Game Thread: Lady Vols 52 - USF 49

[Volfan2012]

1-2 but ok

We could possibly be 0 and 3 but almost certainly 1 and 2

 

[PG1]

Not to mention year two was COVID year and everyone spent the entire season trying to work that out. I’m certain our players and team would have made a bigger jump last year if everyone didn’t have to focus on Covid protocols and scheduling and re-scheduling games.

This is really the first real season Kellie will have had.

OK

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Is Keyen Green really our backup centerI was looking at how USF nearly out rebounded us and how Tamari needs more interior help that I’m starting to really miss Kasi

 

[1reVOLver]

Not to mention year two was COVID year and everyone spent the entire season trying to work that out. I’m certain our players and team would have made a bigger jump last year if everyone didn’t have to focus on Covid protocols and scheduling and re-scheduling games.

This is really the first real season Kellie will have had.

Fair points. We should (but almost certainly won't!) keep them in mind when commenting on other newish coaches like Banghart, Ralph and Mulkey.

 

[Amb3096]

Is Keyen Green really our backup centerI was looking at how USF nearly out rebounded us and how Tamari needs more interior help that I’m starting to really miss Kasi

Yup, until Karoline proves that she's ready for that duty. Emily will likely never contribute meaningful game minutes.

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Yup, until Karoline proves that she's ready for that duty. Emily will likely never contribute meaningful game minutes.

Kasi was a good physical player averaged 6-8 ppg but Kellie won’t let Karoline prove herself putting her on the floor for 2 minutes and making her sit on the bench for the rest of the game wont help yes only shot attempt was a missed layup but tbh everyone was missing layups

 

[Amb3096]

Kasi was a good physical player averaged 6-8 ppg but Kellie won’t let Karoline prove herself putting her on the floor for 2 minutes and making her sit on the bench for the rest of the game wont help yes only shot attempt was a missed layup but tbh everyone was missing layups

I know it's limited minutes, but Karoline has looked mostly lost when she's on the court. I've thought from the beginning that she was a player that would need a year or two to adjust to the college game and carve out a consistent role for herself on the team, and still feel that way. I'm not sure if she will be a serviceable backup C this season when Keyen is available for that role. Even if she's only 6'1, she's still huge and seems to have a good sense on offense and defense.

 

[mudcat1973]

south florida post game kelly said they going to work on the offence today.

 

[Volfan2012]

Kasi was a good physical player averaged 6-8 ppg but Kellie won’t let Karoline prove herself putting her on the floor for 2 minutes and making her sit on the bench for the rest of the game wont help yes only shot attempt was a missed layup but tbh everyone was missing layups

I'd like to see her play more basically because she can make free throws and Green cannot. Hard to form an opinion on a player until they play about ten minutes. She does herself no favors when she gets in the game and takes a bad shot has done that in both games she has played. Green is a 48 percent free throw shooter and that is bearing out this season thus far. She can get to the line but is only going to make half of them.

 

[Volfan2012]

Is Keyen Green really our backup centerI was looking at how USF nearly out rebounded us and how Tamari needs more interior help that I’m starting to really miss Kasi

I think inside it is Key, Green Puckett, Striplin, and Saunders. I think Emily is again the last player on the bench Karoline got the two minutes the others didn't get and Emily another 0.

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

south florida post game kelly said they going to work on the offence today.

Free throw shooting improvement’s itself will put 10 extra points on the board

 

[SGMVols]

Yup, until Karoline proves that she's ready for that duty. Emily will likely never contribute meaningful game minutes.

KS is not a center. At best she’s a stretch 4

 

[SGMVols]

south florida post game kelly said they going to work on the offence today.

Well it certainly needs a lot of work. What were they doing in the offseason?

 

[Volfan2012]

Free throw shooting improvement’s itself will put 10 extra points on the board

Say we were making five more free throws and instead of threes were trying to take shots in the paint. The total of the two alone add 11 points to our average per game. Of course if were taking 13 threes and just making 4 which is 30 percent not that great were adding 12 points to the total. The only players that I have confidence in taking any threes right now are Horston, Darby, and Puckett. I wish Walker would never take one and don't know enough about Miles yet think she was around 30 percent in high school. I know Darby has made only 2 of 11 but some have been close to makes half way down and pop out.

 

[Amb3096]

KS is not a center. At best she’s a stretch 4

I agree, but there isn't another viable center on the team. I'd take my chances with 2 forwards manning the interior for short periods of time vs. going with Saunders at the 5. That's why getting a true 5 in 2023 or through the portal is so critical. The vaunted Tennessee defense will collapse once Key leaves if there isn't a suitably sized replacement on hand.

 

[mudcat1973]

sh

KS is not a center. At best she’s a stretch 4

she has not hurt tenn on defense and she has a good moves on offence she get more time as the season goes. she got the best center frame behind keys and sanders.

