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

[TheMississippiVol]

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.

I’ve been watching LV games for years. The crowd size seem fine to me. I’ve actually been encouraged by the crowd sizes this year before the headline games kick-off to be honest! Rocking Top is rocking

 

[Rickster]

Highlights

 

[Jax_Vol]

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

I'm willing to give Kellie the benefit of the doubt.

Let's go hard and see what happens. We have a ton of depth. That will certainly help down the road...

Go Lady Vols!!!!!!!!

 

[Chippo]

Have said karoline not had fair chance to show what she can do. Karoline earn more playing time. She keeps riding the bench we may lose her.

That will be Kellie's fault.

 

[LV renaissance]

I’ve been watching LV games for years. The crowd size seem fine to me. I’ve actually been encouraged by the crowd sizes this year before the headline games kick-off to be honest! Rocking Top is rocking

Unfortunately, you can tell a crowd by the tv. There were way more empty seats than filled seats among the season ticket holders, about 12 students, and minimal walkup. It was far from rocking. I do think attendance will improve if this team continues to improve.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Trust me, all the players have been talking about the fans this season. Rocking Top is rockingThis is one game.

 

[Fatoldman]

Hollingshead development this year may put us in a great position for an NCAA run. Even in March Franklin will be a few months away from being fully recovered from an athletic standpoint which usually happens about 18 months after ACL injury (August 2023). And Most of her game was her athleticism combined with strength, toughness and effort. So her experience and toughness will help us this year, especially late in the year as she recovers more Think Kellie just needs to play her 10 to 15 minutes per game at least until and if she regains some of her athleticism. Meanwhile Kellie needs to play Hollingshead both at the 4 and the 5 several minutes per game. The size in a starting lineup of Key, Hollingshead, Horston and Jackson would be hard to guard Listen we have lost to some very good teams early bit there is no reason to believe we can not or will not make the Elite 8 or FF.

 

[Rickster]

This game, while against an unranked opponent, did show the team is continuing to progress. The major obstacle was always the potential for Jordan and Rickea to be incompatible. I can't see that now. They were unselfish today and effective as a tandem and team. Once those two figure out things, everyone else will work into place. Love to see the players step up especially the subs. Right now, the pressing issue is getting some of the reserves focused PT to build their confidence. Jillian, Marta, Brooklyn and Justine. Really nice to see Justine has not lost the shooting eye. All in all, a good win that will get them closer to gelling as a team.

 

[turbovol]

Unfortunately, you can tell a crowd by the tv. There were way more empty seats than filled seats among the season ticket holders, about 12 students, and minimal walkup. It was far from rocking. I do think attendance will improve if this team continues to improve.

Mississippi vol wasn't at the game but thinks s/he knows more about attendance than someone who was at the game. That's rich.....

 

[teacherdean]

Last season, Tamari Key was stepping out to the free throw line and making jumpers at the top of the paint.. what happened to that offensive set? She was making that shot at a good percentage. Refs are giving her some bad calls on offensive/defensive fouls.. because they don’t allow her to get position in the post. Coach Harper let her settle in the game. Take the refs out of it. Give her a few field goals attempts early and build from there. This team is loaded folks. Lets go!

I agree with you because TK had a pretty good mid range shot last year. The offense KJH is running is making TK a one dimensional paint scorer. Usually teams sag around TK making it difficult for her to score. Post players like Boston, Brink and Suarez of Iowa State can score in and out of the paint. This makes them more dangerous and also frees other players, like Horston and Jackson, to score in the post. Also when teams sag on TK there should be a player open for TK to pass to.

 

[teacherdean]

The Ladies won a game they should have won while working on a few things. They won it going away as they should when playing against lesser competition. As Andreya Carter said after the game they now have to prove they can play together as a team against tougher competition. She also said that it was a work in progress where the LVs are trying to make the team learn to play together. In my opinion that takes each player recognizing each of their fellow players skill set and what they can and cannot do and learning how to play within those boundaries. It also takes each player realizing their limitations and playing within themselves.

 

[alexvol]

The Ladies won a game they should have won while working on a few things. They won it going away as they should when playing against lesser competition. As Andreya Carter said after the game they now have to prove they can play together as a team against tougher competition. She also said that it was a work in progress where the LVs are trying to make the team learn to play together. In my opinion that takes each player recognizing each of their fellow players skill set and what they can and cannot do and learning how to play within those boundaries. It also takes each player realizing their limitations and playing within themselves.

