Alexa Middleton

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#51
#51
She needs some coaching. I think with some good advice and practice she will develop.

Go Lady Vols!
 
#53
#53
MSU is a very tough team and I thought yesterday how much improvement Alexa and Jamie have made since the first of the year. Great contributions from both. Yes Nared got 3 quick fouls but how many points did #15 score on her? (2 free throws). Best defense she has had all year and the area of most improvement for her. Alexa dribbled into traffic too many times but she is getting comfortable playing with the team and knowing where to pass needs to be. I think she is coming along nicely. Improvement by both from the first of the year has be very good in my humble opinion.
 
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#55
#55
teacherdean said:
The day when I start looking for beautiful women in basketball will be the day. If you are beautiful/attractive and have a game then good for you, however, give me an ugly or unattractive girl who is a game changer and I am okay with it. Looks are skin deep but talent is to the bone.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more, I just have a hard time not noticing beauty where I see it, especially when combined with talent.
 
#56
#56
clkou said:
I think Middleton is great. She has tremendous basketball IQ and a great passing. She's an elite shooter. Her stats don't reflect it yet but that doesn't mean she isn't or won't be down the line. I don't think of her as particularly turnover prone. Here's the turnover stats in terms of average minutes elapsed to commit a turnover from worst to best (the lower minutes the worst meaning the commit them more often):

Minutes/Turnover Player*
9.19 Moore,Nia
9.48 Harrison,Isabelle
10.69 Jones,Jasmine
11.40 Burdick,Cierra
12.44 Middleton,Alexa
13.88 Massengale,Ariel
17.25 Graves,Bashaara
19.10 Reynolds,Jordan
20.38 Nared,Jaime
25.67 Carter,Andraya
95.00 Dunbar,Kortney*
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That's one thing I like about Dunbar. Good ball security. Makes good passes.
 
#58
#58
Does anyone here remember Sidney Spencer when she was a freshman!? She could barely guard anyone, and didn't get a lot of playing time. Flash forward to her Senior year, she lead the nation in 3pt shooting and started on a National Championship winning team.

Dunbar and Middleton are freshmen. Give them time! Why berate players who WANT to play for Tennessee!?

Who needs enemies when Lady Vol "fans" are after you...
 
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#59
#59
your eyes are playing tricks on you , what bb player on this team was so much better then her when they were freshman. I for one don't see put one person on this team that can stop penetration and that is #14. Just watch quick guards go around us to dish off or score(ND) all night long. She will get better as all freshman do ,give her a chance and check back in a few yrs.
 
#60
#60
she will be fine if she just learns to quit dribbling into traps in the paint. She is super at feeding her teammates with passes they can catch, score with and knows how to get her teammates open looks. the physicality of the college game is what she has to get used to. It'll happen.
 
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#61
#61
mtsuraider06 said:
Does anyone here remember Sidney Spencer when she was a freshman!? She could barely guard anyone, and didn't get a lot of playing time. Flash forward to her Senior year, she lead the nation in 3pt shooting and started on a National Championship winning team.

Dunbar and Middleton are freshmen. Give them time! Why berate players who WANT to play for Tennessee!?

Who needs enemies when Lady Vol "fans" are after you...
Click to expand...

TRUE.
Unfortunately, with Cooper, DeShields and Jackson coming in next year, there will be even more players vying for perimeter position playing time. Someone will have to sit.
Carter
Reynolds
DeShields
Cooper
Nared
Tucker
Middelton
Jackson
8 players for 3 positions.
 
#62
#62
volnationnj said:
TRUE.
Unfortunately, with Cooper, DeShields and Jackson coming in next year, there will be even more players vying for perimeter position playing time. Someone will have to sit.
Carter
Reynolds
DeShields
Cooper
Nared
Tucker
Middelton
Jackson
8 players for 3 positions.
Click to expand...

That's a good problem to have.....now just get some bigs
 
#63
#63
volnationnj said:
TRUE.
Unfortunately, with Cooper, DeShields and Jackson coming in next year, there will be even more players vying for perimeter position playing time. Someone will have to sit.
Carter
Reynolds
DeShields
Cooper
Nared
Tucker
Middelton
Jackson
8 players for 3 positions.
Click to expand...

Definitely something for these players to think about over the summer. If they want to play they better work hard to get better. I can see a couple players transferring to another school. I think it is almost certain if healthy Diamond and Te'a will take at least 55 minutes at two positions. Andrea will go about 27 like this year and Reynolds at least 20. I think there is a good possibility that they may want Nared to play more at the four plus Jackson who has an all around game with quickness will be a defensive stopper type player.
You start adding up the minutes and Middleton, Tucker, Jackson, and Dunbar are trying to get 18 minutes of possible playing time. Then there is Jones who probably will be a perimeter defender that Holly will want in there but a four offensive player.
I would expect that a couple players may consider a transfer much like were seeing with the football team.
 
