Game Thread: 2023 Women's NCAA Tournament...Round of 16: Lady Vols v Va. Tech...Sat @ 6:30 ESPN2

[glv98]

. Remember that undefeated season Kellie played?.

Speaking of consolation prizes and the Holy Undefeated 39-0 season, that will not be matched by SC this year. They'll be 38-0 if/when they win it all.

I'm grasping at straws this morning.

 

[Majors]

They do and did, you’re just blowing smoke. This team got along well all season after a rough start. They played hard with good body language and did really well during SEC play.

Did we all want more? Yes.

Am I proud of a Sweet 16 berth? Yes. This was one of the most difficult and parity filled seasons of women’s basketball in history. To make the final 16 teams is a huge accomplishment and clearly something poll voters thought we weren’t capable of all season.

Your constant negativity is

Negativity or honesty? Again, point me to where what I’ve said has been wrong. Was I wrong to say the tournament starts at SS? We should be in SS. Seems most of what I posted last postseason held true coming into this year. Sadly, if you pay attention…those issues came to fruition and other posters started noticing too in those benchmark games. Don’t shoot the messenger for honesty, I’m just a fan.

 

[Majors]

We haqve another shooter on the bench. A five-star...for another day or two anyway.
We wasted her talent and her year

A year she can’t get back.

 

[VolBall09]

Speaking of consolation prizes and the Holy Undefeated 39-0 season, that will not be matched by SC this year. They'll be 38-0 if/when they win it all.

I'm grasping at straws this morning.

Yep! I think they will win it all. Will be cheering for them, have really respected the way their players and team have conducted themselves this year. Classy basketball team that gets out there and backs up their record with their play.

Im not a Staley fan, but you can’t deny what she has done with this team. I thought it could go either way. With that many talented kids on one roster it can be a delight or a disaster. They all act like pros for the most part, they come in and do their job when their number is called.

That being said, if they are to lose it’s going to be to Maryland in the EE or Iowa in the FF. I don’t think anyone left on our side of the bracket can touch them. I agree that they got a strangely tough path to the FF for the #1 overall seed. I think VaTech got the best draw for a 1 seed.

Maryland plays the kind of defense that could really bother South Carolina. They have quick bigs who score in transition and that’s much more difficult to guard. If you let SC get setup in their half court defense, it’s over. But if Maryland can turn them over and score quickly it could get away from them. They have had a tendency to start slow and did in the last game. Maryland isn’t a team you want to do that against. If you let them jump all over you they will.

If they play Iowa it will be a clash of styles. Czinano will be outmatched in the paint but is very talented. That Iowa offense is something else. It’s easier said than done stopping it. You have to score with them at least a little bit. If they meet and the SC offense looks like it did yesterday, better watch out. Blood in the water for a player like Clark. If she thinks she can beat you out scoring you, she will lol.

 

[LadyinOrange]

it’s as if our top 3 ranked softball team don’t exist to tennessee fans.

Are the games regularly televised? I remember not being able to find them easily one season.

 

[VolBall09]

Negativity or honesty? Again, point me to where what I’ve said has been wrong. Was I wrong to say the tournament starts at SS? We should be in SS. Seems most of what I posted last postseason held true coming into this year. Sadly, if you pay attention…those issues came to fruition and other posters started noticing too in those benchmark games. Don’t shoot the messenger for honesty, I’m just a fan.

Negativity.

Nega-Vol.

 

[glv98]

A year she can’t get back.

Should have gotten herself in better shape. I said before, she's such a wobbly giraffe out there it looks physically unsafe for her.

I'd love Justine to be the 3 pt shooter of our dreams, but she's got lots of work to do to avoid being another of the many one dimensional players. I fervently hope that happens.

 

[luballer]

We haqve another shooter on the bench. A five-star...for another day or two anyway.
We wasted her talent and her year

How did her talent get wasted? You went to games just like the rest of us. She was not ready for the SEC this year. No knock on her but not many freshman are ready for the speed and physicality. Jordy and TK had to be thrown right in as freshman and some trashed them when they weren’t “perfect”. I’m glad they have been able to slowly bring Pissott along. Had TK been healthy Pissott probably would’ve played a few more minutes because TK covers up so much on defense. Hopefully, she stays and the competitor in her has her in the gym working to be a key contributor this season.

