Game Thread: Lady Vols v UCONN; Thurs. 8PM; on ESPN

#1,201
#1,201
creekdipper said:
Gee, not a word about Auriemma's childish halftime meltdown. Sportscenter featured that little tantrum.

I don't get the "only eight" angle. It's one thing to say that a team is missing some of its best players, but it's nothing unusual for teams to only go 8 or 9 deep. Doesn't conn usually only go with a 10-player rotation at best?

I seem to remember a Summitt-coached team losing to an LSU team that only had seven players dressed out. Could be faulty memory. Anyway, conn's conditioning was impressive, so don't quite understand the big deal about using eight players. If Bueckers or Fudd were healthy, they'd likely rarely leave the floor unless forced to by fouls.

What was more impressive is their ability to stay on the floor after three first half fouls. Our inability to exploit their foul trouble was a key factor. The opportunity was there.
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He has been playing no more than eight for years now. So he had eight like he always plays.
 
#1,202
#1,202
The matchups Walker and Powell guard Senschal Lopez 0 points to 26 points game right there. A lot of criticism for not putting a big defender like Horston on her. We had to cut her production she can't score 26 that was the game right there. instead Horston was guarding Muhl who was certainly their least offensive threat on the floor. Kellie needs to learn you have to work the best offensive threats with your best defenders and try to make their lesser offensive threats shoot the ball. If they beat you so be it.
 
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#1,205
#1,205
Also we have not improved on defense so no need to say we have. Game one Ohio State 87 points and game 23 UConn 84. Your not winning games where the opponent scores over 80 very often. The man to man is not the ideal defense for the team. Some of the players can't guard in the man to man . The personnel we have is much more suited for a match up zone. We only have three or four players that can guard in the man to man and one or two of them must have the right matchup. A 5'6" point guard and another 5'6" point guard can't guard a 6'2" forward.
 
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#1,207
#1,207
creekdipper said:
So he actually had a surplus of players!!!
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He chose to play five most of the game and he had three he could've played. The five he wanted to played could handle playing all forty minutes it seemed and that is what he does every game no matter who they play. He would play eight if he had some of the players that are out but he never goes over eight unless he has a blowout. He had Bueckers in a game with a 20 point first time she hurt her knee. It is what he does and he is successful doing it. If you look at most of the top coaches they usually cut their rotation to 8 or 9 against the top teams sometimes even lower. Even Stanford plays their best five at least over 30 minutes each against top opponents. Everyone starts and plays their best five most of the game. We choose not to do that.
 
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#1,208
#1,208
It may not matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'd suggest junking the man D and go with a zone. We're not athletic enough or conditioned enough at all 5 spots.....the blow-bys and shots at the rim tell the tale. Yes it would hurt our off. rebounding but it'd surely drop the opponents shooting pct.

Again - it may not matter, as the real problem is we're not athletic enough across the board.
 
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#1,209
#1,209
therealitytheory said:
It may not matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'd suggest junking the man D and go with a zone. We're not athletic enough or conditioned enough at all 5 spots.....the blow-bys and shots at the rim tell the tale. Yes it would hurt our off. rebounding but it'd surely drop the opponents shooting pct.

Again - it may not matter, as the real problem is we're not athletic enough across the board.
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Tennessee is an average team, with a below average coach who can't recruit. Things aren't going to get better under KJH. The bottom could fall out next year.
 
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#1,210
#1,210
Easy to understand the weaknesses of our team. No point guard production and at least two players on the floor most of the time that can't guard anybody. Post play is average. The only two slots on the floor where we match up with anybody effectively is when Horston and Jackson are both playing the wings.
Defense against ranked teams Ohio State 87, Indiana 85, UCLA 80, Stanford 77, UConn 84. I look for LSU to score over 80 as well and SC later this season. You got to come up with a plan to stop 80. You may have a shot to win at 70 but 80 your losing 95 percent of the time.
 
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#1,211
#1,211
therealitytheory said:
It may not matter in the grand scheme of things, but I'd suggest junking the man D and go with a zone. We're not athletic enough or conditioned enough at all 5 spots.....the blow-bys and shots at the rim tell the tale. Yes it would hurt our off. rebounding but it'd surely drop the opponents shooting pct.

Again - it may not matter, as the real problem is we're not athletic enough across the board.
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When you have two and sometimes three weak links you have to find someway to help protect them from being a matchup nightmare and the matchup zone is the best way to do it.
 
