Game Thread Lady Vols at LSU

[GameTime]

Carter spends all game trying not to shoot the ball....Why get involved with 4 seconds left?
All she does is run around the perimeter and look busy. Soon the other team will not even cover her...

 

[Amb3096]

Carter spends all game trying not to shoot the ball....Why get involved with 4 seconds left?
All she does is run around the perimeter and look busy. Soon the other team will not even cover her...

Most useless player on the team. She kills the team on offense, and doesn't do enough on defense to be worth the time.

 

[37620VOL]

She also continues to say turnovers and free throws.....not the offense :thud::thud:

The team is average free throw shooters. That's not the problem.

On turnovers, she needs to determine the source of the turnovers. The source is one of two things: the players are idiots or the offensive system stinks.

It's a lot deeper than free throws and turnovers. The fact that she doesn't know that is probably the bigger problem.

 

[FightinQuaker]

The team is average free throw shooters. That's not the problem.

On turnovers, she needs to determine the source of the turnovers. The source is one of two things: the players are idiots or the offensive system stinks.

It's a lot deeper than free throws and turnovers. The fact that she doesn't know that is probably the bigger problem.

I can't get over how little she understands the game given how long she's been coaching. A janitor whose only connection to basketball was sweeping the court would have absorbed more basketball knowledge after 25 years than Holly has.

 

[Batman33]

I can't get over how little she understands the game given how long she's been coaching. A janitor whose only connection to basketball was sweeping the court would have absorbed more basketball knowledge after 25 years than Holly has.

She whistles louder than Pat...

 

[MDVolFan14]

Link to Holly's presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1U26IHKtr4

Link to the players' presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy_Tww6o4jo

This is hard to watch. One player telling you that they played zoned against us always and there appeared were no adjustments to the zone.

Then you have the former Freshman of the Year and Naismith candidate telling you that they finally let her play but her 2,not 10, turnovers got her sat down for a long time in the 1st half. Oh, not to mention she is also not a starter now either.

I've never seen anything like this. A team with one of the best players in WCBB and 7-8 HS all-americans look as bad as this. Their body language is bad. Everything looks and sounds bad.


And Holly's presser was even more difficult to watch as I got the feeling from her body language, sniffles, and overall demeanor, that she knows her time as Lady Vols HC is probably coming to an end.

I also don't understand why she was say they have to make FTs at the end when she left a 57% FT shooter in the game to get sent to the line. That's why coaches have game plans that includes leaving their worst FT shooter on the bench down the stretch when up.

And then she didn't even throw Carter a piece of gristle from a bone let alone a bone, when talking about the foul. "I don't know what she was thinking?" Really. As a coach, IMO, you address this with Carter in private but at least say that the LSU player lost the ball a few plays earlier and Carter was trying to get her to lose it again. But just "wush!", under the bus. WOW!!

If a coaching change is made, it needs to be with a whole new staff. You can make Elzy interim till the end of the season and that's it. This team needs a butt-kicker who knows x's and o's as the next coach. That doesn't care that you were Freshman of the year and your dad played MLB or your dad was a former NBA player and works for Nike, or that you all were former HS AA's. Somebody that has a system, discipline and accountability and knows how to put these players in the best position to succeed offensively and defensively. And wants things done their way or you can go somewhere else.

 

[Amb3096]

This is hard to watch. One player telling you that they played zoned against us always and there appeared were no adjustments to the zone.

Then you have the former Freshman of the Year and Naismith candidate telling you that they finally let her play but her 2,not 10, turnovers got her sat down for a long time in the 1st half. Oh, not to mention she is also not a starter now either.

I've never seen anything like this. A team with one of the best players in WCBB and 7-8 HS all-americans look as bad as this. Their body language is bad. Everything looks and sounds bad.


And Holly's presser was even more difficult to watch as I got the feeling from her body language, sniffles, and overall demeanor, that she knows her time as Lady Vols HC is probably coming to an end.

I also don't understand why she was say they have to make FTs at the end when she left a 57% FT shooter in the game to get sent to the line. That's why coaches have game plans that includes leaving their worst FT shooter on the bench down the stretch when up.

