Game Thread: (23/24) Lady Vols 69 - Colorado 51

[Volfan2012]

Intensity A Execution C- I like that were finally in the last two games showing a lot of effort. I thought overall it was an excellent defensive effort. Two players led the offense everybody else needs to step up. Defense allowing no more than 60 to 65 we'll be in the game. 70 is the danger zone every game we play this season.

 

[Volfan2012]

I have a lot going on right now and couldn't make the drive to Knoxville yesterday, and then only caight a few glances at the game on tv. But the few times I looked in I was blown away by both Horston and Jackson.

But when I looked at the box score I was shocked to see Franklin played so little. She didn't get injured, did she? I mean, one of the few times I looked in I saw her get into a power struggle for the ball with an opponent, and I was impressed by her tough attitude. It kinda made my heart beat faster as I thought, "Now THERE is a woman who is serious about basketball!!" I figured I'd look at the box to see how Franklin had fared in her 20-plus minutes. She played only 7. What happened? I absolutely love her game, and if I were coach I'd seriously consider making her my primary and then letting Karoline and Tamari give her rest breaks.

Speaking of Karoline, THREE BLOCKS in only 5 minutes!? Get it, girl! She was probably so excited! Gonna go try to find a replay now.

Looked like they were trying to give Hollingshead some play at the five and then Karoline who played quite well the last six minutes of the fourth quarter. This was the minutes that Franklin usually plays 17 total minutes for those two so Franklin only played 7.

 

[glv98]

The team is so much better when Jordan Horston is at the point. Jordan always has a plan and initiates the offense quickly. Jordan does not waste time with unnecessary dribbling. Offense is very efficient when she is in control.

I couldn't disagree more. Everytime, and there have been several, we've tried to fit JH's square peg into the round hole of PG it's been a disaster. IMO she does overdribble and struggles with decision making, plus struggles w t.o.s. I like her much better freed up from ball handling duties and closer to the basket. She's a terrific rebounder plus can initiate one on one better from a wing. I like her at 3, possible 2 but outside shooting is not her strong suit.

Powell had probably her worst game last night, but I'm pretty sure she'll settle in nicely at PG w Walker/Miles backing her up.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Rickea is the most explosive scorer in the country. There’s no reason for this offense to get stagnant like it does at times with both or either Rickea / Horston on the floor. Next, you got folks on this board who don’t even understand they are putting unrealistic expectations on these players due to the lack of progression and effectiveness of in-game coaching. This is an accountability year.
Give Puckett, Hollingshead, or Marta to another Power 5 coaching staff right now and all of them would be thriving in the right system.
It’s time to stop making up excuses and get the job done with this top 5 talent roster! No reason Miles shouldn’t be the backup point guard right now.
Don’t make situations complicated when there’s no need to. The worse flaw I’ve seen in sports on any level from the sideline is over coaching. Put the best 5 on the court. Use the depth. Use the timeouts.
Outside of S.Carolina and maybe Stanford no team has more length & depth than TN. But they’ve managed to lose games handily. Which isn’t a bad thing in basketball to start the season.. I’ve seen teams start off struggling and become a contender by the end of the year. TN can become a contender but there has to be accountability across the board.

 

[Mr.Vol2U]

Rickea is the most explosive scorer in the country. There’s no reason for this offense to get stagnant like it does at times with both or either Rickea / Horston on the floor. Next, you got folks on this board who don’t even understand they are putting unrealistic expectations on these players due to the lack of progression and effectiveness of in-game coaching. This is an accountability year.
Give Puckett, Hollingshead, or Marta to another Power 5 coaching staff right now and all of them would be thriving in the right system.
It’s time to stop making up excuses and get the job done with this top 5 talent roster! No reason Miles shouldn’t be the backup point guard right now.
Don’t make situations complicated when there’s no need to. The worse flaw I’ve seen in sports on any level from the sideline is over coaching. Put the best 5 on the court. Use the depth. Use the timeouts.
Outside of S.Carolina and maybe Stanford no team has more length & depth than TN. But they’ve managed to lose games handily. Which isn’t a bad thing in basketball to start the season.. I’ve seen teams start off struggling and become a contender by the end of the year. TN can become a contender but there has to be accountability across the board.

