Madison Hayes, Zoe Brooks, and Aziaha James, who scored 20 points against South Carolina and was one of the breakout stars of the tournament. 

Brooks was NC State’s top reserve last season but she moves into the starting lineup this season, giving the Wolfpack a four-guard lineup. South Carolina needs its guards to step up.

NC State had no answer for Kamilla Cardoso last season (22 points, 11 rebounds), but does South Carolina have anyone that can take advantage against an even smaller team this season?

Last season, Rivers had just five points on 2-11 shooting against her former team, so she surely wants to play better this time. Rivers plays multiple positions for the Wolfpack, and it’s possible she could get matched up against Edwards as both teams try to find mismatches.

Edwards didn’t adjust well to Michigan’s five guards, so look for NC State to try to do some of the same things. But if Edwards has learned from her mistakes, she has the athleticism to flip the mismatch in South Carolina’s favor.

The Ws
Who: #1 South Carolina (1-0) vs #9 NC State (1-0)
When: 3:00 pm, Sunday, November 10
Where: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Watch: ESPN

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