Game Thread: #13/10 LSU (23-4, 10-3) @ Tennessee (16-9, 9-4 SEC) 2/25/24 12:00 pm EST ESPN

[Rooster1]

Or Ole Miss, Alabama, TAMU and FSU. They only lost 4 games without Rickea, and three of them were to better teams than the ones they lost to at full strength (OSU, Indiana and ND). It’s not like she came back and all of a sudden they were a top 20 team again. They were vulnerable with her at the beginning of the season, without her, and even now that she’s back. This is something that the seeding committee will surely take into consideration and lessen any benefit of a doubt they extend to Tennessee due to her absence.

Good points. But UT is in the tourney imo regardless.

 

[Amb3096]

Probably doesn't make much seeding difference, but the flip side of that is where would we have been without Rickea? At the bottom of the SEC and definitely out of the tourney I'm thinking. She's definitely been up and down since she's been back, had some great games, had a couple of the worst of her career. Her shot has been off most of the season, getting good shots just not falling. Would be nice to see her turn that around, there's still time.

It's hurt Rickea that Jewel, who was brought in to help free her up, has also been so up and down. There's also the perspective that an up and down yr for Rickea is still nearly 19 pts and 9 rebounds per game on 45% shooting. Pretty surefire All SEC. A career year for most.

I meant more from the standpoint of seeding. If she came back and Tennessee went gangbusters and only lost to SC and LSU, then I could see the committee seeding them favorably. The fact that she came back and they still lost a handful of games ot unranked players (and to FSU before her injury) will likely discount any concessions they would have been willing to extend because of her absence.

If she didn't come back, they would have lost at least another 4-5 SEC games.

 

[travis929]

I meant more from the standpoint of seeding. If she came back and Tennessee went gangbusters and only lost to SC and LSU, then I could see the committee seeding them favorably. The fact that she came back and they still lost a handful of games ot unranked players (and to FSU before her injury) will likely discount any concessions they would have been willing to extend because of her absence.

If she didn't come back, they would have lost at least another 4-5 SEC games.

It's a good point. As glad as I am that we have that Oklahoma win since that's actually held up as our best win in terms of NET ratings, it does kind of hurt the argument that our record would be so much better if we'd had Rickea in that non-conference stretch. It's not like we've managed to get a win better than that one with her back in the lineup.

 

[Deebowbear]

Good points. But UT is in the tourney imo regardless.

I’m not so sure they beat A&M

 

[volmanNC]

We beat A&M we'll get an NCAA invite no matter what happens going forward. We need to win one more and SC is not happening. It will be a low seed like 10 as were projected as 8 or 9 now. Once in the NCAA we probably won't last long still would extend the record of being the only team to make all 42 NCAA tourneys. Were ending the season after the next two games as number one team in strength of schedule.

At least the Lady Vols will be number 1 in something!

 

[volmanNC]

We can win both games

Sure we can, just score more points than the other team. Very simple.

 

[cwbytruckers]

If the Lady Vols make the tourny then i would assume CKH gets a ten year extension.

 

[glv98]

I meant more from the standpoint of seeding. If she came back and Tennessee went gangbusters and only lost to SC and LSU, then I could see the committee seeding them favorably. The fact that she came back and they still lost a handful of games ot unranked players (and to FSU before her injury) will likely discount any concessions they would have been willing to extend because of her absence.

If she didn't come back, they would have lost at least another 4-5 SEC games.

With RJ I'm pretty sure we have at least one more ranked win, Notre Dame, and avoid our worse loss, MTSU. Those would have impacted seeding greatly, but probably are beyond the kind of seeding speculation the committee would do.

Truthfully, any hope for a decent season ended the moment RJ got hurt. The team has never really completely recovered from the horrid stretch without her, and neither has she. Not only that, but it gave a horrifying look at what next season is likely to look like.

 

[Volfan2012]

With RJ I'm pretty sure we have at least one more ranked win, Notre Dame, and avoid our worse loss, MTSU. Those would have impacted seeding greatly, but probably are beyond the kind of seeding speculation the committee would do.

Truthfully, any hope for a decent season ended the moment RJ got hurt. The team has never really completely recovered from the horrid stretch without her, and neither has she. Not only that, but it gave a horrifying look at what next season is likely to look like.

A lot to be decided before next season. We may have a new coach and even with Harper that roster is going to change. She is not going to stay with it exactly as it is now. Only takes a couple players to change everything.

