Game Thread: SEC Tournament Second Round. #18/14 Lady Vols (9 seed) vs. Vandy (8 seed). Thurs., March 6, 11 am ET, SECN

[KnoxLikeUs]

I agreed 100% with your initial post. But take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
I disagree and you know it does matter if she has all of that next season. For years high school recruiting was none existent at Tennessee.
People even said NO top coach could come here and recruit at Tennessee. Said no proven coach would take the job. 10 months later Tennessee has the #1/#2 High School Recruiting class. So again, I’m upset at the losses and missed opportunities as most of us. But it’s simply part of the process.
I don’t see the purpose in the hockey substitution. There’s a more fundamental strategy to substitute 10 players in any system.
I agree that needs to change. Same with the press. Trapping any D1 PG that knows you’re sending a trap is not strategically sound as your primary defense.
Even when you are successful and win games, it’s a net loss long term.

It doesn’t matter if she has all that and is not willing to adjust her system at all. There are going to be times she needs to adjust even if it means pulling the press from full court to half court.

Sometimes you might need to ride with a lineup longer than 40 seconds.

 

[Majors]

C. Parker help lead veteran team to national championship
As a freshman

R-Freshman. Only stating it because big adjustment in the size of a true freshman vs. someone already a year in school, weights, nutrition.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

My memory is fuzzy, but I believe Candace had a medical redshift as a freshman. Had she been healthy, probably would have been nat. champs that year.

The next year, Lady Vols were undefeated and No. 1 when our starting PG unexpectedly defected to Maryland in January. PG depth from that point on probably cost us another championship.

Parker's teams won two in a row during her soph. and junior seasons. She left Tennessee for the pros with one year of eligibility remaining, having already spent four years at UT.

LV Historians, please correct any inaccuracies above.

You’re correct, she was a redshirt junior.

 

[backdoorcutvol]

Match up zone is very similar to switching man to man.

 

[backdoorcutvol]

Here u go, look at the dribble pull ups and step backs of Prawl, but Ruby did regress for some reason, she’ll be better next year, but Prawl is an elite shot maker.

The schedule got much much harder the 2nd Half of the season

 

[AllVols3]

I agreed 100% with your initial post. But take a step back and look at the bigger picture.
I disagree and you know it does matter if she has all of that next season. For years high school recruiting was none existent at Tennessee.
People even said NO top coach could come here and recruit at Tennessee. Said no proven coach would take the job. 10 months later Tennessee has the #1/#2 High School Recruiting class. So again, I’m upset at the losses and missed opportunities as most of us. But it’s simply part of the process.
I don’t see the purpose in the hockey substitution. There’s a more fundamental strategy to substitute 10 players in any system.
I agree that needs to change. Same with the press. Trapping any D1 PG that knows you’re sending a trap is not strategically sound as your primary defense.
Even when you are successful and win games, it’s a net loss long term.

Nolan Richard's says HI! 40 minutes of Hell was what they called it. We need more athletic basketball players to make thus system roll. Next year's class is a start, but we need another top 3 class in 26'(Edward's and Harpring would thrive) to get to the Elite status.

 

[SGMVols]

R-Freshman. Only stating it because big adjustment in the size of a true freshman vs. someone already a year in school, weights, nutrition.

It actually wasn’t until her R-soph and R-Jr years that the titles happened. She forewent her R-sr year to go pro.

True freshman year she redshirted to recover from a torn ACL as a HS senior. The R-Fr year we lost in the E8 to UNC.

 

[RAVOL]

Missed game sounds like it didn't miss much but same issues the team struggles with. As a Coach you have your team and your system and Kim took what she had left over from previous team did her best in Portal and had some amazing moments this year, unbeaten against non conference teams with Big W over Uconn. Gave the top 3 teams in league that all have final 4 ability everything they want. Finally this last week and half just team ran out of gas mentally and yes we hate the losses to Ga and Vandy but please all of you take a breath and look at this Roster as a whole and what Coach accomplished and we should be happy especially knowing she can recruit HS Ranks with the best of them. Now we get a week to recover Mentally and play out of conference again. Go Lady Vols. In CHRIST Alone

 

[37620VOL]

Nolan Richard's says HI! 40 minutes of Hell was what they called it. We need more athletic basketball players to make thus system roll. Next year's class is a start, but we need another top 3 class in 26'(Edward's and Harpring would thrive) to get to the Elite status.

Need athletes that can shoot. Right now we've got non-athletic shooters and athletes that can't shoot. We're 2 years away IMO. The freshmen will be good but they will still be freshmen.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

What does that have to do with Tennessee? I’m willing to bet any successful D1 coach in any system uses different variations of their primary plays/sets.
Ex. Coach Saban at Alabama knew when to play press coverage and when to play zone. Saban had the best talent in America and still wasn’t one dimensional.
Using only one full court press set for an entire season is a 50/50 gamble I don’t care what players you have. And Tennessee despite winning a lot of games didn’t have the chemistry and experience playing together to overcome 50/50 odds night in and night out.
We don’t need any particular players in 2026.
Get players that want to be at Tennessee just as the 5 Top 50 recruits including 3 McDonald’s AAs in 2025.

