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

[Amb3096]

An Iowa v. SC final would be fascinating. It is the old skool game versus the new the "three rules" game. If that happens, I am betting Iowa

They're slated to play in the National Semifinals if SC beats Maryland tonight. I don't think that SC can stop Clark from scoring. They'll single guard her with Beal and risk letting her score, but won't risk her assists. Clark will get hers, but no one else will.

 

[turbovol]

Iowa fell behind 8-0 yesterday--then went on to score 97 points. Clark's stat line was....amazing. I'd like to see Iowa win it, but it may take
a couple more performances like Clark had yesterday.

 

[Amb3096]

Iowa fell behind 8-0 yesterday--then went on to score 97 points. Clark's stat line was....amazing. I'd like to see Iowa win it, but it may take
a couple more performances like Clark had yesterday.

IMO, it wasn't Clark that got them the win. It was the ability of her teammates to make open shots off her spectacular passes. I've seen enough Iowa games where it was just Clark and no one else, and they aren't going to win without balanced scoring.

Other than Clark's complete game and contributions from Marshall and Warnock, it was really impressive that their offense was clicking with such a quiet game by Czinano. Usually, you shut her down and you take away 50% of Iowa's offensive gameplan. Louisville did a great job of bottling her up, but Iowa's outside shooting last night was unreal.

 

[madtownvol]

They're slated to play in the National Semifinals if SC beats Maryland tonight. I don't think that SC can stop Clark from scoring. They'll single guard her with Beal and risk letting her score, but won't risk her assists. Clark will get hers, but no one else will.

Yep, I misread the bracket. I still pick Iowa in the semifinal match against SC, assuming they win against the Terps.

 

[GameTime]

That was one of the best women's basketball games I have ever seen.....CC is perhaps the greatest female shooter to ever bounce a basketball....The little blond from Louisville gave it all she had too...She is a tiger!

Too bad someone had to lose...I prefer the deep shooting game instead of the throw it to the big girl attack...What a wonderful game.

 

[Amb3096]

That was one of the best women's basketball games I have ever seen.....CC is perhaps the greatest female shooter to ever bounce a basketball....The little blond from Louisville gave it all she had too...She is a tiger!

Too bad someone had to lose...I prefer the deep shooting game instead of the throw it to the big girl attack...What a wonderful game.

This game was right up your alley: Iowa made 18 threes and their shooting was on fire. The pace of the game was really fun, especially with the low-scoring slugfest that happened earlier in the evening.

Iowa has really had their hand in some of the most memorable games of the season.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

I agree with you that the team has a history of coming our slow and flat for bigger games. I have not been able to attend games owing to living in another part of the country now. From the pre-game clips I have seen, the team always looks lose and there is a lot of dancing, smiling, music, and fun.

Low intensity starts are a problem but on the flipside, against Stanford and Uconn they came out pumped and fizzled. I have not kept count but I would bet the LVs have had just as many of good start-poor finish games as the flat start then try to mount a comeback game.

It is very natural to look for psychological explanations for factors that may have more do to with structural problems in game plans or deficiencies in player's games, such as inconsistent shooting. The LVs never recovered defensively from the loss of Tamari. That puzzle just never got solved.

I watched Iowa and Caitlin Clark last night and you can see a new game in play. Shooters all around the floor, spreading defenses out, and moving the ball quickly because they have spacing. They kept Louisville off balance and played good team defense so that Louisville had to work really hard to get their shots.

And Louisville made a run to cut a double digit deficit to 1 point. Every game and team has some ebbs and flows but then Iowa responded with a flurry of threes and some baskets off of TO and never looked back.

This is part of the research LV renaissance did. Yes, we needed Tamari this year, but we had a lot of “comebacks” from poor first half play last year as well. I remember writing about it then.

