Game Thread: Lady Vols V Wofford ; Tues 6:32PM ; Home ; SECN+

[glv98]

Spear is the key for us to go far,

And now JP. Also it will help if Sara and Strip continue to be steady scorers. With Rickea healthy this should be one of our best scoring teams ever, which is a good thing bc alot of times we'll simply have to outscore the other team. Jewel needs to be a big part of that.

I like the stepped up pace they're working on. I've always thought they should run more and get RJ easy buckets before 12 defenders descend on her. She loves to leak out, sometimes at the expense of D and rebounding lol.

Also liked that press, and that's where I think KW can really help. Would be nice to get some easy buckets from that.

 

[Volfan1000]

Best wishes to Destinee Wells as she starts her rehabilitation course on her leg and this forces Harper and the staff to find depth at the point guard position for the rest of this season.

 

[And1]

Best wishes to Destinee Wells as she starts her rehabilitation course on her leg and this forces Harper and the staff to find depth at the point guard position for the rest of this season.

Not sure how you can "find" depth at point guard. Someone is going to have to play out of position, it can't just rest on Powell. You can't expect Wynn and Edie Darby to compete against the SEC defenses that are going to press the hell out of us. I really don't see how we're going to deal with that. I think Spear and Jackson are going to have to be ball handlers to help Powell. There's no one else.

 

[Golfteacher]

What do we need Kaiya to improve on? Ball handling skill is absolutely where we need her most at this time and ball handling skill is not her strength. yes, she has improved in many various categories.

And no I have no personal grudge Towards her... As well i'm not gonna blow up anyone's proverbial behind. In fact, Kaiya has the most upside of any player on the court right now. She is probably the most gifted athletically. ANd given proper skills she would easily eliminate any talk about her v Edie...But she has got to start playing to leave an impression and stop playing not to make a mistake.

Take the gloves off and quit boxing and start fighting, Kaiya!

The young lady can play the D. She is all over her player of responsibility like white on rice.

 

[WinnerCircle]

As always certain posters on here are going to exaggerate… Kaiya Wynn will play and should’ve been getting minutes with or without an injury taking place.

There are viable options for Tennessee and playing Wynn is no worse than LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, or Miss State key reserves.

The backups at the guard position for LSU are no better than Kaiya Wynn. Watch the games.

I don’t get all this talk about how certain players supposedly can’t provide minutes against the SEC.

The SEC is not anywhere near what certain posters portray as this group of teams with players that are superior in skills to the Tennessee roster.

That is just flat out false.

But if Tennessee had played a no conference schedule similar to most other SEC teams that might even be undefeated right now.

 

[Coach Jumper]

The young lady can play the D. She is all over her player of responsibility like white on rice.

Never questioned or found fault in her D,,,its the O that I'd like to get in the gym with her and teach her how to attack

 

[Darth_Vol]

Not sure how you can "find" depth at point guard.

Hearing Kellie talk about Kaiya and Edie getting reps at point guard....

 

[Lucy]

I feel confident the coaching staff will continue to build on the significant progress she made this off season.

 

[WinnerCircle]

Well Kaiya Wynn is averaging just a little under 1 point less per game as LSU backup PG.

The thing is the same posters try their best to discredit players on the team and just make themselves look foolishness in the end.

Tennessee issues have nothing to do with the roster.

 

[glv98]

I'm holding out hope Kellie is just engaging in a little misdirection for opposing coaches. Kind of like a day to day injury that lasts 6 weeks. She's really planning on mostly using Jewel to back up JP. Otherwise it's impossible to explain why she'd overlook that obvious option and go for a stretch like KW as PG.

KW can help alot, but not at PG.

 

[dapeak]

Watch Kaiya grow and be a great option as lead guard after a few games. She’s smart and if Kellie has the right girls in there with her at the same time… we can RUN. She made some mistakes but she actually played a very solid game and got the ball in the right spots. Maybe if she’d been developed a year earlier at PG she’d b really good but she has pretty good vision, defensive instincts, natural athletic ability. When she’s out there with Rickea/Jewel/Jill the team looks better. I wanna see the Kaiya/Jewel/Rickea/Jill/TK lineup because that’s four taller quick(besides TK) girls out there who hunger AND natural ability. We looked better when those 4 were on the court.

But Kaiya also plays really well with Karo/Sara on the court

Until Powell stops that end of quart/half/game dribbling thing I’m out on her. Too selfish. Pass the ball and she could get 10 assists a game

 

[Coach Jumper]

This makes perfect sense.

