Game Thread: 2024 NCAA Tournament Round 1 #6 Tennessee (19-12, 10-6 SEC) vs #11 Green Bay (27-6, 17-3 Horizon ) Saturday 3/23/24 ~12:00pm ET (ESPN)

[Vols2015]

This was Kellie's best NCAAT win by seed as head coach at Tennessee (11-seed), as the last two years we beat two 13-seeds and two 12-seeds to get to back-to-back Sweet 16s, and we lost to 6-seed Michigan in 2021 (after beating 14-seed MTSU).

Not to mention it seems we were in much closer games against those teams!

 

[Ladyvol777]

This was a very entertaining game to watch. Kellie Harper has them playing really well. Teams better get ready for Tennessee because here we come. 92-63 win today. As always go Lady Vol's.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

This was Kellie's best NCAAT win by seed as head coach at Tennessee (11-seed), as the last two years we beat two 13-seeds and two 12-seeds to get to back-to-back Sweet 16s, and we lost to 6-seed Michigan in 2021 (after beating 14-seed MTSU).

I remember all those higher seeds getting bounced and not handling their business while we did ... I always say survive and advance. Great win today by our Lady Vols

 

[ttharp]

This was Kellie's best NCAAT win by seed as head coach at Tennessee (11-seed), as the last two years we beat two 13-seeds and two 12-seeds to get to back-to-back Sweet 16s, and we lost to 6-seed Michigan in 2021 (after beating 14-seed MTSU).

Good stuff!

I’d love to see her beat her first P5 opponent in the tourney (as the LVs head coach) either Monday or next weekend.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Also this was an awesome team win there seems to be a different focus and hopefully they come locked in next game as well.

 

[Dak1219]

JP is getting cooked by these GB guards. That’s not encouraging with a potential matchup against NCST who has great guards

We've also seen JP shut down Paupau from South Carolina, not a bad guard herself. Due to how Green Bay plays, I'm sure the scout defense was a little bit different for our guards than it would be against a team that actually had a post or any size on the floor for that matter.

 

[Dak1219]

I endorse this thought. She needs to be in and show her hustle and leadership at the pg position
Wynn hasn't played to her potential at pg today. Powell, who I've been frustrated at times with, has been fantastic.

So your thought process is, go to the walk on who is on the scout team rather than someone with the athleticism of a D1 athlete in the NCAA tournament when you are working out the final kinks to play the very best competition in the country? Brilliant idea....

 

[chuckiepoo]

Yet Green Bay averages about 75 points per game on close to 49% with the top assist to t/o margin in the country. They are shooting bout 35% today. That is not bad defense.

That was a first quarter comment. Yes, the defense was terrible to start the game. Context, yo.

 

[ttharp]

We've also seen JP shut down Paupau from South Carolina, not a bad guard herself. Due to how Green Bay plays, I'm sure the scout defense was a little bit different for our guards than it would be against a team that actually had a post or any size on the floor for that matter.

JP absolutely did shut down Pao Pao. However, she isn’t primarily a take-it-to-rack kind of guard. She’s most dangerous from 3.

NC State’s guards can dribble-drive and pull up from the midrange at a high level. And they’re quick. Their stating PG is 6-0.

 

[lvocd]

You could easily see how the elite defensive performance today against a well coached team inspired confidence in the offense. And once everyone started rolling on offense, and just KEPT rolling, Green Bay was so overmatched I almost felt bad for them.

Almost.

Glad we sent them home.

NEXT VICTIM, PLEASE!

 

[Dak1219]

JP absolutely did shut down Pao Pao. However, she isn’t primarily a take-it-to-rack kind of guard. She’s most dangerous from 3.

NC State’s guards can dribble-drive and pull up from the midrange at a high level. And they’re quick. Their stating PG is 6-0.

Yep. But all 5 on the team today are known for doing both and doing damage off of penetration and kicking out and then coming back and scoring in the mid range, hence their shooting and scoring efficiency. I'm sure the defensive scout was designed to take away some of that mid range away by selectively using some players to sag off and take some of that away. Makes sense and worked pretty good today.

 

[glv98]

Sara Puckett ya'll. What a fantastic 'role player' she's become. 14 pts on 4-9 shooting, 4 rebs and a block.

Jewel Spear in the second quarter broke the game open, finished w 13 pts on 5-8 shooting, had 3 assists.

Their play lets Rickea do that thing she does. Combined, those three were 20-31 from the field. That will get it done every time. Just hope they saved some of that juju for Monday night.

Love that everyone got to play in the big dance. Looked like everyone had fun today.

