Game Thread: Lady Vols at Miss St; 7PM; SEC network

[Gilmore]

Break is more needed mentally. Few days off and soul search how you want to finish this year.

Third road game where team we played had the prior week off

 

[Darth_Vol]

I hear people saying that they might not make the tournament. That seems ridiculous to me. They are in third place in the SEC. They will have a couple days off in the tourney. I cannot imagine a scenario, unless there is a complete collapse, where they do not make it. They have one sure win, and three probable. Their only tough game is against USC, which will not be a bad loss. UConn went up in the polls after losing to USC. Once in the two tournaments anything can happen.

They are third in a terrible conference that currently has two ranked teams. South Carolina is a sure loss and trips to Arkansas and even Kentucky certainly aren't a given.

Make no mistake, this is a bubble team right now...

 

[creekdipper]

A double OT loss to a team that had a losing conference record coming into tonight. Horston fouling out isn’t remotely the same as not having her at all.

A double overtime loss to a team with a 10-2 home record (one of those being to South Carolina according to announcers).

 

[Dak1219]

You are right on Volballo9. Kellie needs to start her best 5 players by position and let them play. Substitutions should only be made when neccesary: foul trouble, sickness, injury and so forth. Kellie is very stubborn about her substitution routine. Unfortunately, this stubborness is going to cost her job unless the UT AD gives up on returning the LVs to their former elite status in WCBB. Kellie is not able to get the LVs to the top 25. Its going to be worst next year with no Jackson or Horston.

I was just saying that in another post. We had players on pre-season watch lists because many in the basketball world know what they are capable of, but Kellie has refused to develope them together in fear of losing the players she recruited to Tennessee. This is college basketball. All these players minus Edie Darby are on full ride scholorships playing 40 minutes or sitting on the bench. Kellie should have been playing her best 5 extended minutes together from the beginning of the season, just like Connecticut, LSU, Indiana, and every other top 10 team out there.

 

[Chippo]

Come home Kara. Fulmer is gone and we actually have competent administration now. Forgive us for passing you over last time.

I'm tired of hearing about Lawson..Let her stay where she's at and go outside the player base of
hiring a former vol and get someone outside the program. We have done it with mens basketball
and football with good success. What's the big
hang up of having to have a former player coaching
the lady vols basketball team.

 

[Volstylexx]

I’ll also add (while it wouldn’t look good to lose 4 of the last 5) 19-14 would likely get this team into the NCAA. The committee will reward the SOS (as they should). It would definitely make for an anxious selection show.

 

[Chippo]

I love Kellie as a coach but if it's not working
It's not working

 

[MrBiggles]

She is certainly no more of a liability than Puckett or Darby. She can't match-up with their guards on defense because they will blow by her, but we should have been in a zone of some sort and they wouldn't have been driving to the goal anyway.

Then on the other end she could post up Hayes and crew or shoot over them like they aren't even there. She can also make a better entry pass than any of our guards we have running the point so she would be a match-up problem for them too.

So yeah, this would be a tough game for her to be put in, but had she gotten time on the floor earlier she would be ready for it now. Instead we played others who have limited upside and have mainly topped out and are as good as they are going to be.

All of that would be OK were we winning, but we aren't. We haven't beaten a team with a pulse and we just lost to a zombie team that had no business being on the court with us.

My point exactly. She should have been in the rotation earlier in the season. I've gotten to see a lot of the other teams play and they have had freshman playing and contributing all year. They also seem to run an offense for their players and their freshman know it. Their freshman have gotten better while our 5 star is benched. Is she injured? What's the reason?. Pissott should be playing 10 minutes now and making a contribution especially in a double OT game.

 

[Memvol44]

Not sure what UConn has to do with the conversation...wrong board.....u b u

 

[Memvol44]

Didn't State just h

Being tired isn’t a valid excuse. Every team is dealing with fatigue at this point in the season.

Didn't state just have 8 days off?

 

[Ladyvolfan45]

Kellie problem is she is too loyal to the ones that were already here and feels obligated to start them and play them for extended minutes. You notice Kim Mulkey has used her transfers and played them together for extended minutes from the jump and look where they are now. Kim is there to win games no matter what and she brought in Angel Reese and built her program around her with Williams, Carson, Johnson and the one returner Morris. Kim was experienced enough to put together a schedule that she could work the transfers in and build chemistry while winning games. Kim's players also know that Angel is the centerpiece of the offense. Rickea should be the same, but Kellie wants everyone to score a basket or two so that they can feel good about themself and have more camaraderie. (Everyone gets a trophy mentality). Unfortunately, camaraderie doesn't help less talented players shoot 55-60% from the floor consistently and average 20 points a game against most any defense.

