GAME THREAD: @ South Carolina, Sunday, 2/8, 3 pm EST, ABC

#1
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RetroVol

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#1
Straight ChatGPT -- no checking. Holler if you see problems.

#19 Tennessee @ #3 South Carolina
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | ABC
Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY
Tennessee finally showed some teeth in Athens—now they walk into Columbia where South Carolina’s depth turns one sloppy stretch into a 12–0 avalanche.

WHERE THIS ONE SITS
• Tennessee: 15–5 (7–1 SEC)
• South Carolina: 23–2 (9–1 SEC), 1st in SEC

SOUTH CAROLINA IDENTITY (WHAT YOU’RE REALLY PLAYING)
• They score in waves: 87.9 PPG pace with multiple creators/finishers.
• Defense that travels: Auburn 51, A&M 56, Mississippi State 45 (and they weren’t sweating).
• Depth that laughs at “pace wars”: they’re comfortable playing 9–10, and the physicality doesn’t drop.

RECENT FORM (WEIGH THIS HEAVY)
South Carolina last five: W MSST 88–45, W @A&M 71–56, W @Auburn 81–51, W Vanderbilt 103–74, L @Oklahoma 82–94 (OT).

HOME COURT NOTE (THIS MATTERS)
In SEC home games they’ve already beaten Alabama (+22), Georgia (+22), Texas (+3), Vanderbilt (+29), Mississippi State (+43) — average margin about +24.

LIKELY LINEUP + ROLES (WITH MPG)
The engine room:
• Joyce Edwards — F, 6'3" (So) — 30.1 MPG: alpha scorer/connector (20.4 PPG).
• Madina Okot — C, 6'6" (Sr) — 23.7 MPG: rim + glass (13.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG).
• Raven Johnson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.3 MPG: table-setter (5.3 APG), pressure + pace control.
• Tessa Johnson — G, 6'0" (Jr) — 28.4 MPG: shooter/scorer (13.6 PPG, 45.7% from 3).

The swing pieces (and the injury swing):
• Ta’Niya Latson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.6 MPG: downhill scorer (15.2 PPG) — missed multiple games (lower-leg).
• Agot Makeer — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 17.8 MPG: length/defense — also out recently (lower-leg).
• Ayla McDowell — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 15.9 MPG: spot-up damage; started vs MSST, hit four 3s.

TENNESSEE CHECK-IN: WHAT HAPPENED AT GEORGIA
• Gut-check road win: Tennessee beat Georgia 82–77 in OT.
• The good: +13 offensive rebounds, 16–22 FT, and survived with 13 TO.
• The “don’t do that again”: 37 threes (12–37). You can’t live on that math in Columbia.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Tennessee MUST:
• Win the possession battle. No live-ball giveaways, and finish possessions (Okot is a problem).
• Get paint touches that matter. South Carolina’s fine with you launching quick threes—make them guard drives, cuts, and post seals.
• Survive the “avalanche stretch.” One 90-second meltdown = game.

Tennessee AVOID:
• Foul trouble up front. If your bigs are whistling, Edwards + Okot will eat.
• Thinking tempo alone wins it. South Carolina’s depth isn’t getting tired.

X-FACTOR:
• Latson’s status. If she’s back, SC adds another primary scorer; if not, Tennessee can load up more aggressively on Edwards/Tessa actions.
 
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#2
#2
RetroVol said:
Straight ChatGPT -- no checking. Holler if you see problems.

#19 Tennessee @ #3 South Carolina
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | ABC
Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY
Tennessee finally showed some teeth in Athens—now they walk into Columbia where South Carolina’s depth turns one sloppy stretch into a 12–0 avalanche.

WHERE THIS ONE SITS
• Tennessee: 15–5 (7–1 SEC)
• South Carolina: 23–2 (9–1 SEC), 1st in SEC

SOUTH CAROLINA IDENTITY (WHAT YOU’RE REALLY PLAYING)
• They score in waves: 87.9 PPG pace with multiple creators/finishers.
• Defense that travels: Auburn 51, A&M 56, Mississippi State 45 (and they weren’t sweating).
• Depth that laughs at “pace wars”: they’re comfortable playing 9–10, and the physicality doesn’t drop.

RECENT FORM (WEIGH THIS HEAVY)
South Carolina last five: W MSST 88–45, W @A&M 71–56, W @Auburn 81–51, W Vanderbilt 103–74, L @Oklahoma 82–94 (OT).