Nolan Richard's says HI! 40 minutes of Hell was what they called it. We need more athletic basketball players to make thus system roll. Next year's class is a start, but we need another top 3 class in 26'(Edward's and Harpring would thrive) to get to the Elite status.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

How is a 22 - 9 team in the Top 25 with several close games projected to be 2 years away bringing in a #1/#2 High School class? If the freshmen and sophomores for other colleges can come in and play immediately saying the freshmen will be freshmen at Tennessee doesn’t carry weight. Tennessee has a new head coach and with a full offseason nobody really knows either way how the players will develop over the summer.

Need athletes that can shoot. Right now we've got non-athletic shooters and athletes that can't shoot. We're 2 years away IMO. The freshmen will be good but they will still be freshmen.

 

[OldNSlow]

Gimmick. Any decent team will beat us. Told you all in the last game thread. This will be common place. Either change the style or this is the outcome.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Gimmick. Any decent team will beat us. Told you all in the last game thread. This will be common place. Either change the style or this is the outcome.

I have a question. Was Iowa, Florida State, UConn, Alabama, Ole Miss not decent?

 

[37620VOL]

How is a 22 - 9 team in the Top 25 with several close games projected to be 2 years away bringing in a #1/#2 High School class? If the freshmen and sophomores for other colleges can come in and play immediate saying the freshmen will be freshmen at Tennessee doesn’t carry weight. Tennessee has a new head coach and with a full offseason nobody really knows either way how the players will develop over the summer.

If it happens, and by happens I mean top 3 SEC finish and Elite 8 run, I'll be elated. I think we're 2 years away from that, and I don't want everyone getting discouraged if next year is also a bit of a mixed bag.

This year we are 9th in the SEC, next year I'd like to see 5th or better, from there onward, perennial top 3 contender.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Gimmick. Any decent team will beat us. Told you all in the last game thread. This will be common place. Either change the style or this is the outcome.

Well it’s too late to change anything now, let’s see what they do in the offseason.

 

[1reVOLver]

Pretty bold statement from an opposing coach on National TV.

What did she say that wasn't obviously true for anyone who watched both our games with Vandy?

 

[lvocd]

The one glaring flaw in this season appears to me to be that Kim's system kinda promised to result in the Lady Vols finishing strong BECAUSE the system would make our team the best conditioned. It was kinda marketed to expect that when everyone else was worn out by a long season, our players, who only have to go hard for 40 to 90 seconds at a time, would be much fresher and would wear opponents down.

We are the ones worn down, and it's frustrating to people like me because we saw this coming shortly into the season.

I'm a former multi-sport athlete, and while I was never a professional player or coach, I do have an understanding of the physical/mental toll of a long, brutally competitive season can have on a body, and, specifically for me personally, the importance of needing at least four or five minutes at the start of every game to catch one's breath and to get in sync mentally.

So now we are depleted at the worst possible time. For next season I'd like to see some kind of hybrid system. I mean, there were obviously times when the system worked -- like when we were hitting shots at a high percentage! -- but when the shots aren't falling and the press isn't working, we had nothing different to show. And that is why we lost today. You can't be a one-trick-pony at this level. The opposing coaches and players are just too darn good. Helen Keller could have seen this exhaustion-caused collapse coming.

I am absolutely in love with Kim Caldwell's energy and confidence and guts and no-nonsense approach. I'm thrilled she is a Tennessee Lady Vol and genuinely suspect she was born to be our coach. Danny White made a terrific hire, and I have ZERO regrets about it.

That said, she's gonna need to make opposing coaches work harder next season. Even with the amazing class Kim and her staff signed coming in, there still needs to be some tweaks made. She must, I think, come with some hybrid system that offers more flexibility. I think maybe Kim thought we'd be able to work through the rough spots and find energy at the end that opponents won't have, but it may have backfired. The pace was not sustainable in the SEC. This team has done their best and, IMO, only once all season appeared to have even one molecule of "quit" in them. They don't quit. They WON'T quit.They are Tennessee Lady Vols. They gave their all as far as I could tell, and no matter what happens in the NCAAT I'll be proud of their EFFORT.

Speaking of the amazing recruiting class, I have to wonder what they are thinking today, now that they've seen this team and coach this season and, specifically, seeing them now worn slap OUT. Are they still as excited about playing this way? How about players we're still recruiting for 2026 and beyond? After thinking more about it, I'm now wondering if Shae Ralph was NOT throwing Kim a helpful truth-bone, but instead was talking to recruits. Think about it.

I hope our players get a lot of complete rest leading up to the NCAAT. The only thing I'd concern them with over the next week, at least, is making sure they are eating right and getting enough sleep. We don't need the players to feed their frustrations and come back to workouts several pounds heavier else they'll risk injury. Trust me, this could happen! I know how it can!

