Very happy and surprised we won. I figured we were going to lose when UF fan their lead up to 8. The guys were resilient and got it done though. You never know which Carolina team will show up. If we can consistently play this well, we will do some damage the rest of the way.
@markymark550 Yes, we definitely have the skills at each position to be a strong player in the SEC. As you note, you never know which Gamecock squad will show up. I would say that we're beginning to show signs of a more complete "team" mentality now than just a few games ago (vs. Auburn, for instance). We were not playing defense as a team, and last night we suddenly were.
Offensively, we still need to pull a few more pieces together, but overall we're in MUCH better shape. Keyshawn continues to look strong as a finisher at the rim and in his short-range jumper. AJ has been our most consistent offensive weapon all season long. Cousinard is still having his ups and downs, but his confidence with the ball seems to be building... he's taking better shots now. Hannibal has settled down and started playing WITH the team instead of as a Lone Ranger. Seventh, after an absolutely abysmal stretch of games, is suddenly showing life (11 vs. Vandy, 12 vs. FLA) and handling the ball much better. Leveque, who has been the bane of my existence at times this season, had 7 rebounds and only 1 PF to match his 6 points last evening. McCreary in 14 minutes of play had 6 points and 4 rebounds... not bad for a guy who hasn't strung together much PT or practice time over the course of this season.
In my estimation, the key piece that is still missing is the play of Minaya. I'm not certain what is going on right now with him... he almost seems a step slow, or simply not in sync with what's happening around him. That's not ALWAYS true... last night, he had that one play where he saved an out of bounds ball and threw it to the open AJ Lawson for a wide open 3 pointer. But he's been wildly inconsistent the past 3 games, and that has landed him on the bench for stretches where his defensive prowess could certainly help the team (if he's in sync with everyone).
I think the big shocker for me recently has been the time on the court and the play of Nathan Nelson. Nate had 13 minutes with one rebound, one assist and a THREE! last night (he also hit a three vs. Andy, but that one didn't stand out as much because of the stinging loss). He's increased his minutes over the last 3 games (3 minutes vs. UGA, 8 minutes vs. Vandy, 13 minutes vs. FLA), and is showing some pretty tight defense when he's in the game for extended minutes.
All of the above to say... I like what I'm seeing from our squad recently. If we get the same level of play from our starters, consistent play on both ends of the floor from Leveque, consistent play defensively from Minaya, and about 4-6 PPG more from Hannibal, we're looking at a turnaround in the season, IMHO.
