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

[Voluble2]

Damn, I missed this post game interview. Ralph says they didn’t need to prep much for this second game with UT, they felt they knew exactly what they would do. Pretty bold statement from an opposing coach on National TV.

Interview found here….

Women's Basketball - Southeastern Conference

Comprehensive coverage of SEC football, basketball, baseball and more, including live games, scores, schedules, standings and news

www.secsports.com

It is interesting that Kim said the opposite about Vandy. She said they were hard to prep for when she had more time, and it would be even more difficult with the quick turnaround.

A couple of things I would like to see next year is someone work with Cooper on getting more arc on her shot. That would do her a world of good and I am surprised she doesn't already have that given she used to play so much with guys. If she is going to shoot the volume she does that can only be justified if she shoots a higher percentage. When I was growing up a shot like hers was not unusual. But everyone refines every technique and tries to perfect it these days for a reason.

Another thing that would help is that some of our players heavily favor their right hand on drives. All of these tendencies and weaknesses have been scouted which is part of the reason why scoring got harder at the end of the year. Teams pack it in to take away the drive and get the rebounds and know who to let shoot from the outside and who to chase. In other words, they are beating us to our spots because a lot of our players don't have much variety in where their spots are.

Kim had to install a new system this year, with new players so you expected it to be rough. But it is a bad sign that the team is not playing its best ball at season's end.

This is how I grade the year so far.

Portal recruiting - exceeded expectations
High school recruiting - greatly exceeded expectations
Regular season - underperformed
SEC Tournament - underperformed
NCAA Tournament - TBD

It turns out that the saving grace this year was stacking the pre-conference schedule with cupcakes. Hopefully, we won't need that next year.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

The twins will eventually be better than this year’s backcourt but not their freshman year.

I believe the twins will better ball handlers and better defenseive players we have a lot of talent coming in and are likely gey some experienced help in the portal.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Coach Caldwell does not need any player in the 2026 class or beyond.
She gets a full-offseason with the returnees in her system and a #1/#2 top recruiting class. She know this and you can see it in her demeanor CKC is looking to win it all.
Moving forward what CKC needs is to recruit players that want to be at Tennessee and can play at a championship level.
Jaida Civil was MVP of the 4A Florida State Championship game today. Her Palm Bay team came back and won after trailing by as many as 14 points in the 1st half.
Mia, Mya, Jaida, and Prawl are all good enough to start as freshmen in college.
That’s not an exaggeration or false hope. They likely won’t start and shouldn’t with the players we already have on the roster but to think they are just freshmen doesn’t carry weight. A 17 year old freshman just started football at Alabama University and skipped his senior year of HS. A 18 year old Wide Receiver was arguably the best football player in the country at Ohio State.
These kids are different now. There’s no such thing as certain players are just a freshman.


I’m waiting for the highlights and stats to post from Morris Catholic game today as Mya and Mia Pauldo advanced to their 3rd State Championship Game. Mya was unstoppable as the twins faced off against one of the best underclassmen recruits in the nation at DePaul Catholic

 

[creekdipper]

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!

Perhaps you should actually read the entire post next time. As in maybe the fifth paragraph.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

It is interesting that Kim said the opposite about Vandy. She said they were hard to prep for when she had more time, and it would be even more difficult with the quick turnaround.

A couple of things I would like to see next year is someone work with Cooper on getting more arc on her shot. That would do her a world of good and I am surprised she doesn't already have that given she used to play so much with guys. If she is going to shoot the volume she does that can only be justified if she shoots a higher percentage. When I was growing up a shot like hers was not unusual. But everyone refines every technique and tries to perfect it these days for a reason.

Another thing that would help is that some of our players heavily favor their right hand on drives. All of these tendencies and weaknesses have been scouted which is part of the reason why scoring got harder at the end of the year. Teams pack it in to take away the drive and get the rebounds and know who to let shoot from the outside and who to chase. In other words, they are beating us to our spots because a lot of our players don't have much variety in where their spots are.

Kim had to install a new system this year, with new players so you expected it to be rough. But it is a bad sign that the team is not playing its best ball at season's end.

This is how I grade the year so far.

