Last tune-up before SEC play. What do you want to see?

[BruisedOrange]

The Winthrop game is December the 29th. The Christmas season is a good excuse to restate our fears or criticisms as positives to be achieved, or to bequeath our fantasy gifts to this team.

"I'd like to see us show [more... better... improvement in...]"

So that's the gimmick of this thread, as we anticipate the brutal SEC schedule, to restate fears or criticisms as positives to be achieved. Might even be good practice for our personal new year's resolutions.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I'd feel best about seeing improvement in our half-court defense throughout the Winthrop game.

My dream gift to this team would be a day at "Camp Mashack" to work on individual technique, taught in-person by the master.

 

[Oldman70]

80% free throws

 

[LVfanLasVegas]

I'll be in town and finally attending my first Lady Vols game! Missed a holiday tournament game here in Las Vegas when Harper was coach.

Free throws and avoiding the lulls for me.

So excited, go Lady Vols.

 

[lvocd]

Since this will be a blowout win of epic proportions for Tennessee, for this game all I want to see is:

1. Semeka Randall Lay's smiling face
2. Everyone get ample minutes
3. Nobody injured on either team

It would have been fun to have had a stronger opponent at this point, but not having to risk anyone being super stressed preparing for a Top opponent during the holiday season definitely gives the staff more time to get US better. My hope is that a new wrinkle or two can be added to either offense or defense or both between now and this game.

We're getting to the point in the season now that the team should be feeling a lot more comfortable playing Kim's style of basketball, and it looks to me like they are.

That said, every time I watch teams with extreme pressure defense, that easily break presses, and have lots of cutting and back-door offense, I get a little anxious about how Tennessee will fare against that. We simply do not know.

So my hope is that in the next week the staff will spend some time planning and preparing the team for that type of opponent. The stronger the competition the riskier it is to need a full quarter to get it going. By then, against a strong opponent, the hole could already be too deep to climb out of.

 

[madtownvol]

Winthrop waving the white flag and surrendering @ 1:46 into the 3rd quarter.

 

[Coach Jumper]

I'd like to see:
- the staff work on full speed layup attacks, both off the dribble and off the full court reception
- The players put through a clinic on short "bunnie" jumpers and putbacks

 

[Volfan2012]

Really not much to see guess let Darby, Ace, and Destinee get some minutes as this might be it for them for the most part. Certainly about a forty point beatdown by halftime and then it is up to Coach Kim how much she wants to lay on them. It could be another 80 point romp.

I guess would like to see the three point shooters stay hot. Win the boards by forty, and put up 95 shots all that may be confidence builders going into the SEC nightmare 16.

The very first game is at Texas A&M and were usually the better team, but play like crap down there. Hoping to see Coach Kim break that curse and get out of there with a win. Only time we play them and really need it can't afford a loss to a team that is going to finish near the bottom of the SEC.

 

[Volfan2012]

Winthrop waving the white flag and surrendering @ 1:46 into the 3rd quarter.

They may not wave the flag, but it will be over way before halftime.

 

[Volfan2012]

I also think this season you will be right in the middle of the championship chances with two to three losses. I don't see anyone avoiding a road loss so you better win all of those home games. This season we at least seemed to draw most of the top teams at home. SC, LSU, Oklahoma, Alabama, Ole Miss, and Miss St all have to come to Knoxville. We also have Georgia and Auburn at home. If we could get through that 7 and 1 were going to be a factor in the race more than likely. We have to go to LSU, Texas, Florida, Kentucky, Vandy, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas A&M. Looks like our best would be 6 and 2 and I would be more than fine with 13 and 3. I think 13 and 3 is the best we can hope for unless some miracles happen. I'm hoping 10 and 6 is the worst we do if we get into some problems.

Right now on the road I feel good about Arkansas, Florida, Texas A&M and Missouri. Kentucky and Vandy look like 50-50 games to me. Vandy and Kentucky better than last season, but we are too. LSU and Texas on the road we'll be underdogs for sure doesn't mean we can't find a way to win.

I think even 8 and 8 gets you a tourney bid. 13 and 3 gets you some home games.

 

[HerdLVol]

Since this will be a blowout win of epic proportions for Tennessee, for this game all I want to see is:

1. Semeka Randall Lay's smiling face
2. Everyone get ample minutes
3. Nobody injured on either team

It would have been fun to have had a stronger opponent at this point, but not having to risk anyone being super stressed preparing for a Top opponent during the holiday season definitely gives the staff more time to get US better. My hope is that a new wrinkle or two can be added to either offense or defense or both between now and this game.

We're getting to the point in the season now that the team should be feeling a lot more comfortable playing Kim's style of basketball, and it looks to me like they are.

That said, every time I watch teams with extreme pressure defense, that easily break presses, and have lots of cutting and back-door offense, I get a little anxious about how Tennessee will fare against that. We simply do not know.

So my hope is that in the next week the staff will spend some time planning and preparing the team for that type of opponent. The stronger the competition the riskier it is to need a full quarter to get it going. By then, against a strong opponent, the hole could already be too deep to climb out of.

Yes. No one injured.

 

[th2421]

I'd love to see a couple more solid games with shots falling from our senior leaders: Puckett and Spear. As others have said, extended minutes for Wells, E. Darby, and Strickland would be nice (and Ayodele). I'd like to see a solid game from Latham (hitting shots around the rim, please).

 

[VolBall09]

The Winthrop game is December the 29th. The Christmas season is a good excuse to restate our fears or criticisms as positives to be achieved, or to bequeath our fantasy gifts to this team.

"I'd like to see us show [more... better... improvement in...]"

So that's the gimmick of this thread, as we anticipate the brutal SEC schedule, to restate fears or criticisms as positives to be achieved. Might even be good practice for our personal new year's resolutions.

I’d love to see 4 quarters of them scoring no more than 12-15 points and us scoring 20+. Consistency all the way through. The big runs we can have are awesome but I’d like to see less hot and cold play. Find that consistent high level of defense.

Really want to see us execute the press better and not give up so many early buckets off of it. Seems to get better as the game goes and our opponent fatigues but we are allowing too many long passes to open players for easy scores early in the game. Someone has got to step up and pick those off.

 

[Volfan2012]

I’d love to see 4 quarters of them scoring no more than 12-15 points and us scoring 20+. Consistency all the way through. The big runs we can have are awesome but I’d like to see less hot and cold play. Find that consistent high level of defense.

Really want to see us execute the press better and not give up so many early buckets off of it. Seems to get better as the game goes and our opponent fatigues but we are allowing too many long passes to open players for easy scores early in the game. Someone has got to step up and pick those off.

They shouldn't get over fifty even though the way we play and score so fast gives teams a lot more opportunities. In this game I am expecting huge turnovers however so their shots might be limited.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Sara Puckett was just named MVP of the West Palm Beach Classic where the Lady Vols went 2-0 winning in blowout victories of 25-pts over Richmond and 41-pts over Tulsa.
This team at 11-0 is on a roll and arguably Top 3 in the SEC with victories over Florida St., Iowa, Middle Tenn, and Richmond who fared better against SEC teams Alabama and Texas than the highest scoring team in WBB the Lady Vols.

S/O to the players and coaches. Keep working.

 

[Hexad Vol]

Thee is no chance, but I would like to see players use the backboard on those 4' to 8' shots in traffic; trying to use touch in that situation is, I think, a lot more difficult.