Game Thread: (16/14) Lady Vols 54 - (8/8) LSU 57

[FormerLadyVolFan]

Here's the facts, not opinion from @briancrice , co-host of the Erik Ainge Show on the SportsAnimal 99.1 in Knoxville and former UT Athletic Department employee....

'I reported that on our radio show at the time, that she (Mulkey) had declined to interview. I also said repeatedly at the time, signing my own name to it for three hours a day, that Waltz would not be considered.

Many people in women’s basketball have been uncomfortable with his actions on the recruiting trail and behind the scenes. He was not going to be a candidate here under any circumstances. The fact that he dropped his own name as a candidate for the job two years before when the job was not even open further cemented that."

Your post is a matter of opinion.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

I NEVER wanted rennia gone and can’t remember anyone who did. I don’t know what to think about Rae. I have always loved her but she was just so bad yesterday I was ready to throw my shoe at the tv. Lol

There were a few posters here that posted they hoped she moved toward the end of the season. Some said she was shooting us out of games and it would be better if she didn’t come back for her fifth yr.

 

[Memvol44]

There were a few posters here that posted they hoped she moved toward the end of the season. Some said she was shooting us out of games and it would be better if she didn’t come back for her fifth yr.

Sad!!!

 

[Majors]

Don't know what Coach Mulkey is paid. What ever it is...it"s probably not enough. The women's game needs her personality and eccentricities.
Some have said she outcoached, Coach Harper. I didn't see that. Coach Mulkey is a three time National Champion. Good for her. However, that should not buy her extra deferrence from the Referees. She received extra deferrence at least once, when Walker hit a layup and got an and one. Referee who called the play was emfatictic...score an and one. Mulkey complained... call was changed to two shots. Walker could make only one..
leaving two points somewhere in the wake of 3 time National Champion Mulkey. Kellie's questions were ignored. Could not risk a technical, but what happened is unfortunate...eccentricities or not.

Mulkey 2.8M this year alone
Coach Harper $800K per year after the latest deal through 2026

 

[NeedOrange]

In three seasons she hasn't accomplished what Mulkey has done in one...

Once again you are comparing the performance of a VERY well know 3 time national champion coach with a much younger mid-major coach.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

So apparently you and darth are going to make sure this conversation comes up monthly, weekly, or at least after every loss. You act like you are against darth, but you are more like a tag team. Congrats. I see you.

Man, I gotta hand it to you. You sniffed out our thing! We figured no one would ever figure it out!! Congratulations!!

Here's the thing: He trolls Kellie, the players, and the program with every post. So I troll him every time he does.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

Coach from Louisville would have been a good hire.

yeah, there are a bunch who would have been a good hire. So, were they available, and did they let Fulmer know they were available? You can't hire someone who doesn't want to come here.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

[Speaking in conspiratorial tones] "Jeff Walz would be the LV head coach except the bluehaired mafia intervened by ..oh, no they are here to silence me help, help he.. AAAARGH" [End scene]

Aside from Elvee/Darth's predictable performance art (The New York Times, writes "damn, haven't we seen this same [expletive deleted] before?)........

In a head to head coaching match, Kellie made defensive adjustments that Mulkey could not effectively counter, and, furthermore, KJH compensated exceptionally well for the absence of the team's leader in points, rebounds, and assist. (Get well soon, Jordan Horston!)

In the first quarter, LSU did slice and dice us on the perimeter (Jordan would have helped a lot there) and they were red hot. Once Kellie made the decision to keep shifting between a man-to-man and the 2 -3 zone (which means her team is well drilled in defense sets), it was a different game. The LVs held LSU to 7% shooting in the 3rd quarter. The LVs even won the game's TO battle with 15 versus LSU's 19. Our new look press, with Kaiya, Miles, and Jordan W. looked fierce!

But, the fatal problem was that during that absolutely stellar defensive 3rd quarter the LVs only cut the 16 point lead to 10. On the one side, LSU played good defense as well so that was a conributing factor. But the LVs missed a staggering number of open shots, some from almost point blank range (29% shooting in that quarter). The "missing open shots" pattern continued in the 4th quarter but the LVs managed to generate more baskets from TOs and offensive rebounds (and the 4th was the team's best shooting quarter at 44%).

