Game Thread: #22/22 LADY VOLS AT #1/2 SOUTH CAROLINA

[Darth_Vol]

Defense A Bright Spot: USC entered the game averaging 88.8 ppg. and shooting 49.3 percent in conference games. Tennessee held the Gamecocks to just 69 points on 37.7 percent shooting on the day. We played well enough to be competitive but could not overcome a turnover every 3 possessions and shoot only 38%, better than USCs 35%.. If we are going to turn the ball over like that we have to hit layups and shoot 50% from the floor 40% from three. Seems it would be easier to value the ball. When we do we can compete

This is just as stupid as the fan who gloated after the Lady Vol defense "held" UConn to 60 points. When you're scoring in the 40's and getting your a** kicked, it really doesn't matter...

 

[Putbacks]

Again, our standard here is not last year. We complained tirelessly for the last 3-4 years over our plight because we were so removed from what we expected from this program: supremacy. Now we are suddenly comparing this team to where we were last year for some feel good. How easily we forget and lower our standards when we have top-notch facilities, unparalleled history, fandom, and credible personnel to remind us of our expectations. Women’s basketball supremacy is for the taking right now. SC is using its youth to take advantage of the opportunity. We just need to start addressing the details and compete to win. Minimizing turnovers and competing and contesting are elements that we can control not the opponent.

 

[Nute Gunray]

Great post, agree with all. My big frustration with Harper is also the substitution pattern. She seems determined to "play through" her sub plan and seems far more confident KK can improve and contribute than I am.

I thought our best chance to be competitive today was torpedoed by KJH when she subbed in the 3rd quarter, taking out Key and Massengill. Also thought Horston got WAY too many mins, especially at point. How in the world does Horston get more mins handling the ball than Massengill?

Horston had two turnovers in the first 30 seconds, our first two possessions, and IMO the tone was pretty much set. We are so much better mentally than previous seasons, but still very, very fragile. Especially against ranked opponents, we need to start sharp and focused. IMO Horston should have been pulled after the second t.o. and given the opportunity to watch the flow of the game develop.

No way in the world Horston, who does have 111 assists but also a whooping 97 t.o.s on the season, plays more or handles the ball a fraction as much as Jaz, who in slightly more mins overall has 93 assists and only 34 t.o.s. What is hard about making this call? I do wish Jaz would take a little more initiative offensively, especially when all around her are misfiring.

Not sure what the answer is for Horston, but she is not improving in ball handling at all, and that is very concerning this deep into the season. I know Rae continues to be a fog of inconsistency, but maybe time to look at starting her instead of Jordan. Something has to give with JH.

While I'm generally very well pleased with Davis this year, she makes way too many unforced t.o.s as well. Weakest part of her game.

Our posts attempted only 2 shots today! What good is all the height if they are MIA on offense?

Good analysis.

 

[JohnTN]

We aren't saying last year is a standard, we are saying progress is being made.

 

[Nute Gunray]

I am beginning to think the coaching staff has no answer for the turnovers. They have done a tremendous job with the defensive play, but they do not seem to have a clue how to stop unforced turnovers.

Unfortunately, I agree with you Volfan012. The coaching staff does not have a clue. If they did, they would bench Horston, if she did not cut down on her turnovers.

 

[tnvols72]

If you hate it so bad... LEAVE!! Easy solution. Nobody is begging your miserable lonely @$$ to stay. Be gone!!

oh look another offended snowflake. now run along. Its past your bed time

 

[superfly]

You guys played a solid game and Kelly still has this team making small steps back to what Tennessee was. It's not leaps...it's steps...that's what you guys need to understand. My sister and I went to the game (she is a UT grad and I am a SC grad) and it was an amazing atmosphere. It (the overall series) will become one for the ages in a very short time. I heard some UCONN fans (online) talking about they are going to come in and win because of the way Tennessee played against us. Did you guys not play them toe to toe...lol...their memory is short !

 

[Coach Jumper]

oh look another offended snowflake. now run along. Its past your bed time

You see who your only like came from...nuff said

 

[creekdipper]

Dawn Staley's record at SC in first three seasons:

Yr. One: 10-18; 2-12 conf.

Yr. Two: 14-15; 7-9 conf.

Yr. Three: 18-15; 8-8 conf.

 

[superfly]

Dawn Staley's record at SC in first three seasons:

Yr. One: 10-18; 2-12 conf.

Yr. Two: 14-15; 7-9 conf.

Yr. Three: 18-15; 8-8 conf.

The attendance average went from the 100's..to over 10,000 a game in her time also. Dawn is a builder....Kelly just has to rebuild....or maybe remodel would be a better word. Pat built it...Holly trashed it...Kelly just needs to clean it up.

 

[Orange Maniac]

oh look another offended snowflake. now run along. Its past your bed time

You may be fine with a fan from another team coming into our house and trashing the coach and the team, but I can assure you I'm not as well as many others on here and I can for damn sure tell you I'm no snowflake. People like this can go poop in their own yard. I will go ahead and say it, "get off my lawn". There is an easy one for you to make fun of while defending other teams fans trolling on our board.