 

[LV renaissance]

Watch Kaiya grow and be a great option as lead guard after a few games. She’s smart and if Kellie has the right girls in there with her at the same time… we can RUN. She made some mistakes but she actually played a very solid game and got the ball in the right spots. Maybe if she’d been developed a year earlier at PG she’d b really good but she has pretty good vision, defensive instincts, natural athletic ability. When she’s out there with Rickea/Jewel/Jill the team looks better. I wanna see the Kaiya/Jewel/Rickea/Jill/TK lineup because that’s four taller quick(besides TK) girls out there who hunger AND natural ability. We looked better when those 4 were on the court.

But Kaiya also plays really well with Karo/Sara on the court

Until Powell stops that end of quart/half/game dribbling thing I’m out on her. Too selfish. Pass the ball and she could get 10 assists a game

I don't think this has anything to do with selfishness. It is a repeat of the last few years, with Horston doing the same thing but a bit better due to having a better offensive game. In both cases, it is clear that they are coached to keep the ball first rather than drive and look for the open player. This is on coaching, not selfishness on either of these hard working team players.

 

[glv98]

The end of quarter dribble down to disaster is inexplicable, and definitely on coaching since it keeps getting repeated.

But to call JP a selfish player is just a ridiculous, insulting take. The energy she brings to rebounding alone, as the smallest player on the floor, is incredible. No one, not one, plays harder every single game. She's averaging nearly 11 pts a game and 5 rebounds, was on the cusp of a triple double last game, w 10 assists! You want to bench that? Anyone seriously think KW is going to replace that?!?

If KW gets significant minutes at PG, it's yet another player playing badly out of position and we're in big trouble.

 

[alexvol]

Watch Kaiya grow and be a great option as lead guard after a few games. She’s smart and if Kellie has the right girls in there with her at the same time… we can RUN. She made some mistakes but she actually played a very solid game and got the ball in the right spots. Maybe if she’d been developed a year earlier at PG she’d b really good but she has pretty good vision, defensive instincts, natural athletic ability. When she’s out there with Rickea/Jewel/Jill the team looks better. I wanna see the Kaiya/Jewel/Rickea/Jill/TK lineup because that’s four taller quick(besides TK) girls out there who hunger AND natural ability. We looked better when those 4 were on the court.

But Kaiya also plays really well with Karo/Sara on the court

Until Powell stops that end of quart/half/game dribbling thing I’m out on her. Too selfish. Pass the ball and she could get 10 assists a game

Those are plays called by the head coach ........

 

[mudcat1973]

Here's my (present) depth chart:

Posit..player (1st, 2nd, 3rd subs)...primary responsibility
PG- Jazzy (Jewel, Kaiya, Edie)...Handle the ball
SG- Jewel (Tess, Rickea, Sara, Avery)...Gunner
SF- Rickea (Jillian, Karo, Avery)...Create own shot/drive, all around skillset
PF- Jillian (Sara, Karo, Tess)...Power player
C- Tamari (Karo, Jillian)...Pure post

If you look on utsports at their roster photo. Jackson is same height as Sara or taller. Jackson has post built more lie Karoline. Sara plays tough at pf but she undersize. Tess at 6 1 not tall enough for the four spot. Is Jackson taller than 6 2 Anyway is better suited for the four than Sara and for sure Tess.

 

[Coach Jumper]

If you look on utsports at their roster photo. Jackson is same height as Sara or taller. Jackson has post built more lie Karoline. Sara plays tough at pf but she undersize. Tess at 6 1 not tall enough for the four spot. Is Jackson taller than 6 2 Anyway is better suited for the four than Sara and for sure Tess.

I don't want my best player banging down low when she can score from everywhere and can easily defend smaller guards with her length and speed...PF is for "bruisers"....I realize that Jill isn't a bruiser, but she is good at using her length for stopping the high post drivers

 

[WinnerCircle]

Time to move on.. Kaiya can play PG and a lot of minutes there.
She can also play SG or W.
I see no issue with Kaiya getting starter minutes at any of those three positions.
If anyone thinks the team is in trouble if she is playing extended mins at PG that’s okay.. others feel differently.

The team will survive either way.

The main issues with the team right now is still in-game management at critical moments.

How about that full court press?

I have a hard time believing that wouldn’t have certainly helped the team from Day 1.

Shouldn’t have taken 10 games to incorporate it.

Even if it hadn’t completely erased many of the defensive deficiencies against ranked opponents there would’ve been progress game by game.

Teams don’t grow by making the same mistakes consistently.
They find ways to win.
Trying something different which occurred in the previous game is what good teams and successful coaches thrive on.

Another thing I’ve noticed, a few players are missing a lot of wide open shots while others are showing efficiency.

I would believe the distribution of minutes should start reflecting the production on the court.