 

[LV renaissance]

She didn’t say exactly those words, but that’s how it came across. Can’t plead your way into the tournament.
View attachment 623175

Nothing wrong with this. She is correct. Your rewording this so dramatically is what is ridiculous.

 

[LV renaissance]

I am not sure how all of that works. Just thought it was interesting the women’s basketball was 8 million in the red. I don’t know maybe women’s basketball is like that also. LSU does seem to be committed to raising up their women's basketball team.

Taking a figure about one of a college's sports program without context is misleading. Overall, LSU sports generated about $200,000,000, one of the tops in the country. They made a profit even with all the high coaches' salaries. Having the top attendance in the country for gymnastics and baseball as well as top 5 in WBB and football doesn't hurt. However, the huge amount of money that all SEC schools get from the great football and basketball deals with ESPN and other networks is where the action is. Tennessee does really well too, so there is no need to put a low cap on what we pay for a WBB coach.

 

[Volfan2012]

Taking a figure about one of a college's sports program without context is misleading. Overall, LSU sports generated about $200,000,000, one of the tops in the country. They made a profit even with all the high coaches' salaries. Having the top attendance in the country for gymnastics and baseball as well as top 5 in WBB and football doesn't hurt. However, the huge amount of money that all SEC schools get from the great football and basketball deals with ESPN and other networks is where the action is. Tennessee does really well too, so there is no need to put a low cap on what we pay for a WBB coach.

The actual numbers were LSU womens basketball lost 6.6 million. Tennessee lost 5.6 million. It is a common amount for all schools to lose in the 6 million range. The schools with higher paid coaches that are winning usually generate higher attendance to offset some of the loss. Tennessee made over 13 million last year with 202 million in revenue. We could easily pay a womens coach what any other school is paying them. We just need to make the right hire.

 

[Will83]

The actual numbers were LSU womens basketball lost 6.6 million. Tennessee lost 5.6 million. It is a common amount for all schools to lose in the 6 million range. The schools with higher paid coaches that are winning usually generate higher attendance to offset some of the loss. Tennessee made over 13 million last year with 202 million in revenue. We could easily pay a womens coach what any other school is paying them. We just need to make the right hire.

Little shocked LSU is only $1M more in the hole considering they pay Kim almost $2M more per year vs what Kellie is paid…

 

[LV renaissance]

The University posted the numbers from their AD, and this past year SC WBB had revenues of over $9m. Even take the numbers you post, no problem, show me an $8m loss. And tbh, whatever the numbers, UT is not far removed even in that scenario, so throwing rocks at SC seems silly, especially since they are almost doubling the revenue in the scenario you painted.

It’s like folks just saying yeah they are good right now, but it costs them $8m a year to do that. Not true. And it neglects to point out what those folks own school is paying for their results, which is often not a good return on investment, you get it.

Honestly, I am not sure why one would be adamant about SC losing so much money on WBB as if that this was a good thing. I would hope that the best WBB programs could make money or at least be close to even. It is not good for WBB for that not to be the case. I do think there will be big increases in WBB earnings in the future given the dramatically improving tv ratings for the sport.

 

[Volfan2012]

Little shocked LSU is only $1M more in the hole considering they pay Kim almost $2M more per year vs what Kellie is paid…

Yes i have the list up this thread somewhere of expenses and revenue generated. Were paying out something like 7.9 million and only collecting a little over 2 million. LSU was generating a lot more revenue even though they were paying out a lot more.

 

[glv98]

nm

 

[Majors]

Good points. But UT is in the tourney imo regardless.

Better storyline

Tennessee team makes tourney or history made as Tennessee for the first time ever misses field of 64

If they drop Texas AM, the latter may be in play. With potential SC and SECT losses looming

 

[Majors]

A lot to be decided before next season. We may have a new coach and even with Harper that roster is going to change. She is not going to stay with it exactly as it is now. Only takes a couple players to change everything.

Hard conversations as a “leader” need to be had with older players.

 

[glv98]

Hard conversations a “leader” need to be had with older players.

I don't understand this. If the "leader" tells Sara, Strip, Darby, and Wynn to hit the road, who do you think they'd be replaced with? Do you guys really think we're going to get 6 or 8 portal players, all better than those 4? I'm worried we're not going to get the good young post and the effective wing scorer we desperately need, let alone four more better than those. Ya'll have alot more faith in our portal prospects this spring than I do.