 

[Volfan2012]

I agree, but there isn't another viable center on the team. I'd take my chances with 2 forwards manning the interior for short periods of time vs. going with Saunders at the 5. That's why getting a true 5 in 2023 or through the portal is so critical. The vaunted Tennessee defense will collapse once Key leaves if there isn't a suitably sized replacement on hand.

Key makes this defense great teams would score at least 15 more points a game without her in the middle. She is that important to this teams defense.

 

[djtee]

Key makes this defense great teams would score at least 15 more points a game without her in the middle. She is that important to this teams defense.

I agree, but there isn't another viable center on the team. I'd take my chances with 2 forwards manning the interior for short periods of time vs. going with Saunders at the 5. That's why getting a true 5 in 2023 or through the portal is so critical. The vaunted Tennessee defense will collapse once Key leaves if there isn't a suitably sized replacement on hand.

I made that same point a while back about Key she must stay on the floor because of her defense. As for Striplin she is work in progress and will need time. This is where recruiting comes in, We need to get a elite post player in the 2023 class or get one out of the portal no more kicking the can down the road.

 

[th2421]

I'd like to see her play more basically because she can make free throws and Green cannot. Hard to form an opinion on a player until they play about ten minutes. She does herself no favors when she gets in the game and takes a bad shot has done that in both games she has played. Green is a 48 percent free throw shooter and that is bearing out this season thus far. She can get to the line but is only going to make half of them.

Green is at 38% on FTs through 3 games but in her career at Liberty she shot 60%, 68%, and 62% in each of her three years there, so there's reason to hope she'll return to being okay for a post player rather than abysmal.

 

[mudcat1973]

Well it certainly needs a lot of work. What were they doing in the offseason?

she said they had not chance to work on offense since rae got hurt. three games in six days. it bet most of their sets had rae in them. take booker away and put #2 millton vols will be like first year. millon isbetter than last year qb but booker is best we have.

 

[lvocd]

Key makes this defense great teams would score at least 15 more points a game without her in the middle. She is that important to this teams defense.

She sure does. Even if she doesn't get a hand on every shot, she is at least disrupting them. Players that normally fearlessly drive the lane for layups are often hesitating right there at the end when they spot Key closing in. Even a nanosecond's hesitation can be enough to steal a shooter's focus, causing them to miss. On the other hand, some of those who obviously are NOT thinking about Key when they drive the lane are getting the FAAFO treatment from Tamari.

 

[mudcat1973]

Well it certainly needs a lot of work. What were they doing in the offseason?

she said not had time to work offence since rae got hurt.

Well it certainly needs a lot of work. What were they doing in the offseason?

any team would need time after losing go to player

 

[lvocd]

I honestly don't think saying "this team can't shoot" is accurate, despite the shooting woes they've been having. They can all shoot extremely well in pre-game warmups and in practice, so IMO it's not so much "can't shoot" as it is a combination of weak focus, overthinking and trying too hard. Also, this early in the season, some nervousness has probably played at least a small role.

More shots go in when shooters just KNOW they are going to go in without even thinking about it. They let go of worries and thoughts and inner calculations and just let it fly, confident they've made a gazillion shots and this is just another one. Great shooters are, honestly, kind of airheads when it comes to shooting. They don't do a lot of thinking. They just trust their muscle memory because they know they've put in the work and can do that.

 

[youcancallmeAl]

She is in her 3rd season. Her first year was mainly consumed with managing transfers (kept Jordan lost westbrook) and plugging holes in a sinking ship. (Rennie and Saunders were Holly recruits btw, so I am happy to talk about Holly's recruiting trend).

In her first year of recruiting, the frosh players of 20-21, Kellie brought in Destiny who she had signed from Mizz St.; Marta (who may prove to be a really good player, she showed promise as a freshman), Darby and transfers McCoy and Green. All in all, that was a class that seemed like Kellie was not settled and some changes in the staff were made.

This year, she has Wynn, Miles, Puckett, and Striplin which is a nationally ranked class,. I would suggest that this years class is where we really start the clock on Kellie's recruiting.

Yeah, that first year was plugging holes in the dike until the water started to recede, which was a long time. Don't forget how difficult it has been to recruit through a pandemic, a situation which has favored the established top programs at the expense of programs trying to build or rebuild. The moratorium on early campus visits in the 22 cycle has really hurt her for that class. Thank goodness Justine Pissott committed before the pandemic hit. But she has a fighting chance for 23, and we'll see how that shapes up.

 

[Volfan2012]

We can be better next season with Pissott, the freshmen being sophomores, the return of Horston and Key, and very important adding two key players from the portal to take up the loss of Burrell and Dye.