HOME COURT NOTE (THIS MATTERS)
In SEC home games they’ve already beaten Alabama (+22), Georgia (+22), Texas (+3), Vanderbilt (+29), Mississippi State (+43) — average margin about +24.

LIKELY LINEUP + ROLES (WITH MPG)
The engine room:
• Joyce Edwards — F, 6'3" (So) — 30.1 MPG: alpha scorer/connector (20.4 PPG).
• Madina Okot — C, 6'6" (Sr) — 23.7 MPG: rim + glass (13.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG).
• Raven Johnson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.3 MPG: table-setter (5.3 APG), pressure + pace control.
• Tessa Johnson — G, 6'0" (Jr) — 28.4 MPG: shooter/scorer (13.6 PPG, 45.7% from 3).

The swing pieces (and the injury swing):
• Ta’Niya Latson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.6 MPG: downhill scorer (15.2 PPG) — missed multiple games (lower-leg).
• Agot Makeer — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 17.8 MPG: length/defense — also out recently (lower-leg).
• Ayla McDowell — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 15.9 MPG: spot-up damage; started vs MSST, hit four 3s.

TENNESSEE CHECK-IN: WHAT HAPPENED AT GEORGIA
• Gut-check road win: Tennessee beat Georgia 82–77 in OT.
• The good: +13 offensive rebounds, 16–22 FT, and survived with 13 TO.
• The “don’t do that again”: 37 threes (12–37). You can’t live on that math in Columbia.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Tennessee MUST:
• Win the possession battle. No live-ball giveaways, and finish possessions (Okot is a problem).
• Get paint touches that matter. South Carolina’s fine with you launching quick threes—make them guard drives, cuts, and post seals.
• Survive the “avalanche stretch.” One 90-second meltdown = game.

Tennessee AVOID:
• Foul trouble up front. If your bigs are whistling, Edwards + Okot will eat.
• Thinking tempo alone wins it. South Carolina’s depth isn’t getting tired.

X-FACTOR:
• Latson’s status. If she’s back, SC adds another primary scorer; if not, Tennessee can load up more aggressively on Edwards/Tessa actions.
Click to expand...
Upset Alert. LVs 81--SC 73. GBO.
 
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#3
#3
Something to keep an eye on..... In the MSU game SC had two injured guards (starters) who did not play. A third starting guard, Tessa Johnson left the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed leg injury and did not return. I will be watching the availability report Saturday for updates on this situation.

Consequently, SC had only 8 players available for much of that game and with three guards out was forced to try some "Big Lineups". Those lineups involved having three center types on the court together at times (Okot, Tac, Tournabize) which was interesting if not choppy as far as rhythm and transition was concerned. Not sure what type of lineups SC will try vs UT if there are still 2-3 guards out on Sunday.

Can South Carolina, Dawn Staley beat Tennessee, LSU despite injuries?
 
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#5
#5
Rooster1 said:
Something to keep an eye on..... In the MSU game SC had two injured guards (starters) who did not play. A third starting guard, Tessa Johnson left the game in the second quarter with an undisclosed leg injury and did not return. I will be watching the availability report Saturday for updates on this situation.

Consequently, SC had only 8 players available for much of that game and with three guards out was forced to try some "Big Lineups". Those lineups involved having three center types on the court together at times (Okot, Tac, Tournabize) which was interesting if not choppy as far as rhythm and transition was concerned. Not sure what type of lineups SC will try vs UT if there are still 2-3 guards out on Sunday.

Can South Carolina, Dawn Staley beat Tennessee, LSU despite injuries?
Click to expand...
Nice add! And obviously a place where a more serious workflow with AIs than my one-shot prompting would need to focus.
 
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#6
#6
Tennessee is the more physical team. If the officials just let us play as we did against Stanford, Kentucky, and Alabama then I’ll be 100% good with the results either way. But if they allow 20 or more points to our opponents as they did against UConn and Georgia then it’s bogus officiating point blank.

In an evenly called game, I feel at this point home or away Tennessee can beat any team. They were too young earlier in the season to really play games like this on the road.

I wouldn’t back down from a rematch against any team we’ve faced. Lets go🍊!

J-Dog 1313 said:
Upset Alert. LVs 81--SC 73. GBO.
Click to expand...
 
#7
#7
KnoxLikeUs said:
Tennessee is the more physical team. If the officials just let us play as we did against Stanford, Kentucky, and Alabama then I’ll be 100% good with the results either way. But if they allow 20 or more points to our opponents as they did against UConn and Georgia then it’s bogus officiating point blank.

In an evenly called game, I feel at this point home or away Tennessee can beat any team. They were too young earlier in the season to really play games like this on the road.