And then she didn't even throw Carter a piece of gristle from a bone let alone a bone, when talking about the foul. "I don't know what she was thinking?" Really. As a coach, IMO, you address this with Carter in private but at least say that the LSU player lost the ball a few plays earlier and Carter was trying to get her to lose it again. But just "wush!", under the bus. WOW!!

If a coaching change is made, it needs to be with a whole new staff. You can make Elzy interim till the end of the season and that's it. This team needs a butt-kicker who knows x's and o's as the next coach. That doesn't care that you were Freshman of the year and your dad played MLB or your dad was a former NBA player and works for Nike, or that you all were former HS AA's. Somebody that has a system, discipline and accountability and knows how to put these players in the best position to succeed offensively and defensively. And wants things done their way or you can go somewhere else.

She's in over her head. She can't coach...period. And the players can see this. The worst part is that next year's team has no incoming players, and will be losing 2 of the 3 posts. They will be worse, for sure.

There's really nothing she could have said about Carter. They had the game won. LSU had 3 seconds to dribble 90+ feet. Holly said what the entire LV fanbase was wondering: "What was she thinking????"

 

[CAVPUT]

Link to Holly's presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1U26IHKtr4

Link to the players' presser:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zy_Tww6o4jo

Both videos are pathetic.

 

[MDVolFan14]

Most useless player on the team. She kills the team on offense, and doesn't do enough on defense to be worth the time.

I wouldn't say most useless. I would say she has a role. She would be my hustle spark off the bench. When the team needed a hustle lift, insert Carter. I would coach her to be that type of player as it's obvious that she struggles offensively. She is more of a game managing PG at best who if coached to be that hustle player, could give this team a spark when needed.

She would be that fundamentally sound player that sets solid screens, takes charges, harasses the other team's PG full-court. She is not an offensive juggernaut at all but if they have an offense that run plays, I could see her doing that really well.

I would also reassess her health with the knee. I think that her knee is not 100% as her movement appears mechanical and compensative (if that's a word?).

 

[armchair]

I'm all for a coaching change--have not been a fan of Warlick from day 1. But DeShields and her unhappy, sourpuss attitude, not to mention her awful play for a good part of the year, have been a major contributor to this team's woes. Make no mistake about it. You think the coaches want to sit the most talented player on the team? Unfortunately, DD is both talented and a major drag on the team's psyche. She could be upbeat and positive; instead, she is chronically negative and unhappy. Even when she is playing well--and he played well today--she seems unhappy.

Warlick has been stupid, however. Here is a team that is pathetic against a zone defense. You need to make treys against a zone--because they are packing it in the middle--and yet she steadfastly refuses to play Dunbar more than token minutes! Dunbar had two treys in 8 minutes of PT today. Should be playing more, but that hasn't occured to the coaches of a team that had a whopping 18 points in the first half!!

 

[armchair]

Why do we have players who try to throw passes to Mercedes or Grave OVER two defenders--and the pass gets picked off? Nared did that, and DeShields did that, both in the second half. We truly have the dumbest team--coaches and players--in women's basketball.

 

[alexvol]

I'm all for a coaching change--have not been a fan of Warlick from day 1. But DeShields and her unhappy, sourpuss attitude, not to mention her awful play for a good part of the year, have been a major contributor to this team's woes. Make no mistake about it. You think the coaches want to sit the most talented player on the team? Unfortunately, DD is both talented and a major drag on the team's psyche. She could be upbeat and positive; instead, she is chronically negative and unhappy. Even when she is playing well--and he played well today--she seems unhappy.

Warlick has been stupid, however. Here is a team that is pathetic against a zone defense. You need to make treys against a zone--because they are packing it in the middle--and yet she steadfastly refuses to play Dunbar more than token minutes! Dunbar had two treys in 8 minutes of PT today. Should be playing more, but that hasn't occured to the coaches of a team that had a whopping 18 points in the first half!!

Weird ....would you be happy if your team just lost a game like this ? You are weird .