 

[Texas]

Gotta have shooters. And more than a Darby who disappears. Can’t be great if everyone’s game plan is pack the paint and don’t shoot threes. Powell by +/- and (possibly) eye test was the best player on the court for tenn and perfect from 3 but she was too timid to shoot them. She shot them at MN when she was there one player. Started the season here shooting 40%, but shooters go to tenn to die.

 

[glv98]

Yep! I think they will win it all. Will be cheering for them, have really respected the way their players and team have conducted themselves this year. Classy basketball team that gets out there and backs up their record with their play.

Im not a Staley fan, but you can’t deny what she has done with this team. I thought it could go either way. With that many talented kids on one roster it can be a delight or a disasters. They all act like pros for the most part, they come in and do their job when their number is called.

Yep. Sick as I am of the Dawn/Boston sanctification, I'm ready for them to just claim it and be done for this season. They are classy and Dawn has done a great job knitting them together.

Because I'm bitter and petty, I'm more about who I don't want to advance - LSU and Iowa. I don't love Maryland, but I agree they have the best chance against So Car. And Brenda has also done a great job.

 

[Majors]

Should have gotten herself in better shape. I said before, she's such a wobbly giraffe out there it looks physically unsafe for her.

I'd love Justine to be the 3 pt shooter of our dreams, but she's got lots of work to do to avoid being another of the many one dimensional players. I fervently hope that happens.

Don’t disagree on things to work on, nobody would say she’s Tameka or Holdsclaw sitting the bench. But to not use the biggest recruit in 20 years of coaching is disturbing for either evaluation standpoint or getting ready to play standpoint.

 

[Majors]

Negativity.

Nega-Vol.

It’s not trendy if said poster was correct. We view negativity differently. As you can’t point me to the post where I was wrong.

 

[glv98]

Don’t disagree on things to work on, nobody would say she’s Tameka or Holdsclaw sitting the bench. But to not use the biggest recruit in 20 years of coaching is disturbing for either evaluation standpoint or getting ready to play standpoint.

Justine was signed before we made the portal haul last spring. Absent that, she would have played alot more and alot more attention would have been paid to her specific development. Justine sort of got recruited over before she ever got here. But we badly need a 3 pt shooter so the opportunity is there for her.

On an unrelated note, aside fm the obvious major loss of TK, this was the healthiest and most injury-free team KJH has had. Jordy (with whom it's kind of always something) missed the Missouri game with illness and Jill and Franklin were on concussion protocol the first time against Va Tech. Other than that, we were blessed.

Ironwomen awards to JoJo and Rickea. Both played very big mins and to my memory never even came out of a game with any kind of injury. Pretty impressive given both are smallish for their position and RIckea took big punishment down low.

 

[turbovol]

Yep! I think they will win it all. Will be cheering for them, have really respected the way their players and team have conducted themselves this year. Classy basketball team that gets out there and backs up their record with their play.

Im not a Staley fan, but you can’t deny what she has done with this team. I thought it could go either way. With that many talented kids on one roster it can be a delight or a disasters. They all act like pros for the most part, they come in and do their job when their number is called.

That being said, if they are to lose it’s going to be to Maryland in the EE or Iowa in the FF. I don’t think anyone left on our side of the bracket can touch them. I agree that they got a strangely tough path to the FF for the #1 overall seed. I think VaTech got the best draw for a 1 seed.

Maryland plays the kid of defense that could really bother South Carolina. They have quick bigs who score in transition and that’s much more difficult to guard. If you let SC get setup in their half court defense it’s over. But if Maryland can turn them over and score quickly it could get away from them. They have had a tendency to start slow and did in the last game. Maryland isn’t a team you want to do that against. If you let them jump all over you they will.

If they play Iowa it will be a clash of styles. Czinano will be outmatched in the paint but is very talented. That Iowa offense is something else. It’s easier said than done stopping it. You have to score with them at least a little bit. If they meet and the SC offense looks like it did yesterday, better watch out. Blood in the water for a player like Clark. If she thinks she can beat you out scoring you, she will lol.