On the whole it is hard to win games shooting 31% overall (not to mention missing 7 FTs-- 10 for 17 = a substandard 58%)

Rae shot 4 for 18, Dye was 5-15 and Puckett was 2-9. Most of these misses were "good look" shots that you would expect them to make. And Jordan Walker was 1 for 4 from behind the line and all those shots were uncontested.

The LVs really should have won this game based on their defensive effort (and success in disrupting LSU's offense) but you have to put the little round ball in the dang hoop to get the W.

Shooting woes have been the season's recurrent theme and this shortfall is magnified with Jordan being out.

I am Kellie supporter and think she is doing a stellar job (as pointed out by other posters, she has a much less experienced team to work with than Mulkey) but responsibliity for night in and night out poor shooting (fairly or not) falls on the coaches' shoulders.

Honestly, we are not likely to see a magical transformation where this team (this season) becomes the "splash brothers." But going forward, Kellie has to find a solution to these shooting woes or else her teams will not become legit final four contenders.

Agreed. We are a poor shooting team. And that speaks to both the players and the coaches. A basketball team has to be able to score to be successful, no doubt about that. It can only be fixed by the players spending a heck of a lot of time in the gym putting up shots, and coaches helping them with mechanics, motivation, etc. But we are far afield here from the response I gave to the poster, which is: who should be coach now if not Kellie? No one has been able to tell me who among the best coaches was a) availalbe, and b) known to the UT administration to be available when the job was last open.

 

[lvocd]

Fun stat from yesterday's game is that Tennessee held LSU to their lowest point total for the entire season at 57. They scored 60 on South Carolina, and generally scored in the high 70s/80s. That first quarter was the pits.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Went back and watched the reply.. first thing I noticed is the refs took points off the scoreboard on Jordan Walker drive that was called a foul late in the 4th qtr. That foul was not on the floor and could’ve been a 3 point play cutting it to 51- 56 or 52 - 56.
Second, on that final play Rae was wide open and that pass has to go to her. People give her a hard time on this forum but despite her setback I want her taking that shot and not just because our leading scorer is out due to injury.
Rae has made that kind of clutch shot before this season.
Last, Tamari really had a great look to tie the game. She has room to improve offensively and if she does she’ll become a dominant 2-way force!
No moral victories, just facts.

 

[Memvol44]

Went back and watched the reply.. first thing I noticed is the refs took points off the scoreboard on Jordan Walker drive that was called a foul late in the 4th qtr. That foul was not on the floor and could’ve been a 3 point play cutting it to 51- 56 or 52 - 56.
Second, on that final play Rae was wide open and that pass has to go to her. People give her a hard time on this forum but despite her setback I want her taking that shot and not just because our leading scorer is out due to injury.
Rae has made that kind of clutch shot before this season.
Last, Tamari really had a great look to tie the game. She has room to improve offensively and if she does she’ll become a dominant 2-way force!
No moral victories, just facts.

Key has to make that point blank shot!!

 

[Majors]

Key has to make that point blank shot!!

high percentage shot for a big.

 

[Nute Gunray]

I might be wrong, but I thought I saw that Jordy was also leading in steals in addition to rebounds, points, and assists. That's a lot of offense and defense sitting on the bench, as well as our best creator and someone who draws a lot of opponents' defensive efforts. Jordy could disrupt passing lanes, use her height to help break pressure, and could open up the floor for teammates...in addition to wearing down opposing defenders and drawing fouls.

You are right on, creekdipper. The Lady Vols were 18-1 at one time due to the superb play of Horston. I am not saying she achieved this by herself. However, she was the "X" factor that propelled the LVs to that 18-1 W-L record. Horston is a team player. Listen to her interviews after a stellar individual game performance. She never says, "I did this", she says, "We did this".

I believe Kaiya Wynn is the only LV player that can come close to replacing Horston in the starting lineup. Burrell should be the 6th man off the bench. I realize this is pure speculation, but, I wish Kellie would give this a try in the upcoming SEC and NCAA tournaments.