Edited to include shout out to Tess. She also had an outstanding game today.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

JP absolutely did shut down Pao Pao. However, she isn’t primarily a take-it-to-rack kind of guard. She’s most dangerous from 3.

NC State’s guards can dribble-drive and pull up from the midrange at a high level. And they’re quick. Their stating PG is 6-0.

they shot 38 percent. I dunno if anyone really got cooked. The good thing is we played a hard enough schedule to prepare everybody. We've also see JP be a lock down defender on both small and bigger guards. First gotta see who our match up will be. We can assume it'll be NC State though...

 

[brittannica]

they shot 38 percent. I dunno if anyone really got cooked. The good thing is we played a hard enough schedule to prepare everybody. We've also see JP be a lock down defender on both small and bigger guards. First gotta see who our match up will be. We can assume it'll be NC State though...

I wish i could split screen so I can finish the Indiana/Fairfield game but also watch NC State and Chatt.

 

[glv98]

Had to smile thinking about that tweet Sam sent out of Rickea doing night work alone in the gym on her handles. Yikes! 5 t.o.s today.

For a certified great player, she makes the sloppiest t.o.s. Had cut way down on that in the SEC tourney, hopefully can keep that at bay the rest of the tourney.

 

[glv98]

I wish i could split screen so I can finish the Indiana/Fairfield game but also watch NC State and Chatt.

TV + ipad made for this moment!

 

[37620VOL]

Had to smile thinking about that tweet Sam sent out of Rickea doing night work alone in the gym on her handles. Yikes! 5 today.

For a certified great player, she makes the sloppiest t.o.s. Had cut way down on that in the SEC tourney, hopefully can keep that at bay the rest of the tourney.

One of them, she slipped on a wet spot tho

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I wish i could split screen so I can finish the Indiana/Fairfield game but also watch NC State and Chatt.

The ESPN app has multi game view.

 

[brittannica]

The ESPN app has multi game view.

thanks for the tip!

 

[LadyViking/Vol]

Congrats to the Lady Vols! Way to keep the pedal to the metal until the very end of the game ! So excited for them and the coaching staff!! Playing great basketball right now .. keep it going ladies!!
Love it!!

 

[Deebowbear]

You could easily see how the elite defensive performance today against a well coached team inspired confidence in the offense. And once everyone started rolling on offense, and just KEPT rolling, Green Bay was so overmatched I almost felt bad for them.

Almost.

Glad we sent them home.

NEXT VICTIM, PLEASE!

Oh you’ll get them Monday actually will be playing a good team beside what we played today

 

[37620VOL]

Oh you’ll get them Monday actually will be playing a good team beside what we played today

GB was not a bad team, we just broke them and got them away from what they are good at. That was definitely a top 50 team we just beat the brakes off of.

 

[lvocd]

Had to smile thinking about that tweet Sam sent out of Rickea doing night work alone in the gym on her handles. Yikes! 5 t.o.s today.

For a certified great player, she makes the sloppiest t.o.s. Had cut way down on that in the SEC tourney, hopefully can keep that at bay the rest of the tourney.

yeah. That's her only weakness as far as I can tell, but we already know whichever pro team drafts her will be working hard to help her improve her handles. She's improved quite a bit already, but today it stuck out like a sore thumb because GB is a team that is especially skilled at finding opportunities to punch balls out for easy tie-ups and steals. GB has quick hands. But no matter, RJ will still haunt their nightmares for the entire offseason.

I got the feeling GB truly believed they had what it took to knock Tennessee off today. Obviously every team should go into every game believing they can win. Of course! But something was either said today or I read something somewhere -- can't remember what now -- that led me to believe GB may actually think they had a real shot of winning it, and winning it pretty handily.

Lady Vols said, "Nope. Bye!"

 

[Dak1219]

Oh you’ll get them Monday actually will be playing a good team beside what we played today

So you think a team that is rated number one in assisted turnover ratio in the country as well as ranked in the top 10 to 15 in multiple other offensive categories is not a good team? Go to D1 women's basketball stats and look at the offensive categories. Green Bay is ranked high in most of them. That would indicate they're a pretty good team.

 

[volforlife10]

So you think a team that is rated number one in assisted turnover ratio in the country as well as ranked in the top 10 to 15 in multiple other offensive categories is not a good team? Go to D1 women's basketball stats and look at the offensive categories. Green Bay is ranked high in most of them. That would indicate they're a pretty good team.

you can’t reason with people that post like that. they’re stubborn in their beliefs and will not look at the facts. the facts are GB is a solid team who had what it took to make it this far and compete with us, but we didn’t allow it and ruined their game plan.