 

[JFP]

Unfortunately, I agree with you Volfan012. The coaching staff does not have a clue. If they did, they would bench Horston, if she did not cut down on her turnovers.

Pat Summitt turned to Dean Lockwood. Considering the mass of information Coach Jumper has given on this site over several years perhaps Kelly should interview him for someone to come in with clues.

 

[Volfan2012]

So far nothing wrong with what has happened this season. We have lost to number 1, 3, and 4 on the road and also number 13. We did lose that game to Texas which we should've won ,but otherwise the record is right where it was expected to be. No one is beating any of these teams at home that often. The only one that has lost at home is UConn to Baylor the number two team. I don't like the turnovers and losing to anyone were not at this time talented enough to beat the three teams 1,3,4 we lost to. We could've won at Kentucky just couldn't contain one player. Overall we haven't overachieved or underachieved were right where we were expected to be.

To add I think were headed for a top ten class maybe top five recruiting is looking really excellent for the Lady Vols.

 

[PG1]

This is just as stupid as the fan who gloated after the Lady Vol defense "held" UConn to 60 points. When you're scoring in the 40's and getting your a** kicked, it really doesn't matter...

Exactly. It’s sad that some fans just seem to reach for something good to believe in. Would not have mattered if score was 30-10 we got spanked!

 

[NeedOrange]

We aren't saying last year is a standard, we are saying progress is being made.

floors are standards just like ceilings. It doesn't hurt to look at where you have been some times.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Exactly. It’s sad that some fans just seem to reach for something good to believe in. Would not have mattered if score was 30-10 we got spanked!

It’s also sad when some fans don’t take the time out to comment on something positive at all just to make themselves feel better

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

floors are standards just like ceilings. It doesn't hurt to look at where you have been some times.

That’s good! I am going to use that with my team!

 

[NeedOrange]

I am beginning to think the coaching staff has no answer for the turnovers. They have done a tremendous job with the defensive play, but they do not seem to have a clue how to stop unforced turnovers.

I think the turnover problem is because you can run much better than you can handle. To me it appears the coaches don't want to stop being aggressive. Aggressive teams win much more than passive teams. Aggressive play can be manifested a couple of ways. 1) what can I do to score or 2) what does my team need me to do to score. When these two thinking patterns overlap turnovers happen. For example, If another player has been prone to shoot and it looks to me that she is going to shoot now, the best thing I an do is crash of O boards. If she breaks her pattern by trying to pass me the ball i am not expecting and have moved out of the flow, the pass goes awry. To me the question is getting the players to be aggressive under control and more focused on the overall picture. This should be getting better at this point in the season

 

[37620VOL]

Again, our standard here is not last year. We complained tirelessly for the last 3-4 years over our plight because we were so removed from what we expected from this program: supremacy. Now we are suddenly comparing this team to where we were last year for some feel good. How easily we forget and lower our standards when we have top-notch facilities, unparalleled history, fandom, and credible personnel to remind us of our expectations. Women’s basketball supremacy is for the taking right now. SC is using its youth to take advantage of the opportunity. We just need to start addressing the details and compete to win. Minimizing turnovers and competing and contesting are elements that we can control not the opponent.

Expecting to return to supremacy in less than a single year is lunacy.

 

[superfly]

So far nothing wrong with what has happened this season. We have lost to number 1, 3, and 4 on the road and also number 13. We did lose that game to Texas which we should've won ,but otherwise the record is right where it was expected to be. No one is beating any of these teams at home that often. The only one that has lost at home is UConn to Baylor the number two team. I don't like the turnovers and losing to anyone were not at this time talented enough to beat the three teams 1,3,4 we lost to. We could've won at Kentucky just couldn't contain one player. Overall we haven't overachieved or underachieved were right where we were expected to be.

To add I think were headed for a top ten class maybe top five recruiting is looking really excellent for the Lady Vols.

Now there's someone who gets it ! ^^^^^^^^

 

[creekdipper]

Exactly. It’s sad that some fans just seem to reach for something good to believe in. Would not have mattered if score was 30-10 we got spanked!

I think it's sad that some "fans" seem to take such glee in the shortcomings to the point of giving up on "their" team and coacheswhen we're only down by 9 points to the #1 team on the road. Presumably, all of the other teams beaten by SC have horrible players and clueless coaches, and their "fans" trash them mid-game when a win is still possible.

If the Lady Vols had pulled it together and mounted a furious comeback as Arkansas had to do (down 13 in 4th quarter to Mizzou), have to wonder if those "fans" would have admitted that maybe they had acted like quitters and losers. You'd think they could at least wait until after the game to celebrate our loss.

Funny...we have a sudden improvement in free throw shooting, and the staff is no longer clueless. A couple of games later, we shoot horribly from the line again.Back to clueless coaches. Then we have another outstanding FT night. Now our coaches are smart again.

