South Carolina’s Wilson is Stanford’s main focus in NCAA semis
DALLAS — Roscoe Wilson played professional basketball in Europe for a decade, during which time his favorite music was Steely Dan’s 1977 album “Aja.”
A’ja (pronounced like Asia) Wilson, South Carolina’s talented 6-foot-5 center, is one of five finalists for the Wooden Award to the top player in women’s college basketball.
The two-time SEC Player of the Year, who came in second to Washington’s Kelsey Plum on Thursday for the Associated Press’ Player of the Year, was one of last year’s Wooden finalists, too.
Wilson is the one whom Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer is sure to order double-teams against in Friday’s first semifinal in the Final Four.
Four-time defending national champion UConn plays Mississippi State in the second semi.
Both the semifinals and Sunday’s final are sold out at the 19,952-seat American Airlines Center.
In the NCAA Tournament, she’s scoring 19.8 points per game on 62.8 percent shooting.
The women’s program’s only other appearance in the Final Four came two years ago, when the Gamecocks lost to Notre Dame in the semifinals on a last-second shot.
Wilson initially rebuffed her father’s efforts to get her into basketball when she was 11.
Wilson was the nation’s top high school player as a senior at Heathwood Hall Episcopal School in Columbia, S.C. The recruiting process was discomforting, she said.
The coaches wanted to talk to you, and I really didn’t want to talk.
Tom FitzGerald is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.
Stanford (32-5): After an uncomfortably close win over unranked New Mexico State in the first round, the Cardinal polished off Kansas State and Texas, then stunned Notre Dame in the regional final.
South Carolina (31-4): The Gamecocks beat another Final Four participant, Mississippi State, in the SEC tournament final.
Center Alaina Coates’ ankle injury has put an extra burden on A’ja Wilson recently, and she has produced.Guard Kaela Davis is averaging 18 points per game in the postseason.
Mississippi State (33-4): Playing in their first-ever Final Four, the Bulldogs average 92.8 points in the tournament.
Guard Victoria Vivians is their leading scorer (16.3 ppg).