I can't see Iowa beating SC as as I would expect SC's bigs to make things difficult for Czinano, and she is a big part of Iowa's offense.

 

[T_Vol376]

Yep. Sick as I am of the Dawn/Boston sanctification, I'm ready for them to just claim it and be done for this season. They are classy and Dawn has done a great job knitting them together.

Because I'm bitter and petty, I'm more about who I don't want to advance - LSU and Iowa. I don't love Maryland, but I agree they have the best chance against So Car. And Brenda has also done a great job.

Had to give you a like for this - love that you own it! I’m not a Reece fan, but I can’t help but be a Mulkey fan because she’s a heck of a coach. Same with Staley - what she’s got going on is pretty awesome and I can’t help but like Boston for the classy way she conducts herself (unlike Reece).

 

[VolBall09]

Justine was signed before we made the portal haul last spring. Absent that, she would have played alot more and alot more attention would have been paid to her specific development. Justine sort of got recruited over before she ever got here. But we badly need a 3 pt shooter so the opportunity is there for her.

She and Miles are the two players I’m most interested in seeing get more minutes next season. I think Brooklyn is the only lockdown defender we have on the team. She should be playing 30+ minutes next season for her defense alone in my mind.

We have to have a stopper on the perimeter. We will have our rim protector back. If we can stop a quick, scoring guard on the outside as well we will be difficult to score on.

We will have more combinations than we could run even this season. Every season Harper has been here the players have improved. I don’t anticipate that changing, she puts a lot into these young women and I think Coach Joy and Coach Sam do as well. Now Jon…we all know I could come or go there. That video Kaiya made sorta leans to my point on that. Seems like the team likes him and he’s a nice guy, but they clearly don’t take him seriously and he apparently says the same basic stuff over and over lol. Still think Kellie would do best to bring on someone to help coach offense and having Mr. Harper, Mr. Mom his way out of things.

 

[Majors]

Justine was signed before we made the portal haul last spring. Absent that, she would have played alot more and alot more attention would have been paid to her specific development. Justine sort of got recruited over before she ever got here. But we badly need a 3 pt shooter so the opportunity is there for her.

Don’t disagree on that. Seems even with Tess not being able to put up points and playing 20 mins we could have developed her for more time. Not 20 mins, but if she somehow got 10 mins and 4-8 points a game would have been a nice freshman year to build on. Now, if she struggles out of the gate next season that will be her growing year.

 

[VolBall09]

I can't see Iowa beating SC as as I would expect SC's bigs to make things difficult for Czinano, and she is a big part of Iowa's offense.

She is indeed, if they are setup in the halfcourt it will be tough for her. Clark is a huge part of Czinano’s success though. She draws the defense and delivers to her with almost no coverage a lot of the time. That’s why Monica’s shooting percentage is through the roof.

Czinano has great hands and is always ready for the unexpected pass, which comes often with Clark. She would be nowhere near as effective on any other team.

 

[Texas]

It is pretty clear that Kellie plays favorites. Everything about who we select to put on the court at any given time is a dog's breakfast.

Hollingshead matched up well and was able to give Kitley fits, but Puckett gets all of those minutes playing down low? I know Jill missed a couple but Sara's statline has been pretty much empty all year and she isn't really helping in any of the aspects which don't show up on the stat sheet either. I can see playing someone to get them out of a slump. But tournament time is not when you do that. You have to go with the hot hand and the better matchups.

Which reminds me, Kitley goes out and we need to cut the deficit so what do we do? We sit Horston, Jackson and Hollingshead at the same time. I will give Kellie credit for belatedly getting Darby and Striplin out and Jackson back in after we were down by ten. Usually it takes her longer to make adjustments like that and the deficit would be larger. And the one good move she made was having Jackson guard Kitley as much as she did. Rickea did a good job of that and most people never noticed it.

Is Puckett’s family one of the Tennessee oligarchs? Her turnovers don’t even show up on the box score. She was in position and I recall multiple times seeing the ball being dished to her and rolling between her legs. Darby is a better defensive player than her. Jill having an off night and she was one of the few with a positive +/-. If no one can hit a 3 then put your athletes out there. Miles and Wynn at least can keep up running down the court.