From post #2251:

“The one theme across most of the Lady Vols losses is the utter lack of focus at the start of the games, a tendency that at times lasted for a whole quarter and other times the entire first half. While the excellence of the opponent may have put added mental pressure, it doesn't account for all of sudden forgetting how to get in position to rebound, missing so many wide-open shots, not playing team defense with several lapses of covering the opponent, and completely forgetting that assists are what makes our offense flow. For the Virginia Tech game, even Kellie said that we had a lack of focus on defense.
Here are some of the examples of how poorly we started in many of our big games:
1. Indiana- Down 8 at the end of the first quarter, 11 at half, and lost by 12.
2. UCLA - Down 12 points at the end of the first quarter, 14 at half, and 17 for the game.
3. Virginia Tech - regular season - down 10 points at the end of the first quarter, lost by 3.
4. UCONN - Down 16 at the end of the first quarter, lost by 17.
5. LSU - SEC tournament - down by 12 after first quarter, won by 2 (our only miracle).
6. Virginia Tech - NCAAs - down by 5 after first quarter, 13 at halftime, and lost by 9.

Notice that in almost all these games, we were in a world of trouble by the end of the first quarter and/or by halftime. In almost all of these games, we showed a lot of grit by making a valiant comeback that eventually ran out of steam except for the LSU game in the SEC Tourney. Despite the ultimate fizzle of our comebacks, we played almost all the teams fairly even in the 2nd half. That look we showed in all of our comebacks was one of determination and focus, something COMPLETELY ABSENT from most of the first half of the games. It is just impossible to sustain a desperate comeback attempt when you down nearly 20 points against great teams. You need to work at never getting in that position to begin with.”

 

[Coach Jumper]

They do not care what you think. They do not care what anyone on this site thinks. This is a fan site not a shadow coaching site. They are not monitoring this for coaching nuggets.

I think I need to stop addressing you at all
You're beginning to respond to me like an ex-wife
Best I do with you as I did with her
C YA

 

[volfaninbuckeyeland]

That was one of the best women's basketball games I have ever seen.....CC is perhaps the greatest female shooter to ever bounce a basketball....The little blond from Louisville gave it all she had too...She is a tiger!

Too bad someone had to lose...I prefer the deep shooting game instead of the throw it to the big girl attack...What a wonderful game.

 

[creekdipper]

I like your moxie but that would be a gigantic professional slap in the face for him, to say nothing of Harper herself. It's not a question of being financially set at that point, it becomes a question of respect. From an external, "winning is everything" mindset oriented on the program, there might be a way to make some sense of that idea, but for him - and them - whose job is to coach, and whose careers and future employment are built in part on what they do now, that's gonna be like galaxy-sized "nah dawg."

Very true.

I thought of that, and you were kind to point out the reason for the idea being extremely unlikely to take place without saying, "What an ignorant take!"

I was throwing out a wild notion under the assumption that the university would limit the number of paid coaches and that Jon could become the special consultant ( a la Butch Jones) or something. But you are 100% correct that it would not only require a big dose of humble pie to be consumed but also be an acknowledgement that Jon wasn't pulling his weight and would just feed into the nepotism narrative.

Just chalk my harebrained scheme up to not thinking outside the box but rather thinking outside the entire solar system.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Very true.

I thought of that, and you were kind to point out the reason for the idea being extremely unlikely to take place without saying, "What an ignorant take!"

I was throwing out a wild notion under the assumption that the university would limit the number of paid coaches and that Jon could become the special consultant ( a la Butch Jones) or something. But you are 100% correct that it would not only require a big dose of humble pie to be consumed but also be an acknowledgement that Jon wasn't pulling his weight and would just feed into the nepotism narrative.

Just chalk my harebrained scheme up to not thinking outside the box but rather thinking outside the entire solar system.

Crow pie consumption up vote!

 

[LadyVol1908]

when an opposing player is in the "zone",,,you have to turn up the deny-defense off the ball and make their bringdowns under duress from fullcourt pressure defense...that is how to take them out of the zone...frustrate the things you CAN control

I’m an Arkansas Razorback fan on the men’s side and that’s one thing our coach is really good at. When a guard is playing really well, he brings a double team as soon as the player touches the ball, gets them completely out of rhythm EVERY TIME.