Portal recruiting - exceeded expectations
High school recruiting - greatly exceeded expectations
Regular season - underperformed
SEC Tournament - underperformed
NCAA Tournament - TBD

It turns out that the saving grace this year was stacking the pre-conference schedule with cupcakes. Hopefully, we won't need that next year.

I agree with most, but I disagree with regular season performance. I had no idea they would -lay as well as they, especially beating Connecticut.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Can u name the players that will be better 3pt shooters than Spear, Darby and Spencer next year?

Three of the incoming Freshmen are shooting in the high 40%.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Three of the incoming Freshmen are shooting in the high 40%.

Does high school stats always translate when coming to the Sec?

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Three of the incoming Freshmen are shooting in the high 40%.

At this point you are right about the freshmen and no matter what (they could shoot 40%-50% next season at Tennessee it won’t change certain minds. Just get ready to enjoy that freshmen class and the outstanding talent we have coming back after having a full offseason of training.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I'm just asking a question, like I said if they all shoot over 40% on high volume, that would be a lock for the final four. That’s something I hope happens, my question is will it happen.

 

[vol24/7/365]

Perhaps you should actually read the entire post next time. As in maybe the fifth paragraph.

There is always ! Always adjustments to be made. Ask Geno. It’s very unfair to judge her in her first year in the SEC!

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Does high school stats always translate when coming to the Sec?

Not always, but you seldom see one who has poor HS stats do well in College. We do have the #1 recruiting class coming in.

 

[lvocd]

Perhaps you should actually read the entire post next time. As in maybe the fifth paragraph.

In their defense, I knew it was going to look to a lot of people like too much to read, and I was right. lol

The younger ones aren't used to reading more than a few lines of anything at a time, and so kinda freak out by the sight of blocks of text. They should probably put someone like me on ignore.

But thanks for sticking up for me.

 

[glv98]

Interesting discussion. So when we get this influx of athletic talent does that allow CKC to do her “system” more and better or will she still need to dial the hard press back against better teams?

Can even elite athletes last a whole season of heavy pressing without getting dead legs? Would even more rigorous training help or make the legs wear out even sooner?

I,m glad Kim has owned the obvious burnout which appears to be mental as well as physical. I give her grace, she was use to managing Shetland ponies but now she has thoroughbreds. I’m sure she’ll do better.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Interesting discussion. So when we get this influx of athletic talent does that allow CKC to do her “system” more and better or will she still need to dial the hard press back against better teams?

Can even elite athletes last a whole season of heavy pressing without getting dead legs? Would even more rigorous training help or make the legs wear out even sooner?

I,m glad Kim has owned the obvious burnout which appears to be mental as well as physical. I give her grace, she was use to managing Shetland ponies but now she has thoroughbreds. I’m sure she’ll do better.

That’s the question I want answered as well, is it just the players on the rosters or does the system need to be changed.

 

[lvocd]

Interesting discussion. So when we get this influx of athletic talent does that allow CKC to do her “system” more and better or will she still need to dial the hard press back against better teams?

Can even elite athletes last a whole season of heavy pressing without getting dead legs? Would even more rigorous training help or make the legs wear out even sooner?

I,m glad Kim has owned the obvious burnout which appears to be mental as well as physical. I give her grace, she was use to managing Shetland ponies but now she has thoroughbreds. I’m sure she’ll do better.

Those are all excellent questions. I feel like if the regular season had been 1/3 shorter we'd have kicked butt in the SECT. It was just too much wear and tear and is showing here at the end.

 

[glv98]

To be fair, you could say that about any team that plays another team for the second time. When my stomach settles I'll watch this game in more detail; but from quick recall, I wasn't at all surprised by anything Vanderbilt did, or tried to do. And, I doubt that Kim and Company were taken aback. Were you? Did you see any trick plays, or specialized defenses that might have thrown us off our game? All I saw was poor-to-very-poor execution on our part - careless passes, bad decisions in general, and as you have often, rightly stated ...just dreadful marksmanship.

I'm with you on the whining about officiating; that can appear weak on our part. But I think it's fair to say that a particular player was given a lot of leeway with her style of play. So, while I wouldn't blame this loss on the officiating, I certainly didn't see the loss as a coaching mismatch. They played better, and, more troubling, going forward, they out rebounded us. And, fair or not, they got to the free throw line more. We have a lot of things to work on.