Also, what that would say about the program would not be pretty. Those guys are going nowhere in their last year, w the possible exception of Strip who I'm not sure about. I just pray they can continue to be solid role players and that we don't need them to be more than that.

 

[Majors]

I don't understand this. If the "leader" tells Sara, Strip, Darby, and Wynn to hit the road, who do you think they'd be replaced with? Do you guys really think we're going to get 6 or 8 portal players, all better than those 4? I'm worried we're not going to get the good young post and the effective wing scorer we desperately need, let alone four more better than those. Ya'll have alot more faith in our portal prospects this spring than I do.

Also, what that would say about the program would not be pretty. Those guys are going nowhere in their last year, w the possible exception of Strip who I'm not sure about. I just pray they can continue to be solid role players and that we don't need them to be more than that.

Believe Sara has played above where she was at last year. Nothing wrong with advising a kid to look elsewhere to help them and the program in the long term. End of the year meetings happen for a reason.

 

[Vol Hillbilly]

She tried her twice and both times LSU had possessions with 4-5 offensive rebounds. Sat her back down.

Check the film, several plays multiple offensive rebounds with key,puckett,wynn and Powell on the floor, Karo not on the floor. Karo came in 2nd at 2:12, back side help never touched Reese but got called, stopped Reese on drive, again backside help, posted wide open, guard drive to draw foul. Stopped Reese on chip shot,played to end of half , was not pulled. 2nd half not in until 5:37, posted wide open , no pass,Puckett bad pass out of bounds,, Karo out at 4:47, pretty solid from my view. I am not saying she should start but deserves more than 3 minutes and could give starters longer rest so they can get their legs back. She does post well and can hit outside , even 3’s.

 

[glv98]

Believe Sara has played above where she was at last year. Nothing wrong with advising a kid to look elsewhere to help them and the program in the long term. End of the year meetings happen for a reason.

Jettisoning the other Srs would not make us better unless we get quality portal players to replace them. And that's very unlikely. There's nothing we need more in the portal than young, quality posts and wings. Having Wynn, Darby, and Strip on the roster does nothing to effect that either way. You'd really just be cutting them for the heck of it.

Of course we are going into the silly season where we want to cut every player currently on the roster and go get every player in the portal. It's what we do in the spring.

 

[VolBall09]

Check the film, several plays multiple offensive rebounds with key,puckett,wynn and Powell on the floor, Karo not on the floor. Karo came in 2nd at 2:12, back side help never touched Reese but got called, stopped Reese on drive, again backside help, posted wide open, guard drive to draw foul. Stopped Reese on chip shot,played to end of half , was not pulled. 2nd half not in until 5:37, posted wide open , no pass,Puckett bad pass out of bounds,, Karo out at 4:47, pretty solid from my view. I am not saying she should start but deserves more than 3 minutes and could give starters longer rest so they can get their legs back. She does post well and can hit outside , even 3’s.

Your seem to be related to Karo which clouds your judgement. I would be very careful posting on here too much if you’re directly related to a player. Have seen it before and usually it’s not a good look and doesn’t end well.

Remember this is a fan message board, these are the craziest of the crazies. Take everything with a grain of salt and remember some of these posters may even be teens and children.

 

[glv98]

Your seem to be related to Karo which clouds your judgement. I would be very careful posting on here too much if you’re directly related to a player. Have seen it before and usually it’s not a good look and doesn’t end well.

Remember this is a fan message board, this are the craziest of the crazies. Take everything with a grain of salt and remember some of these posters may even be teens and children.

Disagree. Obviously a Karo booster, definitely has every right to make points and back up w stats. We need posters, feel free.

 

[Majors]

Jettisoning the other Srs would not make us better unless we get quality portal players to replace them. And that's very unlikely. There's nothing we need more in the portal than young, quality posts and wings. Having Wynn, Darby, and Strip on the roster does nothing to effect that either way. You'd really just be cutting them for the heck of it.

Of course we are going into the silly season where we want to cut every player currently on the roster and go get every player in the portal. It's what we do in the spring.

Said last week, if NIL is an issue as some claim. You look to recoup and move on. That’s why I stated last week, it’s almost like professional sports model…and would Tennessee fans be ok with saying goodbye to Key to free up money and years of eligibility. Hard choice, but loyal to players or getting the Tennessee brand right. Happens in every job field and this is their job now.