#64
#64
Volfan2012 said:
I would expect that a couple players may consider a transfer much like were seeing with the football team.
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It seems like every year there is speculation that players will transfer because on paper the LVs always have a roster of talent. Injuries happen and the abundance often turns into a shortage. And players form connections with team mates, other class mates, the schools. This program has historically had that many transfers.
 
#65
#65
Volfan2012 said:
Definitely something for these players to think about over the summer. If they want to play they better work hard to get better. I can see a couple players transferring to another school. I think it is almost certain if healthy Diamond and Te'a will take at least 55 minutes at two positions. Andrea will go about 27 like this year and Reynolds at least 20. I think there is a good possibility that they may want Nared to play more at the four plus Jackson who has an all around game with quickness will be a defensive stopper type player.
You start adding up the minutes and Middleton, Tucker, Jackson, and Dunbar are trying to get 18 minutes of possible playing time. Then there is Jones who probably will be a perimeter defender that Holly will want in there but a four offensive player.
I would expect that a couple players may consider a transfer much like were seeing with the football team.
Click to expand...

Will Tucker even be a factor? She has to get over whatever mental issues she has. I do not like to sit around and dream about next year, but next year's team may be the best we have seen in years. At least since the Parker era. The big question is will the system accomidate the talent? Genno keeps most of his troops happy because a weak conference allows him to play the bench as much as he plays the starters. Even he has players that transfer because of a lack of playing time. Day in and day out, the talent in the SEC does not allow such a luxury as Genno has. I am not a big Genno fan but added to his advantage, the man can flat out coach.

I do believe that good competition within a team will make the team stronger. If we can keep all this talent, we will be, or should be, a top five team.

By the way while we are dreaming, lets dream up a big girl or two, even a developmental project.
 
#66
#66
teacherdean said:
Will Tucker even be a factor? She has to get over whatever mental issues she has. I do not like to sit around and dream about next year, but next year's team may be the best we have seen in years. At least since the Parker era. The big question is will the system accomidate the talent? Genno keeps most of his troops happy because a weak conference allows him to play the bench as much as he plays the starters. Even he has players that transfer because of a lack of playing time. Day in and day out, the talent in the SEC does not allow such a luxury as Genno has. I am not a big Genno fan but added to his advantage, the man can flat out coach.

I do believe that good competition within a team will make the team stronger. If we can keep all this talent, we will be, or should be, a top five team.

By the way while we are dreaming, lets dream up a big girl or two, even a developmental project.
Click to expand...

I certainly believe in having as many players as you can get. There are always going to be players that underachieve and of course injuries. I like where we are next season and hope no one leaves. Even if your on the bench being part of a Championship team can be a rewarding and exciting time in an athletes life.
I think were National Championship material next season if Mercedes is recovered and physically stronger. I know a lot of people want agree, but I think she is potentially a far better player than Harrison. I know UConn more than likely beats us this season. Next year definitely a different story.
 
#67
#67
Volfan2012 said:
I certainly believe in having as many players as you can get. There are always going to be players that underachieve and of course injuries. I like where we are next season and hope no one leaves. Even if your on the bench being part of a Championship team can be a rewarding and exciting time in an athletes life.
I think were National Championship material next season if Mercedes is recovered and physically stronger. I know a lot of people want agree, but I think she is potentially a far better player than Harrison. I know UConn more than likely beats us this season. Next year definitely a different story.
Click to expand...

I love the LadyVols to death and I do believe with a healthy MR next year we could make some noise but I wouldn't say it'll be a total diff story with them next year, they only get better! They lose one Senior, we lose 3. They bring in the best recruiting class next year IMO, and with the addition of a transfer Natalie Butler, who was Freshman of the year her conference last year! She was no slouch in the post last year!, its going to be tough next year to beat them but here's to hoping we can do it this year if we happen to meet them in Tampa !
 
#68
#68
teacherdean said:
Will Tucker even be a factor? She has to get over whatever mental issues she has. I do not like to sit around and dream about next year, but next year's team may be the best we have seen in years. At least since the Parker era. The big question is will the system accomidate the talent? Genno keeps most of his troops happy because a weak conference allows him to play the bench as much as he plays the starters. Even he has players that transfer because of a lack of playing time. Day in and day out, the talent in the SEC does not allow such a luxury as Genno has. I am not a big Genno fan but added to his advantage, the man can flat out coach.

I do believe that good competition within a team will make the team stronger. If we can keep all this talent, we will be, or should be, a top five team.

By the way while we are dreaming, lets dream up a big girl or two, even a developmental project.
Click to expand...

There have been many games that should have been over by the first half in which Tennessee let the other team hang around way longer than they should have. That forced Holly to keep the starters in and play 30+ minutes.

The difference with UConn is that they go straight for the jugular so that the majority of games are over by the beginning of the second half, and the starters can rest while the reserves get valuable game time.

There are plenty of SEC teams (Auburn, Alabama, Missouri, Florida, Vandy off the top of my head) that Tennessee should be able to plow through, but they keep playing down to their level. Once the team starts playing to kill, the reserves will play more.

