Dawn Staley, South Carolina set for SEC opener: ‘It’s a different level’ of intensity
It’s standard coach speak to say that every game matters equally, no matter the opponent. But not around this time of year, not for Dawn Staley.
With the South Carolina women’s basketball team set to open SEC play against No. 13 Kentucky on Thursday, we’ve reached a point where the intensity and pressure, already high on the No. 4 Gamecocks, rise to a new level.
Not even the team’s previous nonconference matchups against then-No. 5 Maryland and then-No. 2 Baylor can compare to what USC’s talented freshman class is about to experience for the first time.
“I think it helps, but it’s the SEC. It’s a different level,” Staley said of those previous ranked matchups. “The stakes are a little bit higher. But I think they’re up for that challenge, and they’re up for that challenge because they’ve been through it, number one. Number two, we got good leadership. (Senior guard Tyasha Harris is) gonna prepare them and put them in a place of comfort, but also in a place where there’s heightened awareness about what needs to take place out there on the floor.”
On top of the intensity of SEC play, there’s the pressure of facing a Kentucky team that’s historically been a rival and has been on a roll so far this year, with one of the nation’s top scoring defenses. The Wildcats have already come within a point of upsetting top-10 Louisville, 67-66.
Coming off the season’s longest break between games, the Gamecocks have had to lock back in quickly, Staley said.
“I’m kinda glad we’re doing it, so our players can get a feel for this league from the very top. And to play Kentucky is challenging in itself, but it will garner a lot of attention to our younger players,” Staley said.
“It’s big, it’s crazy, it’s gonna be a big game,” junior guard LeLe Grissett said. “We need this. This game matters the most. It’s the first SEC game.”
And in addition to all of that, USC will have to deal with Kentucky’s star player, 6-foot-2 sophomore guard Rhyne Howard. A preseason All-SEC selection, Howard is averaging 20.9 points per game with a 55% true shooting percentage and a 37.6% 3-point rate.
Last season’s national freshman of the year, Howard put up 33 points in two games against the Gamecocks, and her role has only increased in her sophomore campaign.
“She’s got the green light,” Staley said when asked what makes Howard so hard to defend. “When someone has the green light to shoot from anywhere at anytime, whether they’re ill-advised or not, it’s a hard guard, and she’s gonna touch the ball basically every time down the floor, so you don’t have any time to rest. And she’s a good shooter, she’s a good scorer, she can score three ways and I think the most important way in guarding her is to make her guard you.”
Howard is tied for 10th in the nation in usage rate, according to Her Hoop Stats, and accounts for more than a quarter of her team’s field goal attempts. And with her combination of size and speed, the task of slowing her down will likely fall to 6-foot freshman guard Brea Beal, who’s excelled this season on defense in Staley’s eyes.
“(Brea’s) been doing it for us all season long. And it’s different. I told her that she’s probably the best guard that we’ve seen thus far,” Staley said. “So Brea is gonna do what she does and let the chips fall where they may. I like her approach. I like what she’s done historically these past (13) games, so I think she’ll be ready for the challenge.”
Beal has already impressed on defense with her ability to shut down top scorers against the likes of Duke, Baylor and Washington State. But when it comes to stopping Howard, a team effort will likely be required.
“It’s very tough,” Grissett said. “She’s a three-level scorer — layups, pull-ups, anything you can think of. So we just gotta play our defense.”
NEXT
Who: No. 4 South Carolina (12-1) vs. No. 13 Kentucky (11-1)
When: 7 p.m. Thursday
Where: Colonial Life Arena
Watch: SEC Network
Listen: 107.5 FM in Columbia area