I wouldn’t back down from a rematch against any team we’ve faced. Lets go🍊!
Click to expand...
No it isn't, and it's not even close tbh.
 
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#8
#8
I’ll take Tennessee as the more physical team.. CKC job is to dial them back and get our athletes to thinking in terms of how the refs will call it. They let us get hacked but pile up the foul calls against us then it’ll work in SC favor. If they let us play and apply pressure then game on we’ll do what it do. SC is a slow and finesse team. Tennessee has the roster to match these teams the difference is if we adjust and when.

Rooster1 said:
No it isn't, and it's not even remotely close.
Click to expand...
 
#9
#9
KnoxLikeUs said:
I’ll take Tennessee as the more physical team.. CKC job is to dial them back and get our athletes to thinking in terms of how the refs will call it. They let us get hacked and it’ll work in SC favor. If they let us play and apply pressure then game on we’ll do what it do. SC is a finesse team.
Click to expand...
One team makes its living in the paint, the other from the 3 line. You tell me Einstein.

And in an above post you called SC a slow team. They lead the country in transition points per game, nothing slow about SC. Take the time to study a topic before you pontificate, it might help you in having your posts taken more seriously. They also lead the nation in points per game from the paint, because they focus on driving into and shooting from inside where the most contact occurs, does not sound finesse to me, but I don’t have your brilliant BB IQ.

It should be a good game however, it always is with these two teams. I expect a much closer game than some, probably single digits and UT can win this game of course, especially if they are shooting well. Their press bothers most teams and can be a difference maker if the LV’s combine that with a decent shooting percentage. I won’t predict a score, I never do for this game just because it’s the two teams I follow most.
 
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#11
#11
That is how they’re coached to play. Not a single moment have I ever stated I agreed with the 3s they take. It’s unnecessary.
You would focus on offense though when I’m talking about defensive pressure. Our defense impacts our offense more than any other team in the country but I’ll leave the childish comments to you. SC is a finesse team.
Rooster1 said:
One team makes its living in the paint, the other from the 3 line. You tell me Einstein.
Click to expand...
 
#14
#14
This will be a close game. Tennessee players have familiarity with playing in SC and the grind of the SEC.
Heck, SC struggled for 3 three quarters to pull away from Texas A&M. Struggled to pull away from Florida during SEC play.
I would like to see Coach Caldwell use the strategy she did in overtime and not substitute in the 1st quarter until it makes sense. If Cooper, Mia, Janiah, or Spearman can gain an advantage by playing consistent minutes in the 1st quarter then allow them to go to work. Don’t make the game complicated. SC has about 7 players same as all the top SEC teams that can really impact a game when they’re at full strength. We don’t need to attempt to wear them down with mass substitutions because it won’t work.
If Tennessee doesn’t win this one, I certainly love their chances in the SEC or NCAA tourney. The SEC is right there for Tennessee to get in the drivers seat. 7-1🍊.
 
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#15
#15
KnoxLikeUs said:
That is how they’re coached to play. Not a single moment have I ever stated I agreed with the 3s they take. It’s unnecessary.
You would focus on offense though when I’m talking about defensive pressure. Our defense impacts our offense more than any other team in the country but I’ll leave the childish comments to you. SC is a finesse team.
Click to expand...
I've got some finesse for you troll. SC's National rankings in defensive categories:

SC's National rankings in "finesse"/ defensive categories

Scoring Defense: Top 5 amongst all Power Conference teams
Blocks/game: Top 5 nation
Rebound margin: Top 9 nation
FG% Defense: Top 5 nation
 
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#16
#16
Rankings “via” finesse. If you are a physical team, then hope the officials hold their whistle both ways. We want it out the mud, I don’t see that physicality when I watch SC.
You come to grow that mindset when your program has 8 National Championships.
GBO🍊.

Rooster1 said:
I've got some finesse for you troll. SC's National
rankings in defensive categories:

SC's National rankings in "finesse"/ defensive categories

Scoring Defense: Top 5 amongst all Power Conference teams
Blocks/game: Top 5 nation
Rebound margin: Top 9 nation
FG% Defense: Top 5 nation
Click to expand...
 
#17
#17
RetroVol said:
Straight ChatGPT -- no checking. Holler if you see problems.

#19 Tennessee @ #3 South Carolina
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026 | 3:00 PM ET | ABC
Colonial Life Arena (Columbia, SC)

ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY
Tennessee finally showed some teeth in Athens—now they walk into Columbia where South Carolina’s depth turns one sloppy stretch into a 12–0 avalanche.