As far as next year's rotation, Cooper and Deshields will essentially take over for Ariel and Burdick. Nared will get her 12 minutes at the SF and probably another 8 minutes at PF. Middleton will probably continue to get 10-12 minutes at SG. I will guess that Tucker, Dunbar and Jackson will probably not see much court time, unless Tucker becomes a regular part of the rotation from now until the end of the season.
 
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#69
#69
LadyVol1908 said:
I love the LadyVols to death and I do believe with a healthy MR next year we could make some noise but I wouldn't say it'll be a total diff story with them next year, they only get better! They lose one Senior, we lose 3. They bring in the best recruiting class next year IMO, and with the addition of a transfer Natalie Butler, who was Freshman of the year her conference last year! She was no slouch in the post last year!, its going to be tough next year to beat them but here's to hoping we can do it this year if we happen to meet them in Tampa !
Click to expand...

They lose 2 seniors. We bring in DD and Cooper.
 
#70
#70
What helps with transfers in the women's game is that there is not much point to it. The pros don't pay so much that you can't make a better living with your degree than you can playing basketball and if you transfer to a lesser team you aren't going to win anything, ever.

So there will be a much smaller pool of players to whom a transfer would make sense as compared to a sport like football or men's basketball because there is no real money at stake. You still have other motivations for it, for instance if they want to pursue a different major or don't like the coach etc... but most of those other considerations are usually put to bed before the kids sign. That just leaves playing time and if you aren't getting it then it is pretty clear you need to be concentrating on your degree because you aren't going to make a living at it anyway.

One other factor though that no one has discussed is how the current generation of kids quits easier. They have been coddled in an "everyone gets a prize" atmosphere a lot more than previous generations and it shows when they are put in a situation where they have to compete. It was bad when I was growing up, but it is ten times worse now. Even Pat remarked on how kids had changed during her coaching career and were softer now.
 
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#71
#71
Voluble2 said:
One other factor though that no one has discussed is how the current generation of kids quits easier. They have been coddled in an "everyone gets a prize" atmosphere a lot more than previous generations and it shows when they are put in a situation where they have to compete. It was bad when I was growing up, but it is ten times worse now. Even Pat remarked on how kids had changed during her coaching career and were softer now.
Click to expand...

Yeah, Jannah Tucker is such a spoiled quitter, and Mercedes too with her reconstructive surgery, and Andrea playing through the death of her grandmother, and Ariel coming back from a major concussion, and Nia Moore's sister transferring to UT and becoming the team manager after learning that she had a potentially fatal heart condition (ending her promising playing career), and when I see senior Cierra Burdick playing her heart out night in and night out, i sure do think what a spoiled, soft, quitter. Kids today.....
 
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#72
#72
Voluble2 said:
What helps with transfers in the women's game is that there is not much point to it. The pros don't pay so much that you can't make a better living with your degree than you can playing basketball and if you transfer to a lesser team you aren't going to win anything, ever.

So there will be a much smaller pool of players to whom a transfer would make sense as compared to a sport like football or men's basketball because there is no real money at stake. You still have other motivations for it, for instance if they want to pursue a different major or don't like the coach etc... but most of those other considerations are usually put to bed before the kids sign. That just leaves playing time and if you aren't getting it then it is pretty clear you need to be concentrating on your degree because you aren't going to make a living at it anyway.

One other factor though that no one has discussed is how the current generation of kids quits easier. They have been coddled in an "everyone gets a prize" atmosphere a lot more than previous generations and it shows when they are put in a situation where they have to compete. It was bad when I was growing up, but it is ten times worse now. Even Pat remarked on how kids had changed during her coaching career and were softer now.
Click to expand...

I don't think it's a matter of "everyone gets a prize", but players want to play. There's a difference between expecting 40 minutes because you're you, and realizing that you're not good enough to get meaningful minutes. Players have to be realistic when they pick a school to play at. For example, would Jaime Nared have chosen Tennessee if she knew that Diamond Deshields was transferring in?

Some players may be happy playing for a top program, even if they are just bench players. But for 5 star recruits who could probably start at any Division I school, there's not much point to languish on the bench at a Tennessee or UConn if you could actually hit the court at plenty of other respectable schools.
 
#73
#73
Playing time didn't seem to matter too much when Summitt was recruiting class after class. You have some players that are ME players that only want to be the star of the team that will only see the second round of the WNIT. Then you those who buy into the team concept knowing that they can't win on their own. So they recruit girls just as good as they are if not better than them to play for a goal of winning a championship. From the outside looking in this team is so selfless. From the starters to the bench no matter who scores the points; they are truly happy for each other.
 
#74
#74
Sandvol said:
Top 5 Lady Vols on the looks scale of all time:

Nikki Caldwell, Lisa Harrison, Candace Parker, Taber Spani, and Kortney Dunbar


(Jannah Tucker, Izzy Harrison, Nia Moore would make honorable mention)
Click to expand...

You have terrible taste.

Clement, Brittany Jackson, Dunbar, and then a huge drop after that.

Nia Moore??? Jannah Tucker?? Taber Spani??? Lol

Wow
 
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