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#1,212
#1,212
Rooster1 said:
Wonder why this took so long to develop? She is clearly the best 5 on the team..
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She is young so she is developing. Also has been inconsistent. Clearly she has the skills, size and upside. I agree she should start. However her player efficiency ratings are lower than the other 5s butsww she is our best option to start at the 5 going forward. Kellie is very very stubborn though and does mot like to hurt a players feelings by removing them from starting role.
 
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#1,215
#1,215
SC vs UConn should be interesting. UConn has not reached the 60-point mark in regulation in the last 4 meetings.
 
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#1,216
#1,216
The atmosphere was amazing, and kudos to the AD for pulling out all the stops. I told my game buddy to really enjoy it, because we won't see that again anytime soon. We'll be lucky to pull the usual 7,000 for So Carolina. Sure was fun though. Then the game started.

I have to give Geno credit, they are an effing machine. Very, very impressive. Can't even imagine them w Paige and Azzi. He still likes to have his jerk moments, as KJH says he fully embraces the villian role, and his treatment of Rowe was ridiculous. It sure worked for him though.

Big kudos to Horston. After the first quarter, I was afraid this was going to be the game that finally broke her spirit. She was bad Jordy at that point. Instead, she turned it around with a truly awesome, gutty performance. While RJ had a cold shooting night (for her) and foul trouble, she and Jordy combined for 40 pts and 14 or 15 rebounds. Should have been enough. Except . . .

Outside those two, we lack elite talent. Duh, right? Just as we feared, players who have looked much better against lesser talent got taken to the woodshed. Jill looked good and man I love Franklin. But overall it was very, very discouraging if becoming a real factor again is the goal.

Just to make it worse, they kept showing Holly Warlick on the big screen. Once she even made her famous "I don't know" gesture. Probably thinking, hey I could do this kind of game in my sleep!

Again, it's all about the talent. Or lack thereof.
 
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#1,218
#1,218
Volfan2012 said:
Really amazing shooting night by UConn 60 percent. We dominated the boards, but you can't beat a team shooting 60 percent while you shoot 38. Good game by then that Senechal Lopez is and amazing shooter.
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No doubt they had a high shooting % since at least were uncontested layups and the other were uncontested 3 pointers. No defense to speak of .
 
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#1,219
#1,219
alexvol said:
No doubt they had a high shooting % since at least were uncontested layups and the other were uncontested 3 pointers. No defense to speak of .
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We have a lot of players that can't play man to man defense and they are not going to be able to that is obvious. LIke I said game one we gave up 87 to Ohio State and game 23 we give up 84 to UConn so there has been no defensive improvement when it comes to playing elite teams. The reason being not they don't have the knowledge it is more they don't have the athletic skill.
 
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#1,220
#1,220
Volstylexx said:
LSU has the 301st ranked non conference schedule in the nation. They’ve stacked their 20-0 record with cupcake wins over Texas am community college. Our record would be 17-3 at worst with their schedule.
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The reckoning ....the truth will be settled on the court at LSU Monday.....I am not optimistic.
 
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#1,223
#1,223
alexvol said:
The reckoning ....the truth will be settled on the court at LSU Monday.....I am not optimistic.
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I can see them scoring over eighty and we'll go around 65 again. Mulkey chose to play that weak schedule it has worked out well for her. The best team they have played is Arkansas. I think they are a really good team still a step below two or three teams, but will dominate us at home. SC fans don't won't to believe it but with the class she has coming in and the players she has returning they are going to be elite next season and a big challenger to SC for the SEC crown.
 
#1,224
#1,224
shiverz said:
SC vs UConn should be interesting. UConn has not reached the 60-point mark in regulation in the last 4 meetings.
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It’ll be the first time this season UConn has faced a team bigger than them at all positions. Interested to see if they try to “bring the fight” to SC. Tenn actually crushed them on the boards but lack of defense and low post scoring killed them. Senechal will be guarded like she’s in a stray jacket by Beal and Amihere and Edwards will really have to work for her points against Boston. Should be a really good game.
 
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#1,225
#1,225
Here's my take, we have one or two good to great players but the supporting cast is not very good. We don't appear to be developing talent. Until Harper can do that she isn't going to get the elite players needed to compete. It's that simple.

I don't know much about Harper, or her staff but one, the other, or both are going to have to improve or we are looking for another coach soon.
 
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