South Carolina Basketball vs. UConn Pregame Prognostications and How to Watch
By Kevin Miller
For almost two decades, Geno Auriemma and his UConn program were the most successful college basketball program in the nation, men’s or women’s. In recent years, however, South Carolina basketball has overtaken the Huskies from Connecticut in the women’s game and has an argument for being the best program in all of college basketball. That transition created a natural rivalry between the Gamecocks and Huskies that has recently started going South Carolina’s way.
The next installment of this rivalry will take place Sunday, February 5th at 12:00 EST and will be televised on Fox and streamed on the Fox Sports App. The Gamecocks will travel to Connecticut for the first matchup between the two teams since last season’s blowout National Championship game that gave the garnet and black their second national championship.
Sunday’s matchup will put Dawn Staley’s squad’s perfect record in jeopardy as UConn will be one of the Gamecocks’ toughest matchups to date. South Carolina enters the game at 22-0, and Connecticut comes in at 21-2 but undefeated in the Big East. UConn is short-handed for the moment with star Paige Bueckers out for the year and this season’s leading-scorer Azzi Fudd listed as doubtful for Sunday.
During the 2022-2023 season, reigning National Player of the Year Aliyah Boston is still averaging a double-double (with an additional 2.1 block per game) despite playing the fewest minutes of her career. The Gamecocks’ dominance has resulted in less playing time being required of the starters as evidenced by the team having thirteen different players that play at least ten minutes per game. If UConn can turn this into a fourth quarter battle, the Lady Gamecocks will be pressed into somewhat unfamiliar territory.
Gamecock fans should not experience too much angst and consternation, however, as Dawn Staley has instilled an impressive toughness and an expectation of excellence within the culture of her program: no matter the opponent, South Carolina basketball expects to play hard and play well for forty minutes.
Prediction
The Connecticut environment will play a role early on, but the Gamecocks will pull away thanks in large part to their size advantage and UConn’s depth issues. Expect a big game down low from Aliyah Boston and a big scoring night from leading scorer Zia Cooke.