Smartest comment I have seen you make in the last few days lol. That comment about Marta threw me off though, I must admit. I like Marta but she plays out of control a lot offensively and tries to force shots. Darby starting is who should be starting, although I would like to see Puckett play more. Just defensively she is not there and that's where Darby has improved at. You're right though about over coaching. That's what has happened the last few games.

 

[37620VOL]

It'll be interesting to see how CKH narrows down her lineup as we approach SEC play. Hollingshead and Striplin made strong cases for more minutes vs CO.

Miles, Wynn, and Walker continue to make their case to play less minutes. Saurez is probably in this camp too. Pissott, very promising, but she's not ready to handle big girl pressure yet. She needs more experience like she got against CO, but not when the game is in doubt.

Jackson and Horston look like they are in such great shape that they could play close to 40 minutes in crucial games. (obv, can't do that all the time)

What is Franklin's status, injured?

 

[Mr.Vol2U]

Don't know about Franklin status, but she didn't come back into the game. Hopefully it's nothing serious cause I did see her on the bench. I agree Hollingshead and Striplin definitely should play more. It's kind of puzzling why we don't see Striplin out there more. It seems like when she does get time on the court she produces and makes the most out of her minutes. Hopefully after this game Kellie gives her more time

 

[madtownvol]

I have a lot going on right now and couldn't make the drive to Knoxville yesterday, and then only caight a few glances at the game on tv. But the few times I looked in I was blown away by both Horston and Jackson.

But when I looked at the box score I was shocked to see Franklin played so little. She didn't get injured, did she? I mean, one of the few times I looked in I saw her get into a power struggle for the ball with an opponent, and I was impressed by her tough attitude. It kinda made my heart beat faster as I thought, "Now THERE is a woman who is serious about basketball!!" I figured I'd look at the box to see how Franklin had fared in her 20-plus minutes. She played only 7. What happened? I absolutely love her game, and if I were coach I'd seriously consider making her my primary and then letting Karoline and Tamari give her rest breaks.

Speaking of Karoline, THREE BLOCKS in only 5 minutes!? Get it, girl! She was probably so excited! Gonna go try to find a replay now.

Overall, Franklin struggled but Hoillingshead in the post turned out to be a bit of a revelation. In that position, Jillian is by far their most athletic post. Her game is rough around the edges but she showed a lot of potential.

Striplin made some nice plays on the defensive end down the stretch as well. She was part of the "let's give players some time" group that allowed the 20 lead to evaporate down to 10. Karoline was the only player from that group to stay on the floor after Kellie re-inserted her big guns.

People want the LVs to have depth at key positions and right now we have a four player option at post. Key looks to remain the starter, despite a slow start. We know she can be a force and for whatever reason she has just not found her game this season. I can see Franklin and Hollingshead battling for the 2 spot with it probably varying across games and who is more effective in a given match-up. Then Karoline looks to be the next option. That depth does mean that KS is going to have limited minutes this season but she is showing a good improvement curve so next season she could be very integral to things.

 

[LV renaissance]

I have a lot going on right now and couldn't make the drive to Knoxville yesterday, and then only caight a few glances at the game on tv. But the few times I looked in I was blown away by both Horston and Jackson.

But when I looked at the box score I was shocked to see Franklin played so little. She didn't get injured, did she? I mean, one of the few times I looked in I saw her get into a power struggle for the ball with an opponent, and I was impressed by her tough attitude. It kinda made my heart beat faster as I thought, "Now THERE is a woman who is serious about basketball!!" I figured I'd look at the box to see how Franklin had fared in her 20-plus minutes. She played only 7. What happened? I absolutely love her game, and if I were coach I'd seriously consider making her my primary and then letting Karoline and Tamari give her rest breaks.

Speaking of Karoline, THREE BLOCKS in only 5 minutes!? Get it, girl! She was probably so excited! Gonna go try to find a replay now.