I don’t know why Kellie, with 20 years of coaching experience herself, or anyone on the staff for that matter, doesn’t do well with in game adjustments. Like we have slow players, why didn’t we perfect a zone this year, no Box and 1….nothing!

Defensive schemes should have changed the moment Key went out for the season.

 

[LadyViking/Vol]

I’ve noticed, during the sweet 16 that all teams that are still in it have extremely great guards , especially point guards.. their hustle , court awareness , and able to get their teammates involved in the game has been on display most of this tournament.. Tennessee needs better guard play and a point guard to really be successful next year .. not knocking the guards they have now , but wow , can’t compare to those that are in the Elite 8 and final four right now !!

 

[creekdipper]

Interesting take. The conversation of Jon being moved to an analyst/consultant role has been established long ago by those who are deemed “negative” but interesting others now taking this as a potential stance and it being ok. He should have had that role from day 1.

Having acknowledged that my idea was pretty lame, I don't remember the negs suggesting an advisory assistant role on the bench. I distinctly remember many "Mr. Mom" comments made about Jon staying home with the kids. I wasn't suggesting that he doesn't add value to the program in many ways but was trying to find a way to fiscally justify bringing in an additional assistant with a proven offensive mind. Didn't Staley hire Melanie Balcomb, and didn't Goestenkors sign on with some team as an assistant?

The point is that now is the time for analytics from fans, not in-season after the first speed bump. And critiques and suggestions can be made in various ways...constructively or destructively. If I ever stoop to the level of the Kellie-haters, it's time for me to leave and find a new coach and players to ridicule and a new site on which to spew toxicity.

 

[Majors]

It looks like we don't know how to scout the teams we play. We just show up & lose.

Which is a coaching concern. From scouting teams to player development

 

[creekdipper]

Crow pie consumption up vote!

Not so bad washed down with chocolate milk!

 

[LadyVol1908]

Got us all rooting against uconn to look at that foolishness on the court i cant stop thinking about that im done venting now lol

Frfr! The way I booked that hotel in Dallas as soon as UCONN lost, only to cancel it after the 1st half because I knew we weren’t winning.

 

[LasVegasBill23]

When Ohio State beat UConn and opened the rare door for TN to actually get all the way to the Championship game without playing our nemesis, UConn, I foolishly allowed myself to dream. With Virginia Tech, then Ohio State, and maybe LSU, then probably SC up next, we had already played each one.

This year, I watched more womens basketball than ever before. I always watch TN, but this year, I saw Miami’s big wins, and I saw Ohio State beat UConn, (by literally running circles around them), right before our game. I was beyond thrilled, euphoric. UConn was gone! I was on the top of a mountain. After all, we really didn’t know for sure how good we were. I thought if we play our best, we can win. Then I watched our game. Some of the first words I read on our blog were, Horston’s having a bad day. I knew then, it was over. Since we always play Horston many minutes, a Horston bad day is a loss. Deep down, I always thought this was how it would end, I just didn’t think it would happen so soon. Yes, I know she had help, no one could shoot, and we couldn’t stop their high scorer. Of course, the comeback was exciting while it lasted, and I do appreciate the players that caused that.

Anyway, with the disappointment and disgust, and words like horrid and putrid, and others, running through my mind, I decided to wait before posting anything. It was my own fault for caring so much, and actually hoping.

So, just one other thing I wanted to say, which LVRenaisance talked about, and that is how often we come out flat/listless/scared to begin games, including this one. I see body language, too. We came out this way against LSU, the one where we beat them, but the comeback worked. I think Kellie is highly intelligent, cerebral, and analytical, and this is something she needs to consider. Not playing well in the first half, then making a comeback in the second half, happened a lot last year. Just guessing, but I think Kellie spends a lot of time trying to keep Horston on an even keel, not overly hyped up before a game, but whatever is going on in the meeting before the game, needs to be looked at, with changes in mind. It’s a game, important yes, but the players need to be loose, pumped up when they come out on the floor. Maybe change it up, play music, do a little dancing, play the theme from Rocky? Try something new, because if they’re so nervous to start a game, it’s not good.