WHERE THIS ONE SITS
• Tennessee: 15–5 (7–1 SEC)
• South Carolina: 23–2 (9–1 SEC), 1st in SEC

SOUTH CAROLINA IDENTITY (WHAT YOU’RE REALLY PLAYING)
• They score in waves: 87.9 PPG pace with multiple creators/finishers.
• Defense that travels: Auburn 51, A&M 56, Mississippi State 45 (and they weren’t sweating).
• Depth that laughs at “pace wars”: they’re comfortable playing 9–10, and the physicality doesn’t drop.

RECENT FORM (WEIGH THIS HEAVY)
South Carolina last five: W MSST 88–45, W @A&M 71–56, W @Auburn 81–51, W Vanderbilt 103–74, L @Oklahoma 82–94 (OT).

HOME COURT NOTE (THIS MATTERS)
In SEC home games they’ve already beaten Alabama (+22), Georgia (+22), Texas (+3), Vanderbilt (+29), Mississippi State (+43) — average margin about +24.

LIKELY LINEUP + ROLES (WITH MPG)
The engine room:
• Joyce Edwards — F, 6'3" (So) — 30.1 MPG: alpha scorer/connector (20.4 PPG).
• Madina Okot — C, 6'6" (Sr) — 23.7 MPG: rim + glass (13.3 PPG, 10.0 RPG).
• Raven Johnson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.3 MPG: table-setter (5.3 APG), pressure + pace control.
• Tessa Johnson — G, 6'0" (Jr) — 28.4 MPG: shooter/scorer (13.6 PPG, 45.7% from 3).

The swing pieces (and the injury swing):
• Ta’Niya Latson — G, 5'9" (Sr) — 28.6 MPG: downhill scorer (15.2 PPG) — missed multiple games (lower-leg).
• Agot Makeer — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 17.8 MPG: length/defense — also out recently (lower-leg).
• Ayla McDowell — G, 6'1" (Fr) — 15.9 MPG: spot-up damage; started vs MSST, hit four 3s.

TENNESSEE CHECK-IN: WHAT HAPPENED AT GEORGIA
• Gut-check road win: Tennessee beat Georgia 82–77 in OT.
• The good: +13 offensive rebounds, 16–22 FT, and survived with 13 TO.
• The “don’t do that again”: 37 threes (12–37). You can’t live on that math in Columbia.

KEYS TO THE GAME
Tennessee MUST:
• Win the possession battle. No live-ball giveaways, and finish possessions (Okot is a problem).
• Get paint touches that matter. South Carolina’s fine with you launching quick threes—make them guard drives, cuts, and post seals.
• Survive the “avalanche stretch.” One 90-second meltdown = game.

Tennessee AVOID:
• Foul trouble up front. If your bigs are whistling, Edwards + Okot will eat.
• Thinking tempo alone wins it. South Carolina’s depth isn’t getting tired.

X-FACTOR:
• Latson’s status. If she’s back, SC adds another primary scorer; if not, Tennessee can load up more aggressively on Edwards/Tessa actions.
Click to expand...
Good write up once again @Retrvol , thanks for all the time you put into these gameday posts. Speaking of Gameday, this game will be on ABC national TV and the Gameday crew will be there. It should be a huge event for WBB. I have a hunch this one will be a tightly played barn burner, the margin between these two teams the past 5-10 years is almost always tight. Coop should have extra motivation being back in Columbia, she will have her family and fans there to support her.

I will be watching the PG battle between the old guard and the new guard at SEC PG, Raven and Mia. Raven is 134-7 in her career as a starting PG at SC, she seldom gets mentioned as a key player but the results of her body of work are pretty impressive. Mia Looks the part of one of the next great PG‘s in the conference.
 
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#19
#19
brittannica said:
Yeah, I'm not looking forward to this one. I think Dawn is a great strategist hence why her teams throttle folks in the third and fourth quarters following halftime adjustments. Maybe they'll surprise me, but the vibes feel real bad.
Click to expand...
Dawn never won squat until Jolette law joined the staff, jus saying... look it up..
 
#20
#20
gule said:
Dawn never won squat until Jolette law joined the staff, jus saying... look it up..
Click to expand...
@gule, Jolette is a great asst. coach no doubt. She had a 5 year run as a HC at Illinois also, she knows BB. Fun fact, she was on the Harlem Globetrotters for a few years.

But Jolette came to SC in 2017, after they had won 4 SEC championships , one final four and one NC. I didn’t have to look it up, Peace.
 
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