Franklin was much more tentative in this game, whereas Hollingshead took the role of the newcomer who was in the flow and focused. I hope you make it to games they play well

 

[turbovol]

Rickea is the most explosive scorer in the country. There’s no reason for this offense to get stagnant like it does at times with both or either Rickea / Horston on the floor. Next, you got folks on this board who don’t even understand they are putting unrealistic expectations on these players due to the lack of progression and effectiveness of in-game coaching. This is an accountability year.
Give Puckett, Hollingshead, or Marta to another Power 5 coaching staff right now and all of them would be thriving in the right system.
It’s time to stop making up excuses and get the job done with this top 5 talent roster! No reason Miles shouldn’t be the backup point guard right now.
Don’t make situations complicated when there’s no need to. The worse flaw I’ve seen in sports on any level from the sideline is over coaching. Put the best 5 on the court. Use the depth. Use the timeouts.
Outside of S.Carolina and maybe Stanford no team has more length & depth than TN. But they’ve managed to lose games handily. Which isn’t a bad thing in basketball to start the season.. I’ve seen teams start off struggling and become a contender by the end of the year. TN can become a contender but there has to be accountability across the board.

Good post--Puckett should be playing more. Not sure what Hollingshead level is at the moment--but coaches should be /strongly/ pushing her development and giving as quality minutes every game--if only to help the team next year (when we could be bad). I agree that Harper has struggled to build a cohesive team with a system that fits our talent. I'm not sure we're as talented overall as you think. We have a number of players who are not very good defensively. We lack players who are athletic and can play solidly--not necessarily brilliantly, but solidly--on both ends of the court.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Smartest comment I have seen you make in the last few days lol. That comment about Marta threw me off though, I must admit. I like Marta but she plays out of control a lot offensively and tries to force shots. Darby starting is who should be starting, although I would like to see Puckett play more. Just defensively she is not there and that's where Darby has improved at. You're right though about over coaching. That's what has happened the last few games.

This game is chess not checkers.. that’s why you didn’t comprehend it at first. There’s no debating that talent is what wins games. Over coaching is detrimental to any success. Today and tomorrow TN is loaded with talent! Easily top 5 talented roster in WCBB. Rickea Jackson is the most athletic scorer I’ve seen since Seimone Augustus!
You folks can nitpick Marta all you want but the fact will remain her upside is the highest out of all the starters outside of Powell, Rickea, and Horston. Now Hollingshead, Puckett, Striplin and Miles are next in line in terms of upside. Mix that group in alongside Tamari Key and Jasmine Franklin right now in addition to the superstars Horston, Rickea, and Powell there’s not any reason this team should be turning the ball over at a high rate and going stagnant on offense. A lot of that stuff is from game management on the sideline!
This is not a rebuilding year. This is the year. You get UConn, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina at home. I’m expecting to check off three 3 wins if the Head Coach puts the best 5 on the court, uses the depth, and uses the timeouts.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Good post--Puckett should be playing more. Not sure what Hollingshead level is at the moment--but coaches should be /strongly/ pushing her development and giving as quality minutes every game--if only to help the team next year (when we could be bad). I agree that Harper has struggled to build a cohesive team with a system that fits our talent. I'm not sure we're as talented overall as you think. We have a number of players who are not very good defensively. We lack players who are athletic and can play solidly--not necessarily brilliantly, but solidly--on both ends of the court.

This isn’t just my opinion, listen to the game announcers in nationally televised games and you’ll here EVERYONE talking about the talent on this team. They are talented overall from 8-9 players and the rest have very good intangibles plus upside compared to everyone team in the country. The team could and should go 13-15 deep in most games.
It’s the system that doesn’t mix well enough with the roster to enhance their individual attributes. They play too much one on one. When Horston, Rickea, and Hollingshead caught the basket with space and made one dribble to pull up for mid-range jumpers it was a thing of beauty. I don’t see that much outside of South Carolina, UConn, or Stanford. The play execution was masterfully.
Last season, Tamari Key was making jumpers from the top of the key and it was a thing of beauty. As I take a step back, I can understand why Key seems to check out at times. This was a player during her Sophomore and Junior years who was dominate at times. I don’t understand why they focus so much on passing across the perimeter when you have players that are outstanding athletes that can slash to the basket and feed the post off the dribble. Key is not necessarily a back to the basket player so stop forcing that kind of offense early in games.
And it’s not just Rickea and Horston that can drive and kick it out or feed the post, Powell, Miles, and Hollingshead can create offense if the system is adjusting to enhance their attributes. This is not a rebuilding year. This is the year! Rocky Top is rocking!