 

[Sandvol]

So glad I didn't watch this game. They have become almost unbearable. And I love my Lady Vols so it is sad for me.

 

[Batman33]

So glad I didn't watch this game. They have become almost unbearable. And I love my Lady Vols so it is sad for me.

It was not at all pretty to watch. I will not attend a game live again until changes are made. Unbearable is a good word!

 

[utvolkyle06]

You can bet a good coach would have these players playing at their best. No way would they play like this under Auriemma, McGraw, Mulkey, etc. They're playing so terrible because they get absolutely no motivation or help from their head coach! Someone who knows how to work with them on their strengths and help them with their weaknesses. We'd see a different team with a different mentality if they were coached by someone who knew what they were doing!

I am not giving Holly a pass. My point is "most coaches Holly included" don't know how to deal with this type of team. The coaches you named could probably greatly improve them. But those coaches are not here and would not come most likely. I still say a top point guard with a high BB IQ would make this a totally different team. There is just no real leadership and team control on the floor.

 

[Amb3096]

I wouldn't say most useless. I would say she has a role. She would be my hustle spark off the bench. When the team needed a hustle lift, insert Carter. I would coach her to be that type of player as it's obvious that she struggles offensively. She is more of a game managing PG at best who if coached to be that hustle player, could give this team a spark when needed.

She would be that fundamentally sound player that sets solid screens, takes charges, harasses the other team's PG full-court. She is not an offensive juggernaut at all but if they have an offense that run plays, I could see her doing that really well.

I would also reassess her health with the knee. I think that her knee is not 100% as her movement appears mechanical and compensative (if that's a word?).

She doesn't do anything. She doesn't manage the offense. She dribbles, drives the baseline and turns around, and dribbles some more. She doesn't help on offense, she's not good enough on defense to risk her disruptions to offense. What does she do that warrants nearly 30 minutes a game? She is the starting PG and yet again, has a game where she had zero assists.

She plays afraid. Always has, always will. That's why she needs to be on the bench except for offense-defense situations where she can be used in spurts to try to force turnovers.

 

[armchair]

We are bad for a lot of reasons--but certainly fairly weak guard play, and a lack of leadership at guard, and on the team generally, is a serious problem, as utvolkyle06 points out. We seem to have ZERO leadership on the court, and of course DD, the Queen of Sulk, doesn't help and probably hurts. As much we all blame Warlick, last year's team was pretty good--MUCH better than this one--primarly because it had players in Burdick and Harrison who were true leaders--in the sense of giving the team direction and encouragement on the court AND playing well. Massengale, too, to a lesser degree (and she made threes.) We've got NOBODY this year. Graves tries, but she doesn't have the personality--too quiet and stoic all the time. Carter and/or Reynolds could be--but they are in and out of the lineup, which doesn't exactly help your confidence. AsReynolds hardly played today--another head-scratcher. (I guess Warlick liked watching Cooper miss shot and shot.) It really feels like the end of a 30-year-era for this program--though in reality it may have ended about 10 years ago.

 

[Spacejam]

Ha funny you don't have a problem with Reynolds getting minutes when she's playing terrible but if that was DeShields you will be whining that she should be benched, you do the same with Cooper but seem to have no problems with Reynolds and Carter been on the floor when they play bad. i don't recall either one doing anything positive to help this team when they were on the floor. Middleton was the best guard out there today and deserved to be on the floor. DeShields deserved to be out there on the floor over Carter and Reynolds who were rightfully benched.

 

[Amb3096]

Ha funny you don't have a problem with Reynolds getting minutes when she's playing terrible but if that was DeShields you will be whining that she should be benched, you do the same with Cooper but seem to have no problems with Reynolds and Carter been on the floor when they play bad. i don't recall either one doing anything positive to help this team when they were on the floor. Middleton was the best guard out there today and deserved to be on the floor. DeShields deserved to be out there on the floor over Carter and Reynolds who were rightfully benched.

Middleton is the only guard who can make entry passes when Tennessee attempts their half court offense. I'm glad Holly recognized that fact in the 2nd half. She had some really nice bounce passes into the post.