A hallmark of an inexperienced team is inconsistency. There's no magic cure. Overcoming it takes time and experience.

In Staley's first two years T SC, her won-loss record was a step back from her predecessor's final three seasons (conf. record was an improvement in year two). It wasn't until Season 4 that she broke the 20-win mark.

Those same results would have had some posters here calling for her firing.

It's been over ten years since we've been to a Final Four. Last year we were lucky to make the tournament, and we lost two of our top three scorers, including a good ball handler. We've lost to three top five teams, another team ranked #13, and a team that has been ranked and knocked off #1. Yet some peopke have the gall to call some of players "garbage" and say that nothing has changed since last year.

With "fans" like that, who needs enemies? And, if you read boards from some of our rivals, they quote some of that nonsense as an example of our fan base. You think some recruiters woould hesitate to use that against us if they can?

 

[creekdipper]

Again, our standard here is not last year. We complained tirelessly for the last 3-4 years over our plight because we were so removed from what we expected from this program: supremacy. Now we are suddenly comparing this team to where we were last year for some feel good. How easily we forget and lower our standards when we have top-notch facilities, unparalleled history, fandom, and credible personnel to remind us of our expectations. Women’s basketball supremacy is for the taking right now. SC is using its youth to take advantage of the opportunity. We just need to start addressing the details and compete to win. Minimizing turnovers and competing and contesting are elements that we can control not the opponent.

Putbacks, we can all agree on weaknesses and what needs to improve to get back in the conversation. It would help to have dominant, WNBA-MVP-type players like a Parker, which is the last time we went to a Final Four. But, barring landing a top three class, we can't compare the state of the program now to years when we were THE standard, had The Coach of the Century, had top pkayers begging to come here, etc.

Look at Notre Dame this year if you want to see how quickly a program can fall when you are relying upon mostly new players as your starters. The yardstick now has to be last year's team, not 2007. We're in rebuild mode, not reloading without missing a beat.

And we knew that patience was going to be needed coming in. It's frustrating for us, but how do you think the players and staff feel?

Things will get better when our 0layers get to work against better players daily. It's hard for our current players to simulate the speed and quickness of the top teams.

 

[superfly]

Putbacks, we can all agree on weaknesses and what needs to improve to get back in the conversation. It would help to have dominant, WNBA-MVP-type players like a Parker, which is the last time we went to a Final Four. But, barring landing a top three class, we can't compare the state of the program now to years when we were THE standard, had The Coach of the Century, had top pkayers begging to come here, etc.

Look at Notre Dame this year if you want to see how quickly a program can fall when you are relying upon mostly new players as your starters. The yardstick now has to be last year's team, not 2007. We're in rebuild mode, not reloading without missing a beat.

And we knew that patience was going to be needed coming in. It's frustrating for us, but how do you think the players and staff feel?

Things will get better when our 0layers get to work against better players daily. It's hard for our current players to simulate the speed and quickness of the top teams.

Fan is short for fanatical.....it's problematic from the on set...lol....
fa·nat·i·cal
/fəˈnadək(ə)l/
adjective
1. filled with excessive and single-minded zeal.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Unfortunately, I agree with you Volfan012. The coaching staff does not have a clue. If they did, they would bench Horston, if she did not cut down on her turnovers.

I'm not speaking from inside knowledge, only logic.
If Horston was making those kinds of turnover in practice, she would not be getting the minutes.

If she only makes those mistakes in games, then the only way for her to improve is during game situations.

 

[luballer]

So far nothing wrong with what has happened this season. We have lost to number 1, 3, and 4 on the road and also number 13. We did lose that game to Texas which we should've won ,but otherwise the record is right where it was expected to be. No one is beating any of these teams at home that often. The only one that has lost at home is UConn to Baylor the number two team. I don't like the turnovers and losing to anyone were not at this time talented enough to beat the three teams 1,3,4 we lost to. We could've won at Kentucky just couldn't contain one player. Overall we haven't overachieved or underachieved were right where we were expected to be.

To add I think were headed for a top ten class maybe top five recruiting is looking really excellent for the Lady Vols.

Finally someone that gets it. Regardless of where they are now Notre Dame was ranked 15 when we beat them and Texas started the season considered a better team than us. We took care of Notre Dame and should’ve beaten Texas and Kentucky. In my opinion, those 3 games told me more about where we are at in this process and we were in all 3 of the games. Realistically I wasn’t expecting to beat Stanford, UConn, or SC on the road with a young team. Now I think a neutral site or home game we would be much more competitive. After the players we lost to graduation and transfer, I thought Kellie would coach her butt off and we would improve on last years record or we would look like Notre Dame this year. Thankfully it looks like she’s coaching her butt off. With the exception of Re none of these players were key contributors last season. Turnovers are the hardest thing to fix but I am hopeful that Kellie will get it fixed. I know it’s frustrating but it takes time and for some it takes a little longer than others.