 

[madtownvol]

This game is chess not checkers.. that’s why you didn’t comprehend it at first. There’s no debating that talent is what wins games. Over coaching is detrimental to any success. Today and tomorrow TN is loaded with talent! Easily top 5 talented roster in WCBB. Rickea Jackson is the most athletic scorer I’ve seen since Simone Augustus!
You folks can nitpick Marta all you want but the fact will remain her upside is the highest out of all the starters outside of Powell, Rickea, and Horston. Now Hollingshead, Puckett, Striplin and Miles are next in line in terms of upside. Mix that group in alongside Tamari Key and Jasmine Franklin right now in addition to the the superstars Horston, Rickea, and Powell there’s not any reason this team should be turning the ball over at a high rate and going stagnant on offense. A lot of that stuff is from game management on the sideline!
This is not a rebuilding year. This is the year. You get UConn, Virginia Tech, and South Carolina at home. I’m expecting to check off three 3 wins if the Head Coach puts the best 5 on the court, uses the depth, and uses the timeouts.

How's about chillin' just a bit on all the personal insults? On a message board, there are going to be different opinions.

I think the idea that "talent is what wins games" is an overstatement. Talent + balance + chemistry seems to be the fuller equation.

At this point in the season, I think we can start distinguish the pre-season hype from the reality

The LVs have two likely top 10, maybe even top 5 WNBA picks in Horston and Jackson. So, that is a great nucleus to build around. But both are at their best slashing and driving to the basket and we have seen in the early season games, that good teams can make life very difficult for them if the floor is not spread out.

Neither of them, however, are Caitlin Clark force-of-nature who can beat you with a 30 ft dagger and take it to the rim.

So, outside shooting is a premium for this team. And that is where they have been inconsistent for the last several seasons.

Upside and polished players ready to compete at the highest level are two different things. Jillian showed real promise last night in the post but the caveat is that Colorado is not strong in that position. I love Brooklyns energy and work rate. Her limitation is that she offers almost no scoring threat which makes life easier for he opposing defenses unless she has good outside shooters to pass the ball out to.

This team is not going to overwhelm other top 10 teams with its "talent".

Top tier would start for any team country caliber players are Horston and Jackson.

Really good role players who are ready to compete against the best tier: Powell, Key (if she gets it going like last season), Darby (when her shot is dropping) and ????. That is not as clear cut, but perhaps Franklin as she plays herself back into form from her injury and Jordan Walker who showed last season that she can match up.

I would have expected Puckett to be on that list from her freshman performance but she (and the coaching staff) have not found a role this season where she can thrive. Her few outside shots are not dropping which hurts.

I expect Hollingshead will get to this level by SEC season.

I would have expected Justine based on her rankings and credentials but she looks to more of a "next season" prospect though I am hoping something clicks later this season because her shooting threat is needed.

Marta, another player working her way back in from injury. I think as the season goes on, she can become a second-tier contributor but right now she is not quite there.

Striplin a more limited role player who is showing good signs of improvement. Really hard to gauge her right now. She excelled last night on the defensive side but Colorado had no one in the post.

What we have is a team that looks a lot like last seasons- with jackson filling in for Burrell, Hollingshead/Franklin being the new Keyen Green (and I think an overall upgrade potentially), and Powell being a better version of Jordan Walker.

When you add it all up. This team is still short on outside shooting (a major liability in today's game) and, like last season's, is going to have win through defensive intensity and dominating the glass and hoping that Horston and Jackson both stay healthy.

The big advantage over last season is depth. Last season, Green's loss proved to be a debilitating blow but this season, the LVs can withstand some injuries to their second tier contributors.

 

[teacherdean]

Did ya'll see Franklin grab Justine, sit her down beside her and talk to her when Justine came out? Maybe this team is starting to jell in lots of ways.