That’s about it. Looking forward to knowing who will be on the roster next season. I know we’re improving each year, and I believe that will continue. Kellie is probably way more impatient about our team’s NCAA Tournament success than anyone, including me.

GO LADY VOLS!

wonderful post yes lets hope adjustments are made next year

 

[Rons1989]

Frfr! The way I booked that hotel in Dallas as soon as UCONN lost, only to cancel it after the 1st half because I knew we weren’t winning.

It brought back deja vu when baylor lost to louisville and another opportunity n what we do stink up the joint against louisville

 

[Amb3096]

Frfr! The way I booked that hotel in Dallas as soon as UCONN lost, only to cancel it after the 1st half because I knew we weren’t winning.

I can't wait to watch that UConn game. The boxscore looked absolutely delightful!

 

[LadyVol1908]

I can't wait to watch that UConn game. The boxscore looked absolutely delightful!

Whew! You’re going to enjoy it! McMahon was a stud!

 

[volfaninbuckeyeland]

Totally agree with your assessment. I hardly ever watch any women's games other than the LVols, but I did tune in to the OSU/UConn game, and after hearing some buzz about Caitlin Clark, I decided to DVR the Iowa/UofL game. And wow, am I glad I did. I have never witnessed a performance like that young lady delivered last night! The 1st triple double in NCAAT history with 41points! If her TOs were counted, it would have been a quadruple double. And the pace from both teams was incredible! I kept waiting for the coaches to break out the oxygen tanks and IV units, but they never did. I did not realize that this level of basketball even occurred in the women's game. It put me in mind of the '98 comeback LVols win over NC with the 3 Meeks. And then they blistered LaTech in the NC game! That group played with such a level of competence and consistency that made them, IMO, one of the most unforgettable and incomparable teams of all time. I really am thankful I was able to watch that amazing group of athletes take this sport to unprecedented heights, and I am particularly thankful that I can still remember portions of that season. Watching that Iowa team took me back 25 years ago to the only time that TN's football team and women's bb team shared a NC in the same season! Thanks, Iowa, and best wishes for the rest of the tournament--I don't intend to miss any more of your games!

 

[GameTime]

I’m an Arkansas Razorback fan on the men’s side and that’s one thing our coach is really good at. When a guard is playing really well, he brings a double team as soon as the player touches the ball, gets them completely out of rhythm EVERY TIME.

I don’t know why Kellie, with 20 years of coaching experience herself, or anyone on the staff for that matter, doesn’t do well with in game adjustments. Like we have slow players, why didn’t we perfect a zone this year, no Box and 1….nothing!

Defensive schemes should have changed the moment Key went out for the season.

That is the mystery...Why in the hell did not Harper have a box and 1, or at least an in your face defense against their little guard that was treating our girls like small change....Very bad coaching.

Hell, I would have settled for a few hard fouls, but don't just let her destroy your team.

 

[LadyVol1908]

It brought back deja vu when baylor lost to louisville and another opportunity n what we do stink up the joint against louisville

Yesssss! I thought about that too! And when Syracuse beat South Carolina that one year in the SS and we play them in the EE and lose! And then Washington was waiting in the Final Four! I just knew we were going to the championship game that year!

 

[T_Vol376]

In the SEC like it or not Dawn Staley now is
the Pat Summit of the 1990s. Even Pat said
In her book Staley was a thorn in Tennessee
side when she played us. Said she was hard to
defend against. JMO her coaching skills speak
for themselves. However she will never be a Pat.
because Pat Head Summit was in a league
of her own.

Agree with this 100%. She rules with an iron fist and they respect her. There will never be another Pat, but Dawn is the only coach you could begin to compare to her right now.