Love reading your posts.

Cheers.

Shea and Kenny’s comments were specifically about success against the press after seeing it once already. But yeah lol in general having seen anything before should help the scout.

 

[TnVolsX4]

That’s the question I want answered as well, is it just the players on the rosters or does the system need to be changed.

Let's hope it's the former and not the latter.

 

[glv98]

Those are all excellent questions. I feel like if the regular season had been 1/3 shorter we'd have kicked butt in the SECT. It was just too much wear and tear and is showing here at the end.

I suspect the wear issue is one reason this style isn’t tried more often. Also why pros don’t do it. Their legs are their careers.

Also suspect the intensity required is wearing mentally as well.

 

[NOLACHUCKEYTOM]

Do you all think it would help with fatigue if we leave players in longer and rest longer on bench. We sub so quickly that there is not much recovery time when you are out. Sometimes this year Coop would come out and go back in less than a minute or two later. I sort of think this along with hard practices may be why the team seems tired here at the end of the season.
Just a thought!

 

[lvocd]

I suspect the wear issue is why this style isn’t tried more often. Also why pros don’t do it. Their legs are their careers.

Also suspect the intensity required is wearing mentally as well.

Yes.

 

[Coach Jumper]

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.

I like it to,,,but ANY system has to be tweaked to accommodate the level of your competition,,,you can't take a system that you beat the "Sister's of the Poor" University and expect it to do the same with South Carolina,,,or even Vandy!

We have ridden that one-trick pony as far as it will go this year,,,next year it will go further BC of the level of athleticism incoming,,,but with the personnel we have now,,,gotta tweak it

 

[lvocd]

Do you all think it would help with fatigue if we leave players in longer and rest longer on bench. We sub so quickly that there is not much recovery time when you are out. Sometimes this year Coop would come out and go back in less than a minute or two later. I sort of think this along with hard practices may be why the team seems tired here at the end of the season.
Just a thought!

That may be the type of tweak that could help. It'll be interesting to see what the staff comes up with for next season.

 

[glv98]

That’s the question I want answered as well, is it just the players on the rosters or does the system need to be changed.

Let's hope it's the former and not the latter.

So the thought would be with better players we could create enough t.o.s to make up for the chippies that are always going to be given up by the hard press. And rebound enough to create the extra possessions and extra shot attempts to make up for spotty shooting. Or even shoot less freaking spotty. System better implemented.

That may very well be what happens. But I still don’t think it will work against the top of the SEC consistently enough to be competitive against them. Think we need to be more flexible and lass predictable. Also have to protect our players physically. Going to be interesting to see

 

[vol24/7/365]

Do you all think it would help with fatigue if we leave players in longer and rest longer on bench. We sub so quickly that there is not much recovery time when you are out. Sometimes this year Coop would come out and go back in less than a minute or two later. I sort of think this along with hard practices may be why the team seems tired here at the end of the season.
Just a thought!

I don’t see the fatigue. I see it with the opponent. But as I said before. There is always room for adjustments. Kim said it herself and I am sure she will adjust. It may have to be next season but my gosh she is great as a first year coach. IN THE SEC! Call me on in next season if I am wrong!

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

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.

I would take the odds and bet we aren’t two years away. It’s happening now based on what I’m seeing right now from the players returning and the 2025 recruiting class. Every year and every team is different.
They have to establish their culture, team identity, and develop chemistry from Day 1. For whatever reason, that wasn’t accomplished this season. This current team never created the on-court chemistry to get over the hump.
I believe they get alone fairly well off the court. The trust on the court just isn’t strong and I can understand why when it seems a lot of players they depend on can’t consistently perform their role. Maybe they do things in practice and in games never are able to come through which would be frustrating and cause a rift in the locker room.
From my research every player returning and coming to Tennessee next season has been a winner from AAU to High School. Most are natural leaders. 5 McDonald’s All-Americans, 9 Top 50, and 10 Top 80 recruits. This is before the transfer portal additions.
I’m taking the odds every time.