Powell's been a little off. Lots of really weak passes from her and others. They act like it's against the rules for the defense to intercept. We did lose rythmn late.

But overall one of our best halves. Key is at least doing what we minimally need fm her, being a looming defensive presence. I thought Puckett and even Darby played some good position D and both rebounded well.

Good movement on offense!

We still need Key to be more dominant in the paint on both sides of the ball. She keep getting pushed around by smaller players and do a lot of rebounding on the backs of the opposing players. She also need to utilize her midrange shot. She shot a few midrange shots last year. Unfortunately we only have two players who can consistently make their own shots and that is Horston and Jackson. It also appears that we need to set more picks to setup Darby as well as other players for shots. The offense still needs a lot of improvement. However, it was nice to see the ladies play with more get up and go. I guess it is a work in progress.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

How's about chillin' just a bit on all the personal insults? On a message board, there are going to be different opinions.

I think the idea that "talent is what wins games" is an overstatement. Talent + balance + chemistry seems to be the fuller equation.

At this point in the season, I think we can start distinguish the pre-season hype from the reality

The LVs have two likely top 10, maybe even top 5 WNBA picks in Horston and Jackson. So, that is a great nucleus to build around. But both are at their best slashing and driving to the basket and we have seen in the early season games, that good teams can make life very difficult for them if the floor is not spread out.

Neither of them, however, are Caitlin Clark force-of-nature who can beat you with a 30 ft dagger and take it to the rim.

So, outside shooting is a premium for this team. And that is where they have been inconsistent for the last several seasons.

Upside and polished players ready to compete at the highest level are two different things. Jillian showed real promise last night in the post but the caveat is that Colorado is not strong in that position. I love Brooklyns energy and work rate. Her limitation is that she offers almost no scoring threat which makes life easier for he opposing defenses unless she has good outside shooters to pass the ball out to.

This team is not going to overwhelm teams with its "talent".

Top tier would start for any team country caliber players are Horston and Jackson.

Really good role players who are ready to compete against the best tier: Powell, Key (if she gets it going like last season), Darby (when her shot is dropping) and ????. That is not as clear cut, but perhaps Franklin as she plays herself back into form from her injury and Jordan Walker who showed last season that she can match up.

I would have expected Puckett to be on that list from her freshman performance but she (and the coaching staff) have not found a role this season where she can thrive. Her few outside shots are not dropping which hurts.

I expect Hollingshead will get to this level by SEC season.

I would have expected Justine based on her rankings and credentials but she looks to more of a "next season" prospect though I am hoping something clicks later this season because her shooting threat is needed.

Marta, another player working her way back in from injury. I think as the season goes on, she can become a second-tier contributor but right now she is not quite there.

Striplin a more limited role player who is showing good signs of improvement. Really hard to gauge her right now. She excelled last night on the defensive side but Colorado had no one in the post.

What we have is a team that looks a lot like last seasons- with jackson filling in for Burrell, Hollingshead/Franklin being the new Keyen Green (and I think an overall upgrade potentially), and Powell being a better version of Jordan Walker.

When you add it all up. This team is still short on outside shooting (a major liability in today's game) and, like last season's, is going to have win through defensive intensity and dominating the glass and hoping that Horston and Jackson both stay healthy.

The big advantage over last season is depth. Last season, Green's loss proved to be a debilitating blow but this season, the LVs can withstand some injuries to their second tier contributors.

Don’t quote me in that propaganda.. there’s not a single player in the country that can do anything Rickea and Horston can’t do! You can call it what you want but I ain’t backing down. End of discussion.

 

[madtownvol]

Don’t quote me in that propaganda.. there’s not a single player in the country that can do anything Rickea and Horston can’t do! You can call it what you want but I ain’t backing down. End of discussion.

No problem mate. Have fun on your own little island.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

You’re a lightweight.
I got one question, who is Rocky Top?

 

[Orange_Mamba]

Hold’on why would BK deserves less minutes. She’s been steady for us off the bench. Granted she doesn’t take the open shots, but she’s been setting her teammates up with great looks(they can’t finish’em) and she plays great man to man defense. Powell and Miles should see the most minutes at point.

