ESPNW team of the week - South Carolina .

[scfastpitch]

Team of the week

[+] EnlargeAP Photo/Mary Ann ChastainIeasia Walker averages 2.7 steals per game for South Carolina, which allows just 47.3 ppg.


South Carolina: Speaking of teams that know how to play defense, let's get to Dawn Staley and South Carolina. The Gamecocks scored a total of 98 points in two games and still had their best week of the season, knocking off No. 5 Kentucky 55-49 on Thursday and then turning around and winning a not-to-be-taken-lightly road game at Arkansas on Sunday.
The defensive effort that took A'dia Mathies completely out of Thursday's game was a masterpiece of design by Staley and execution by Sancheon White and others. In the past two seasons, a span of 56 games, South Carolina has allowed an opponent to score more than 60 points just seven times. With apologies to Jadeveon Clowney, that's the stingiest defense in Columbia. If this team could just hit free throws at something better than a cringe-inducing 54 percent, sort of a problem with a style that produces close games (they missed five and lost by four against Stanford and missed eight and lost by two against Georgia), who knows what might be possible in March.

[Luke Skycocker]

[uscsaxplaya]

more positive press! starting to get the recognition they truly deserve!

[superstar90]

Free Throws will keep this team from making the sweet sixteen or final eight or higher. It has cost our guys team a number of games over the years and even been the difference in making the NCAA or not. Need to hit close 70%.

[OldPat]

Originally Posted by superstar90

Free Throws will keep this team from making the sweet sixteen or final eight or higher. It has cost our guys team a number of games over the years and even been the difference in making the NCAA or not. Need to hit close 70%.

How far either team goes may well depend on whether or not Coaches Staley and Martin and their respective staffs can convince their team that having the ball in their hands at the free-throw line or at the three-point arc is not a burden. Instead, it really is their reward for playing great defense.

If either or both of these teams learn to just relax and let it fly, the Staley and Martin Expresses could be traveling to places we haven't seen in a long, long while.

[Cockhornleghorn]

Originally Posted by OldPat

How far either team goes may well depend on whether or not Coaches Staley and Martin and their respective staffs can convince their team that having the ball in their hands at the free-throw line or at the three-point arc is not a burden. Instead, it really is their reward for playing great defense.

If either or both of these teams learn to just relax and let it fly, the Staley and Martin Expresses could be traveling to places we haven't seen in a long, long while.

Kalamazoo?

[OldPat]

Way cold, man. LOL.