 

[Voluble2]

Numbers don’t lie. Good breakdown…otherwise in those comebacks is when the game got close again those other teams found ways to extend the lead again and win. Commentators last night quoting believe it was Soule during a timeout when we cut it down to 3 or 4….”that was their run”. We got it to one and then they ran away again.

We play tight and get behind. Then when we think the game is getting out of reach the pressure is off because we aren't likely to win anyway so we settle in and play well. When we get close enough that we threaten to win we feel the pressure again and tighten back up. You saw it again in this game when we missed several opportunities that we had been hitting after we cut it to 1.

That is simply who our team was this year. They were always fighting both the other team and their inner demons.

It doesn't help that they get yanked in and out so that they never build any chemistry over the course of the season and can know who to rely upon in a given situation, where they will be etc... They never know who will be out there with them, and have to look over their shoulder for the hook all the time, even if they have the hot hand. That is a terrible thing to do to a team. And if you have a bunch that has to settle in, then you extend the settling period by having so many players who have to go through it during the course of a game. Each one will be overhyped when they come in cold.

 

[T_Vol376]

“Is Puckett’s family one of the Tennessee oligarchs?”

@Texas - Puckett is from Alabama. It’s Darby you’re thinking about in that respect, I believe.

 

[VolBall09]

Is Puckett’s family one of the Tennessee oligarchs? Her turnovers don’t even show up on the box score. She was in position and I recall multiple times seeing the ball being dished to her and rolling between her legs. Darby is a better defensive player than her. Jill having an off night and she was one of the few with a positive +/-. If no one can hit a 3 then put your athletes out there. Miles and Wynn at least can keep up running down the court.

Those turnovers are generally given to the passer rather than the recipient. Another reason they are such bad turnovers. They cause a lot of frustration between teammates. Every one of those passes Sarah was open but was not playing aggressive. She was being passive and “deferring” to Jackson and Horston. They were making the open pass and she wasn’t even getting hands on it. Because she never had possession those TOs were given to Jackson and Horston.

Jackson was drawing 3 defenders as usual and making the right pass. Puckett wasn’t ready for it at all.

 

[BreatheUT]

The first angle actually made it look not as bad as I thought when they originally played the replay. Looks like Walker crashed into Soule unexpectedly and her arm inadvertently hit Soule's head. The shove-off after definitely looks intentional, though. Everyone online is calling it a punch though, which I don't really see - especially not to the face! Am I missing something?

Walker and Horston both said they left the game with busted lips. Classic case of Soule playing aggressively physical all game and then this play is what gets blasted all over the internet (not excusing Walker's intentional push-off at all).

Walker took swings which looked unexcusable if you look at this as a standalone event. What I'm not sure about is if on the follow through, Walker connected with punches. The difference in outrage depends on whether or not just throwing punches or actually connecting with punches is where the line is drawn.

 

[glv98]

Those turnovers are generally given to the passer rather than the recipient. Another reason they are such bad turnovers. They cause a lot of frustration between teammates. Every one of those passes Sarah was open but was not playing aggressive. She was being passive and “deferring” to Jackson and Horston. They were making the open pass and she wasn’t even getting hands on it. Because she never had possession those TOs were given to Jackson and Horston.

Jackson was drawing 3 defenders as usual and making the right pass. Puckett wasn’t ready for it at all.

Which is why I thought Jill should have been in. Much better chance of making those plays.

 

[lvocd]

I am still puzzled this morning about the hows and whys of everything relating to that game yesterday. I woke up thinking that how it went down against VT felt nearly identically to how they fell to Louisville last year. It was as if we were mentally frozen, or stuck in mud, and by the time they got free it was too late. The heroic comeback -- so proud the the team for that! -- was simply too much to sustain, so when the Hokies punched back it totally deflated our team and that was that.

I can't imagine the pain they're all in today, and I would guess it's even far worse, collectively, than the pain they felt this time last season.

If you're up to it, send some positive thoughts and vibes out for our players. They need the support.