SEC play starts Thursday! After watching some pre-conference games (in-between my grandchildren both practicing/playing, and both being sick, new twin grandchildren, and, oh yeah, the holidays-- LOL!) . . . what does everyone think the ladies SEC record will be now that things are settling down? It's always hard to pick but I'm going with 11-5. I almost went 10-6 but Zippy is continuing to improve.
I am just worried about getting off to a good start against SC..if we can do that there might be a chance Thursday night.
Oi. Opening with South Carolina. I just hope we can hang with them for a while. They're 12-0, and most of them have been lopsided blowouts. North Carolina hung around, losing at home by 7. All the others got clobbered.
We're catching up with the likes of South Carolina insofar as talent. But our team has to overcome the mental hurdles and actually BELIEVE they can compete and win at that level. It's coming, I think, but maybe we're not quite there yet. Would love to see an upset, though.
We need everybody to heat up, in the same game. Bertie, for example, only has one game (I believe) with multiple 3s. It's fine to do all the other stuff that helps winning. But against USCe, they all have to be en fuego.
We're a long way from catching South Carolina, but we might be competitive with them when the incoming talented freshmen become talented sophomores.
vs USC L at Vandy L at Tennessee W vs Georgia W vs Miss St W at Ole Miss L vs Texas A&M W at LSU L vs Arkansas W at Miss St L vs Ole Miss W at Kentucky W vs Missouri W at Georgia L at Alabama L vs Auburn W 18-12 (9-7) I hope they perform better than my prediction, but there are a lot of good (but not great) teams in the conference and most of our games will probably be toss-ups.
I am going 7-9. Changing only UT and Miss State on your list. Anywhere from 6-12 wins is honestly feasible. There really is a logjam of decent, not great teams. Someone will get hot and surprise like we did 2 years ago. Hopefully it is us again. That opening half of the schedule is rough though.
Well, we're within just a couple games of each other, which is somewhat reassuring. Establishes the opening mean.
On second thought, I do this all the time and this season I'm changing my approach. Sticking with my original 10-6.
GAINESVILLE, FL.– Florida basketball will take on No. 1 South Carolina in their first Southeastern conference game of the year. This will be the Gators second straight home game after defeating Winthrop on Saturday 73-36. Florida is coming off a successful non-conference season with a 9-3 record and is looking to continue that momentum into Thursday's contest against the Gamecocks. SOUTH CAROLINA (12-0, 0-0 SEC) Date: Thursday, Jan. 4 Time: 7 p.m. Site: Exactech Arena at Stephen C. O'Connell Center Stream: SECN Radio: ESPN Gainesville 98.1 FM / 850 AM Stats: StatBroadcast Tickets SERIES RECORD: South Carolina currently holds the all-time series 21-20 over the Gators. Florida will aim to tie up the series at 21 a piece Thursday night in the O'Dome. HISTORY: Florida last saw the Gamecocks on Feb. 16, 2023, in Columbia, falling 87-56. The Gamecocks have edged Florida in their last 15 matchups, putting the Gators in a drought against South Carolina. Florida's most recent win against South Carolina dates back to January of 2011, however, the last time the Gamecoks came to the O'Dome (1/30/22), Florida nearly came out on top. In 2022, Florida outscored the Gamecocks in the second half, forced 21 turnovers, and was led overall by Kiara Smith with 22 points. FLORIDA'S LAST GAME: Florida will return home Thursday night, after defeating Winthrop 73-36 five days prior. In the Gators last time out they were shooting 51.9 percent from the field, and had three players in double figures for scoring. Florida was led on offense by Aliyah Matharu with 12 points and on the boards by Ra Shaya Kyle with 11 rebounds. The Gators are now on a three-game winning streak as they enter conference play. ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina is currently first in the nation with an undefeated 12-0 record. The Gamecocks will be traveling to Gainesville with their last time out being a 73-36 win over Eastern Carolina on Saturday afternoon. Overall, South Carolina is led by Kamilla Cardoso with an average of 13.9 points and 10.1 rebounds a game. The Gamecocks have three other players averaging in double figures for scoring; MiLaysia Fulwiley (12.1 ppg), Te-Hina Paopao (12.0 ppg), and Chloe Kitts (10.8 ppg). Source: Gators Basketball to Initiate SEC Play Against No. 1 South Carolina - Florida Gators
We are about to find out if we have improved over last season. South Carolina had a let down game a year ago at Mizzou. Maybe it's our turn. It will take everyone being hot and the best coaching of the year, but who knows. The program could really use one big upset this year to really raise eyebrows along with the class we have coming in next year.