 

[Spacejam]

Middleton is the only guard who can make entry passes when Tennessee attempts their half court offense. I'm glad Holly recognized that fact in the 2nd half. She had some really nice bounce passes into the post.

yeah me too, at first i was worried that she might take her out and insert her one of her two favorite guards or both but good thing she didn't.

 

[boxerpupsrcool]

A loss in TTown should be the icing on the cake for Warlick -- look at this stat - Tennessee is 49-2 all-time against the Crimson Tide and are riding a 42-game win streak dating back to 1984. The Lady Vols are 18-0 on Alabama’s home floor.

Well, there's a first time for everything, and unfortunately holly has given the lady Vols lots of firsts in her short time as head coach

 

[vol66]

Unfortunately I did not get to see the game at the scheduled time, so I couldn't participate in the thread as the game was going on. Since, I have watched the replay and I'm thankful for the technology that makes it possible.

I was surprised that Deshields didn't start...I know she's come off the bench the last couple of games, still, I was a bit surprised. Then, she came on and promptly turned it over twice...in a row.

While many here have discussed her time at Carolina, I don't see them ever mention that in that season she turned the ball over 4+ times per game...same as she's doing here.

As I watched the game, #20 for LSU, dominated Russell. Not because she has some sort of special gift though I'm sure she's a more than fine player...it was heart. And at the end of the day she made the free throws that Russell did not.

I've never been on the fire Holly train and I'm still reluctant, but the pouting by the 5 stars is unacceptable and it's not what any Tennessee program is about. That said, the players were in position to win the game at the end, on the road...

Do Your Job.

 

[gule]

Never thought I'd say this but if Dunbar played extended minutes, she would give up three times the points that she might be able to score. I've never seen a person run out of stamina as quick as she does. Nared runs her a close second though.

You can't have players on the court who loaf around because they lack stamina. If you do, you get beat on D, beat to loose balls, stopped on O, and miss your ft's.

That basically is what the whole team is facing. No speed, strength, or will power.

Losing Jones took the best athlete on the team away, MeMe never sees the court, Nia can move but is not strong enough against quality bigs. Diamond has been ruined by Holly. And Cooper is quickly headed down the same slope.

Somehow, the team has to start hating to lose enough to fight thru all the other crap. After 30 years of being beat by UT, nobody is going to play dead and make things easy.

 

[dillyo51]

Because the girl for LSU committed a charge, and a charge foul doesn't count for free throw shots, even if a team is in a bonus

I believe it is called a player-control foul. No fts.

 

[bobkitten]

I see a lot of you venting on Draya, but I'd like to point out that "leading" this team is pretty hard. Draya admitted it weeks ago. A couple of the players are NOT going to be led by a mere teammate--they are the STARS and going to BG do as THEY think best! They continue to hold themselves apart FROM, rather than a part OF. They seem to be unwilling to be led even by the coaches.

I'd also point out, if you look back at her first year, or even the year after her redshirt year, you would NOT see Draya standing around, watching, as she seems to do a lot of this year. For some reason, she has been told to stay available to bail someone out, rather than be more active. This is not natural behavior for her. I believe it is what she has been told to do, and she does do what the coaches tell her.

Another observation I have made is that many of the most highly touted players seem one-dimensional. That is, they have A skill they bring, rather than MANY skills. So we have players who seem to loaf, who don't seem to use their minutes for the team, and who seem undeveloped in other aspects--not aggressive, flat-footed, poor defense, or off and on games. Who is well-rounded? Who brings it EVERY game?

Finally, coaching. I've loved basketball since the time when high schools did not have girl's teams. I am constantly learning. Some of Holly's decisions I don't understand at all. Some of them, I'd like to hear her explanation. I'd like to pick her brain on some of her choices of recruits. I think the team-building thing they did early on was not viewed as positively by the team as she did. She seemed to chortle with glee that the players were so shocked about it. I think that feeling of distrust, coupled with some of the attitudes displayed this year, has led to a team that seems divided and angry. Holly has to set the tone, and I don't think she has been able to set one that has allowed this group to work well together.