Game Thread: (23/24) Lady Vols 105 - Eastern Kentucky 71

[TheMississippiVol]

Wynn contributed defense last year when needed in a few game last season. She’ll be fine. Good athlete.

 

[Memvol44]

She has 3 pts and 2rebs.

 

[th2421]

I see Eastern Kentucky using the same strategy as Colorado by pressing in the last 5 minutes when we are deep into our bench to try to make a more respectable final score.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Tennessee dynamic sophomores and freshmen finished with a gritty and physical performance against Eastern Kentucky starters.

 

[Rickster]

Everybody played and everyone scored except Edie. Jillian had a very good game. You can see that she is getting more comfortable.

 

[Rickster]

Wynn contributed defense last year when needed in a few game last season. She’ll be fine. Good athlete.

Wynn will be okay once she learns how to shoot a layup. She has the athleticism to beat anyone but seems to throw up the ball hoping it will bounce or roll in. If she would use the backboard, her percentage would go up significantly. She's fast and good defensively but just doesn't shoot the ball well.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I realize the competition was not great, but Hollingshead and Key really had nice minutes. Good to see Jillian looking a lot more comfortable out there. She is definitely progressing. I didn't realize while watching that Key was only in 9 minutes. I thought Pissott looked a lot more comfortable in the game, and had some nice moments. Better on defense and fighting for rebounds. Horston and Jackson got their stats, of course. I tend to take them for granted. Shame on me for that. Walker with five assists is nice, and Striplin with a good stat line. Powell with an unimpressive 15 minutes. We need more assists from her. She was advertised as a terrific passer. I'm not seeing it yet.

 

[J-Dog 1313]

Freeee throws got to do better

I agree. LVs left 10 points at the stripe today. In close games down the road, especially in SEC play, FTs will become crucial. They have to make them at a better percentage. GBO.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

I’m quite sure I heard the game announcer mention that Jasmine Powell aka “floor general” has had atleast 5 assist in every game the past 2 seasons prior to today.
I ain’t judging her off one game, Powell is the real deal!

 

[Jax_Vol]

7 turnovers. Outstanding!!

 

[Volfaninfl2]

I just realized after this game we'll be .500 for the first time all year. Hooray.

Good for KJH, she took Wynn out and coached her up after a couple of her wild child drive and pray shots. Even up 40, and with a player who pretty clearly isn't going to contribute this year, she's on the job!

Do you know what this means? We can be in the Crème bracketology again!

 

[chuckiepoo]

7 turnovers. Outstanding!!

What about them 26 assists?

 

[Rickster]

Do you know what this means? We can be in the Crème bracketology again!

 

[Volfaninfl2]

View attachment 518760

Everybody played and everyone scored except Edie. Jillian had a very good game. You can see that she is getting more comfortable.

Striplin opened the way for several to have open layups. She would have had several assists if our layups had gone in.

 

[chuckiepoo]

…his expression as that bracket gets shoved where the sun don’t shine.

 

[Ladyvol777]

Got a nice win with over 100 points. Good to see everyone play. A lot of positive things in the game. As always go Lady Vol's.

 

[Rickster]

…his expression as that bracket gets shoved where the sun don’t shine.

I'm sure he is just excited as all git-out that he will get to participate in another ESPN fantasy.

 

[Coach Jumper]

 

[Lucy]

Eastern Kentucky is on par with the kind of opponent most Top 10 teams have faced this season.
Coach Harper just did a solid job of managing the 1st half. Franklin, Hollingshead, and Striplin played good off the bench. Key stepped it up. Outside of South Carolina and maybe Stanford there aren’t any teams more talented than Tennessee. The rest of this season is about building team chemistry and staying healthy.
I’ll give Coach Harper the benefit of the doubt for now. She’s trying…

I’m sure she will be relieved.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

I’m sure she will be relieved.

But at least he's giving the benefit of the doubt. So many on these threads are not even willing to do that.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

That’s these little entitled posters problem not mine. If folks can’t see TN main issue is in-game management then just accept mediocrity and be okay with that year in/out. I watched two teams with not nearly the talent today in UConn and Iowa each in a half put on a clinic offensively due to being well coached teams. Neither is loaded with talent right now.

 

[LV renaissance]

I just got home from the game. It was the smallest Sunday crowd I have ever seen for a Sunday matinee LV game, no doubt partly due to it being the last day of a long sports-oriented holiday weekend. Nevertheless, I wish we would draw better.
A few observations.
1. Rickea and Horston have the ability to be pure magic together. Horston is so much more relaxed now that we have Rickea, and she is playing to her potential.
2. Rickea has the makings of our best player since Parker if she continues her trend of putting her energy and athleticism into all aspects of her game. She is worth the price of admission alone.
3. It seems like the demarcation between first vs. second vs, third team are becoming clearer. Each played significantly better than the lower rated team. I know some of the third teamers looked pretty good in the first half against the overwhelmed EKU team, but that wasn't at all the case in the second half.
4. There is some fluidity about particular players and how soon they will come into the game. However, Wynn, Brooklyn, Justine P, and yes Stricklin seem not ready to play early in our big games against athletic teams. I was so happy for Stricklin for playing so well against the small EKU team, but really watched her whole game in the second half and there seems to be a significant gap in her quickness to the vast majority of the better players in the SEC. Hopefully, she can continue to work on her placement on court and prove me wrong. Not sure why our defense is not good with both Wynn and Miles in the game given that is their strength. In any case, these players mentioned here as 3rd teamers may not stay there and all still have plenty of time to develop.,
5. A burning question for me is Franklin and how much more she will recover from her injury and shake the rust off her game I love her game, but EKU should have been an easy game for her given how short they are. Perhaps she is recovering from playing so many games in 10 days.
6. Hollingshead is really coming into her own, and I imagine she will be a focal part of our team next year while being extremely valuable to this year's team.
7. Key was so present today, which was great to see! I know she matched up well with EKU but that has never been a predictor of whether she was going to bring her game on! It would make our team so much better if she could bring it all on more games than not.

 

[Lucy]

But at least he's giving the benefit of the doubt. So many on these threads are not even willing to do that.

True that!
It cracks me up how the number of posts goes down when we win and we have some posters who only know how to give a compliment if it is backhanded.
Also, how does anyone think they know what Pat of old would be as Pat of now? No successful coach today interacts with athletes the way Pat did in the 90’s-2000’s. They just don’t. I feel like Pat would have changed her coaching style to match better with today’s players. She was stubborn but not stupid.

 

[Rickster]

 

[mudcat1973]

On youtube post game puckett, horston, key press after game. Was sara leg sore and press try to ask her about it? Last min of press video is what i am asking about