 

[glv98]

If you look on utsports at their roster photo. Jackson is same height as Sara or taller. Jackson has post built more lie Karoline. Sara plays tough at pf but she undersize. Tess at 6 1 not tall enough for the four spot. Is Jackson taller than 6 2 Anyway is better suited for the four than Sara and for sure Tess.

RJ is not built like Karoline. She is taller than 6'2" but she's fairly slender, last year was downright skinny by the end of the season. She does well posting up bc she's incredibly skilled and seals so well, plus has a hundred tool arsenal for scoring down there. It's pretty amazing how effective she is in post to be undersized for the position.

They tried bulking RJ up a bit over the summer but most of that weight appears to me to be gone again. It's just not her natural build. I thought she'd play more 3 this year bc I thought that's what she'd play in the W. But without TK fully back, she's having to take her lumps down low. Which as the previous poster said, is unnerving to see our best player getting banged and swatted, esp after injury. Was triple teamed at times in the post in her first game in six weeks!

I listened to a draft analysis the other day that had RJ 4th (if everyone comes out, higher if Clark, Paige or Brink stay) and said she'd play alot of 4 in the W, but also be a threat on the perimeter. Said the versitility is part of what makes her so valuable.

 

[madtownvol]

The end of quarter dribble down to disaster is inexplicable, and definitely on coaching since it keeps getting repeated.

But to call JP a selfish player is just a ridiculous, insulting take. The energy she brings to rebounding alone, as the smallest player on the floor, is incredible. No one, not one, plays harder every single game. She's averaging nearly 11 pts a game and 5 rebounds, was on the cusp of a triple double last game, w 10 assists! You want to bench that? Anyone seriously think KW is going to replace that?!?

If KW gets significant minutes at PG, it's yet another player playing badly out of position and we're in big trouble.

Here is my concern- Kellie's stubbornness. She may indeed try the Wynn-Darby PG combo against Liberty and will probably get away with it. Since she does not like to change what is working (versus seeking to optimize), she may run with that scheme against Auburn and maybe eeks out a win if Rickea is full superman mode. But, she sticks with it against KY and maybe gets a win. then we locked in to a substandard rotation when the going gets tough or worse, she drops the opening 2 SEC games before doing the obvious thing and puts the team in an insurmountable hole. Potentially scary times ahead.

 

[Coach Jumper]

How about that full court press?

start the presser at 4:21,,,4:48 is pretty telling

 

[Coach Jumper]

Here is my concern- Kellie's stubbornness. She may indeed try the Wynn-Darby PG combo against Liberty and will probably get away with it. Since she does not like to change what is working (versus seeking to optimize), she may run with that scheme against Auburn and maybe eeks out a win if Rickea is full superman mode. But, she sticks with it against KY and maybe gets a win. then we locked in to a substandard rotation when the going gets tough or worse, she drops the opening 2 SEC games before doing the obvious thing and puts the team in an insurmountable hole. Potentially scary times ahead.

this

 

[glv98]

Here is my concern- Kellie's stubbornness. She may indeed try the Wynn-Darby PG combo against Liberty and will probably get away with it. Since she does not like to change what is working (versus seeking to optimize), she may run with that scheme against Auburn and maybe eeks out a win if Rickea is full superman mode. But, she sticks with it against KY and maybe gets a win. then we locked in to a substandard rotation when the going gets tough or worse, she drops the opening 2 SEC games before doing the obvious thing and puts the team in an insurmountable hole. Potentially scary times ahead.

Very legit concern.

 

[mudcat1973]

I don't want my best player banging down low when she can score from everywhere and can easily defend smaller guards with her length and speed...PF is for "bruisers"....I realize that Jill isn't a bruiser, but she is good at using her length for stopping the high post drivers

But Jackson has good offence moves around the basket. And three other coaches at Mississippi state had her playing forward? Tess would be easily shot over by teller players she not tall enough to guard most team there. Karoline can handlea lot of the four minutes. But can Jillian hand the five most of the game. Jackson opens things up for the guards when she playing four spot. the only way Tennessee moves Jackson out the four spot some is Key starts playing 25 minutes like her pre blood clots self. That way Tennessee would be spit 4/5 spot minutes Key Karoline Jillian. Sara can play 2/3 spot Because I seen her get her own shot off on the outside. Jackson one of Tennessee better paint scores which why she be there more than not for the good of the team All four of her college head coaches have played her there.

 

[glv98]

start the presser at 4:21,,,4:48 is pretty telling

She said it, but almost impossible to believe a press had never been worked on until last week? WTF?

I'm going to keep hoping KJH is being cagey and just reluctant to reveal real plans. It is the season of miracles after all.