Very good points and while I dislike LSU/Kim and even laugh at their ridiculous OOC schedule. I can't help but step back and maybe say, while it is unpopular she did what needed to be done to build a team that is comprised of all brand new players from freshmen to transfers, to acclimate with one another, build chemistry and develop confidence (even despite the opponents). Notice teams like Louisville and even Texas fell into this category also who faced issues competing early with rosters who had a lot of transfers.

I personally think Harper over scheduled and in a way I don't think it allowed for this team to find its footing and develop confidence. On top of that, her management of rotations are pretty bad. TN is not South Carolina good where you can roll the bench out that deep, we aren't THAT talented for it either. Your top teams, even UCONN without the injuries play a pretty limited set of players.

TN is severely under performing IMO this season. They will end up making the NCAAT even with all the losses to ranked teams but its not going to be a seed that puts us in a position to have much of a post season run. We played ourselves out of a solid seeding

 

[Volstylexx]

They are third in a terrible conference that currently has two ranked teams. South Carolina is a sure loss and trips to Arkansas and even Kentucky certainly aren't a given.

Make no mistake, this is a bubble team right now...

Cmon Darth. Don’t be silly. They’re no where near the bubble right now. SEC has 8 projected teams in the field in the latest bracketology. We have wins over four of the teams projected in, as well as wins over Colorado (currently 18-5).

 

[Volfaninfl2]

Away game lost by 1 point in 2 overtimes, happens sometimes. (Stanford just got beat by Washington).

The not so good stats (other than coming up short by one point):

Walker, our point guard, played 48 minutes and had 2 assists, and 6 turnovers.

Horston fouled out in 18 minutes of play.

The good:

TN outrebounded MS 46-36.

TN made 37 of 44 free throws, that’s 84.1%, stellar!

Jill scored 18 points and got 12 rebounds.

Rickea played 48 minutes, scored 28 points (making 13 of 13 free throws), and got 11 rebounds. Her hustle kept us in the game.

Team needs to snap and clear.

GO LADY VOLS!

 

[userpete1037]

how would you feel about Walz?

He's that dude. The problem is the old guard won't allow it.

 

[Memvol44]

Third road game where team we played had the prior week off

Yes,what I have been saying. Our shots were flat. They need a break..

 

[Memvol44]

He's that dude. The problem is the old guard won't allow it.

Who exactly is the old guard?

 

[Volstylexx]

He's that dude. The problem is the old guard won't allow it.

I don’t think Danny cares about appeasing the old guard. He’s a renegade.

 

[Volstylexx]

Who exactly is the old guard?

I think the term is synonymous with “blue hairs.” The older fanbase that has been loyal to this team since the Pat Summitt days. I don’t say this to be “mean” but the brand is dying as quickly as they are.

 

[creekdipper]

..obviously

Don't know how to quit him.

 

[Voluble2]

They are ready to lynch Kellie for a double overtime loss on the road without Horston and worn out..

LOL, yeah... that's the only reason why.

 

[Voluble2]

I’ll also add (while it wouldn’t look good to lose 4 of the last 5) 19-14 would likely get this team into the NCAA. The committee will reward the SOS (as they should). It would definitely make for an anxious selection show.

Should they reward strength of schedule when you lose to ALL of the good teams?

 

[LasVegasBill23]

if too tired to play change the schedule before season

 

[creekdipper]

The scariest part about all of this?

We haven’t played South Carolina yet

Oh my god that’s going to be a bloodbath. How many chicken fans will there be in Knoxville?

All the chicken fans are on the 'net.

They only come out after a loss.

 

[DSunAthletics]

At this point, there’s nothing to even focus on but the next game. Getting through a game is enough to deal with especially after tonight. In my hometown we had a great High School football program. Won 5 State Championships and two in 5 five years between 2007 and 2011, and played for the North State Championship 6 years. We won so many games to the point where the support, talent, and coaching year in and year out was just dominating the competition. During those moments, I never thought I would see the day when about 5-10 years later the program would be down to the point of winning no more 3 games in a season. That’s why today when I watched Tennessee I could sense that this is very well the end of a great historic program if a change is not made soon.

 

[Volstylexx]

Should they reward strength of schedule when you lose to ALL of the good teams?

Yes, they should imo, otherwise you reward the Kim Mulkey’s of the sport and everyone will only schedule cupcakes. There’s zero doubt we have about 5 more wins if we scheduled weaker this year. 22-4 would “look” a hell of a lot better.