 

[TheMississippiVol]

Hold’on why would BK deserves less minutes. She’s been steady for us off the bench. Granted she doesn’t take the open shots, but she’s been setting her teammates up with great looks(they can’t finish’em) and she plays great man to man defense. Powell and Miles should see the most minutes at point.

The goof troop is just here posting propaganda. They don’t have a clue. B. Miles is the real deal.. it’s the staff job to develop her as a player. Powell is a true floor general… they need to give her the reigns to truly run the offense. This is the year!

 

[VolBall09]

I would actually like to see the lineup of Miles, Horston, Jackson, Franklin and Hollingshed some.


Think that lineup could really score. Miles changes the pace when she’s on the floor because of her defense. Get that group running in transition and they would be hard to stop.

 

[alexvol]

Unfortunately ,I was not able to see the game as I was sequestered with family continuing Thanksgiving celebration and birth of new great grand baby on Daniel Island ,South Carolina.I have read about the game and it appears that some chemistry is being developed both offensively and defensively and to me that is the most important thing for this team to become a winner......playing together on both ends of the court with great energy and passion with some coaching mixed in.Of course such chemistry will need to be expanded to have success against good teams but one has to take steps before jogging and then running at full speed .

My hope is that this game is the turning point in this season

 

[chuckiepoo]

Unfortunately ,I was not able to see the game as I was sequestered with family continuing Thanksgiving celebration and birth of new great grand baby on Daniel Island ,South Carolina.I have read about the game and it appears that some chemistry is being developed both offensively and defensively and to me that is the most important thing for this team to become a winner......playing together on both ends of the court with great energy and passion with some coaching mixed in.Of course such chemistry will need to be expanded to have success against good teams but one has to take steps before jogging and then running at full speed .

My hope is that this game is the turning point in this season

Congratulations on the new wee one!

 

[madtownvol]

Unfortunately ,I was not able to see the game as I was sequestered with family continuing Thanksgiving celebration and birth of new great grand baby on Daniel Island ,South Carolina.I have read about the game and it appears that some chemistry is being developed both offensively and defensively and to me that is the most important thing for this team to become a winner......playing together on both ends of the court with great energy and passion with some coaching mixed in.Of course such chemistry will need to be expanded to have success against good teams but one has to take steps before jogging and then running at full speed .

My hope is that this game is the turning point in this season

They have had two good high effort games in a row. They got unlucky against the Zags, which is a game they really should have won. It is hard to compare the two performances directly since the Zags are much better than the CO. It does seem that this team has figured out the level of effort they need to give and the Horston-Jackson combo is starting to gel.

 

[alexvol]

They have had two good high effort games in a row. They got unlucky against the Zags, which is a game they really should have won. It is hard to compare the two performances directly since the Zags are much better than the CO. It does seem that this team has figured out the level of effort they need to give and the Horston-Jackson combo is starting to gel.

I hope so......

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Overall, Franklin struggled but Hoillingshead in the post turned out to be a bit of a revelation. In that position, Jillian is by far their most athletic post. Her game is rough around the edges but she showed a lot of potential.

Striplin made some nice plays on the defensive end down the stretch as well. She was part of the "let's give players some time" group that allowed the 20 lead to evaporate down to 10. Karoline was the only player from that group to stay on the floor after Kellie re-inserted her big guns.

People want the LVs to have depth at key positions and right now we have a four player option at post. Key looks to remain the starter, despite a slow start. We know she can be a force and for whatever reason she has just not found her game this season. I can see Franklin and Hollingshead battling for the 2 spot with it probably varying across games and who is more effective in a given match-up. Then Karoline looks to be the next option. That depth does mean that KS is going to have limited minutes this season but she is showing a good improvement curve so next season she could be very integral to things.

Actually, Striplin was not part of the group that let the lead evaporate. If you look at the posts, I posted at 8:47, Striplin and Justine just came in. Literally, 2 minutes later, timeout was called, and starters were put back in, and Striplin stayed in the game, and played very well during her 5 minutes of play.

The group that let the lead dwindle included Wynn, Walker, and Miles. Would have to go back and look to be sure about the other two. Hollingshead had 4 turnovers, she may have been part of that group.