It is refreshing to see that this team is beating the teams now that they should beat.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

I truly believe that the Lady Vols have as much talent as most of the top 5 teams in the country probably excluding South Carolina & Stanford, but the difference is clearly coaching..Those teams are coached hard & that is the difference between Pat & those they have hired to bring us back to where you should be..Yes, Kellie might have 11 ladies should could play, but a rotation like that isn't realistic to success..Kellie doesn't coach these ladies during the game, can't speak on her practices..I watched Horston throw the ball away 3 out of 4 positions & Kellie didn't bat an eye, not say a word...Players don't respect that...What they respect is when Pat scheduled Depaul so Candice Parker could play back at home, missed curfew & was rewarded by not starting the game & she was the #1 player in the nation..Until we decide to get that type of leader for this program, this is what we will be forever..When you keep messing up, sitting on the bench gets your attention & eventually the respect you need for this level

Outside of Jordan and Rickea, who would start on any top team? I live this team but they aren’t that talented.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Watching the UConn vs Iowa game, neither is “LOADED” with talent as Top 10 teams. Both just are clearly well coached teams.
UConn in terms of size looks like a HS team.[/QUOTE
They may not be that talented but they have some players that would could use. Their Pg can handle the ball and have decent size. The forwards are able to run the floor with ease and close out on shooters.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

For a win (yes against a weaker team but looking pretty good) there are not a lot of responses lol

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Outside of Jordan and Rickea, who would start on any top team? I live this team but they aren’t that talented.

Jasmine Powell fared pretty well for minnesota and against other top competition and could probably start on another top team. She is in a slight slump but the potential is there and we have seen it

 

[Volinnooga]

I truly believe that the Lady Vols have as much talent as most of the top 5 teams in the country probably excluding South Carolina & Stanford, but the difference is clearly coaching..Those teams are coached hard & that is the difference between Pat & those they have hired to bring us back to where you should be..Yes, Kellie might have 11 ladies should could play, but a rotation like that isn't realistic to success..Kellie doesn't coach these ladies during the game, can't speak on her practices..I watched Horston throw the ball away 3 out of 4 positions & Kellie didn't bat an eye, not say a word...Players don't respect that...What they respect is when Pat scheduled Depaul so Candice Parker could play back at home, missed curfew & was rewarded by not starting the game & she was the #1 player in the nation..Until we decide to get that type of leader for this program, this is what we will be forever..When you keep messing up, sitting on the bench gets your attention & eventually the respect you need for this level

well guess what. Pat was fantastic but she is gone and not coming back. We are gonna be fine.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

You got to be a special kind of person to try to convince yourself that Tamari Key, Jasmine Powell, Jillian Hollingshead, Sara Puckett, Jasmine Franklin( before the injury) and Marta Suarez couldn’t start for multiple ranked teams. Go somewhere with this foolishness.

 

[VolBall09]

For a win (yes against a weaker team but looking pretty good) there are not a lot of responses lol

There tend to be fewer responses when the team plays well. The fewer the turnovers the fewer the comments lol.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Outside of Jordan and Rickea, who would start on any top team? I live this team but they aren’t that talented.

Well, for one, Franklin. Recovering from injury or not, she makes sharp plays that are just beautiful.

 

[Majors]

For a win (yes against a weaker team but looking pretty good) there are not a lot of responses lol

Directional schools typically boost wins.

 

[Voltopia]

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.

It isn't going to happen until Tennessee shows consistent dominance. That's how attendance goes in women's basketball. The amount of mediocre basketball is higher in the women's game than it is the men's, and folks are not going to go out of their way for mediocre women's basketball. Shooting 50% from the free throw line, turning the ball over 20 times, or missing 10 layups in a game - people don't want to watch that. It's just how it is.

The fact that Tennessee continued to draw 10,000-ish for so many years after Pat retired is a credit to her legacy and to the stubborn support the long-time fans showed the program. An absolute credit. And make no mistake, they did genuinely draw 10,000+ for several years after Holly took over.

Oh but all that said, I agree about the attendance. It looked very sparse on screen. Very sparse. Hope that changes some day.

 

[Fatoldman]

That will be Kellie's fault.

Well there are 15 players and 200 minutes to spread among them. Practice is when you earn playing time. I agree Striplin has looked good in game minutes but she is 4th in post rotation now. The goal of Kellie this year needs to be on making a deep NCAA run , not on giving players minutes so they won't transfer. A dilemma for sure is losing good players but you have to play to win. If KS leaves it will be on her, not CKH. 200 ÷ 15= 13.33 minutes per game. Would you rather everybody get 13.3 minutes per game and lose more games so you are more likely to keep an end pf bench player, or would you rather play the better players more minutes and win more games. I vote for the latter and if a player transfers because they are not as good as others in her position so be it

 

[Volfan1000]

Cupcake win.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Just to put attendance into perspective, even though maybe not everyone who was a season ticket holder showed up, (I do not know exactly how the attendance is counted, or if it is the same way for all schools, but it should be), our attendance for the Eastern Kentucky game was listed at 7,014. LSU‘s most recent game with UAB was listed at 259. Yes, you read that correctly, 259. Our attendance looking pretty good.