Anyway, this post is way too long for anyone to read, but I needed to write all this so I can sleep tonight.

Love our team and staff. GO LADY VOLS!

 

[Voltopia]

I have a question. Was Iowa, Florida State, UConn, Alabama, Ole Miss not decent?

No, they said the UConn game was a fluke and we aren’t allowed to use that win as an example.

 

[lvocd]

P.S. I would like to add that I actually like Kim's system and enjoyed the heck out of watching it when we were hitting enough shots to make it work.

I'm just saying that her system, in it's current form, appears unlikely to be sustainable over the long haul within a particularly strenuous league. Could be that with just a couple of minor tweaks and she could end up with the perfect system, and her teams cutting down nets. I haven't given up on it. I just think this season should help Kim a lot going forward if she's flexible -- and smart.

 

[AllVols3]

Need athletes that can shoot. Right now we've got non-athletic shooters and athletes that can't shoot. We're 2 years away IMO. The freshmen will be good but they will still be freshmen.

I dint think so. This class is better than advertised. Know to get to a F4 maybe 2 classes. We need Edward's and Harpring, then all bets are off. We're ELITE with thise to and this class and all the returning players.

 

[Puppeteer]

No, they said the UConn game was a fluke and we aren’t allowed to use that win as an example.

I personally don't believe in fluke wins. You guys went out, played better than us and won. Was our game against South Carolina a fluke? Nope. We went out, played better than them and won.

 

[AllVols3]

The one glaring flaw in this season appears to me to be that Kim's system kinda promised to result in the Lady Vols finishing strong BECAUSE the system would make our team the best conditioned. It was kinda marketed to expect that when everyone else was worn out by a long season, our players, who only have to go hard for 40 to 90 seconds at a time, would be much fresher and would wear opponents down.

We are the ones worn down, and it's frustrating to people like me because we saw this coming shortly into the season.

I'm a former multi-sport athlete, and while I was never a professional player or coach, I do have an understanding of the physical/mental toll of a long, brutally competitive season can have on a body, and, specifically for me personally, the importance of needing at least four or five minutes at the start of every game to catch one's breath and to get in sync mentally.

So now we are depleted at the worst possible time. For next season I'd like to see some kind of hybrid system. I mean, there were obviously times when the system worked -- like when we were hitting shots at a high percentage! -- but when the shots aren't falling and the press isn't working, we had nothing different to show. And that is why we lost today. You can't be a one-trick-pony at this level. The opposing coaches and players are just too darn good. Helen Keller could have seen this exhaustion-caused collapse coming.

I am absolutely in love with Kim Caldwell's energy and confidence and guts and no-nonsense approach. I'm thrilled she is a Tennessee Lady Vol and genuinely suspect she was born to be our coach. Danny White made a terrific hire, and I have ZERO regrets about it.

That said, she's gonna need to make opposing coaches work harder next season. Even with the amazing class Kim and her staff signed coming in, there still needs to be some tweaks made. She must, I think, come with some hybrid system that offers more flexibility. I think maybe Kim thought we'd be able to work through the rough spots and find energy at the end that opponents won't have, but it may have backfired. The pace was not sustainable in the SEC. This team has done their best and, IMO, only once all season appeared to have even one molecule of "quit" in them. They don't quit. They WON'T quit.They are Tennessee Lady Vols. They gave their all as far as I could tell, and no matter what happens in the NCAAT I'll be proud of their EFFORT.

Speaking of the amazing recruiting class, I have to wonder what they are thinking today, now that they've seen this team and coach this season and, specifically, seeing them now worn slap OUT. Are they still as excited about playing this way? How about players we're still recruiting for 2026 and beyond? After thinking more about it, I'm now wondering if Shae Ralph was NOT throwing Kim a helpful truth-bone, but instead was talking to recruits. Think about it.

I hope our players get a lot of complete rest leading up to the NCAAT. The only thing I'd concern them with over the next week, at least, is making sure they are eating right and getting enough sleep. We don't need the players to feed their frustrations and come back to workouts several pounds heavier else they'll risk injury. Trust me, this could happen! I know how it can!

Anyway, this post is way too long for anyone to read, but I needed to write all this so I can sleep tonight.

Love our team and staff. GO LADY VOLS!

Nobody reading all that blah blah blah. We get it you don't think CKC is the answer. When she is don't try to get on the wagon.

 

[lvocd]

Nobody reading all that blah blah blah. We get it you don't think CKC is the answer. When she is don't try to get on the wagon.

Well, you're wrong about what I think about Kim. You have now twice been wrong about it, but you do you.

 

[vol24/7/365]

1st year coach! Young! Just had a baby! I think she has done a phenomenal job!!!!!

 

[vol24/7/365]

Nobody reading all that blah blah blah. We get it you don't think CKC is the answer. When she is don't try to get on the wagon.

I can’t like this enough!