Undercovervol
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- Feb 19, 2015
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For the 2017-2018 the available lineup will be:
2 Te'a Cooper 5-8 G Junior
11 Diamond DeShields 6-1 RS Senior
13 Kortney Dunbar 6-2 F Senior
15 Cheridene Green 6-3 RS Junior
5 Kamera Harris 6-3 C Sophomore
10 Meme Jackson 5-11 G/F Junior
33 Alexa Middleton 5-9 G Senior
31 Jaime Nared 6-2 G/F Senior
21 Mercedes Russell 6-6 RS Senior
Plus the #1 Recruiting class of:
Evina Westbrook, PG/SG
Renia Davis, SG/PF
Anastasia Hayes, PG
KK, PF/C
Anticipated starting lineup, based upon experience, skills, and chemistry:
Te'a Cooper, PG (Junior)
Alexa Middleton/Evina Westbrook, SG (Senior/Freshman)
Diamond Deshields, SG (Senior)
Jaime Nared, PF (Senior)
Mercedes Russell, C (Senior)
The one uncertainty is at the 2 spot. I tend to think Warlick will at least initially go with seniority over the freshmen, though that could change as the season progresses. Some of you may disagree with this, of course.
I personally favor playing Westbrook, because her size gives us the height advantage on the perimeter that has been one of our advantages since Reynolds was a point guard, and it's something we give up with playing Cooper.
While looking at this roster, it's no exaggeration to say that this has to be one of the deepest teams in recent lady vol history. Not only is it deep, but the quality of depth is quite astounding, especially if the freshmen live up to the hype.
This team will not only have depth but experience. The starting lineup features three, possibly four seniors, two of those being 5 year players. The "big three", the core of our offense, returns. Jaime Nared made a huge jump from SO to Junior year, and she could make another jump, insofar as she could be more consistent. In many ways she is the key to our success, as this season has shown. Also, the big three were instrumental in beating 3 out of the 4 final four teams this season, showing they have the ability to play at a championship level.
With that being said, the expectations for the season have to be a final four. The lineup is built for a late tourney run with depth at every position. As far as our position in the SEC goes, I expect that we should be battling USC for the top spot. Lastly, our win/loss total should heavily favor the win column, with 3 to 5 losses in the reg season. No more losing to teams we shouldn't lose to.
If these things do not happen, a serious audit of Coach Warlick's performance should be considered. The amount of talent, depth, and experience leaves no other culprit but leadership, should the season prove disappointing.
Go Lady Vols
2 Te'a Cooper 5-8 G Junior
11 Diamond DeShields 6-1 RS Senior
13 Kortney Dunbar 6-2 F Senior
15 Cheridene Green 6-3 RS Junior
5 Kamera Harris 6-3 C Sophomore
10 Meme Jackson 5-11 G/F Junior
33 Alexa Middleton 5-9 G Senior
31 Jaime Nared 6-2 G/F Senior
21 Mercedes Russell 6-6 RS Senior
Plus the #1 Recruiting class of:
Evina Westbrook, PG/SG
Renia Davis, SG/PF
Anastasia Hayes, PG
KK, PF/C
Anticipated starting lineup, based upon experience, skills, and chemistry:
Te'a Cooper, PG (Junior)
Alexa Middleton/Evina Westbrook, SG (Senior/Freshman)
Diamond Deshields, SG (Senior)
Jaime Nared, PF (Senior)
Mercedes Russell, C (Senior)
The one uncertainty is at the 2 spot. I tend to think Warlick will at least initially go with seniority over the freshmen, though that could change as the season progresses. Some of you may disagree with this, of course.
I personally favor playing Westbrook, because her size gives us the height advantage on the perimeter that has been one of our advantages since Reynolds was a point guard, and it's something we give up with playing Cooper.
While looking at this roster, it's no exaggeration to say that this has to be one of the deepest teams in recent lady vol history. Not only is it deep, but the quality of depth is quite astounding, especially if the freshmen live up to the hype.
This team will not only have depth but experience. The starting lineup features three, possibly four seniors, two of those being 5 year players. The "big three", the core of our offense, returns. Jaime Nared made a huge jump from SO to Junior year, and she could make another jump, insofar as she could be more consistent. In many ways she is the key to our success, as this season has shown. Also, the big three were instrumental in beating 3 out of the 4 final four teams this season, showing they have the ability to play at a championship level.
With that being said, the expectations for the season have to be a final four. The lineup is built for a late tourney run with depth at every position. As far as our position in the SEC goes, I expect that we should be battling USC for the top spot. Lastly, our win/loss total should heavily favor the win column, with 3 to 5 losses in the reg season. No more losing to teams we shouldn't lose to.
If these things do not happen, a serious audit of Coach Warlick's performance should be considered. The amount of talent, depth, and experience leaves no other culprit but leadership, should the season prove disappointing.
Go Lady Vols