Game Thread: Lady Vols vs. (13/13) Arkansas

[Volfan2012]

I think we have so many more options when Horston is playing the two guard and Walker and Salary are at the point. I thought Walker did a fabulous job at the point tonight made some great passes and decisions and her defense mainly because of her experience is better than Salary's right now. I think we can go with them 1 and 2 at the point guard position and it really makes Horston a better player when she is at the two. After her three quick turnovers when she started at the point she didn't make any playing the two position. You can see her mental approach is very different when playing the two she seemed much more relaxed in playing without a lot of thinking or decisions to make. Salary had some problems with their screens on defense gave up some open looks to Ramirez and another player which they made, but she is a player that we can depend on offensively and her defense will get a lot better as she learns how to fight through screens and not go under and let the shooter get loose.

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

no germs just dubs

 

[W.TN.Orange Blood]

After watching Holly ball for a few years ..... Isn’t it great to see offense plays that get our players open looks ! And sometimes they would run the SAME PLAY and continue to get easy shots ..... What a novel idea !

It's great to go back & watch these games on replay & be in a more calm frame of mind .... instead of watching the game in real time being all tensed up & in a ball of stress hoping the LVs pull out a win.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

Yeah, you get a game where both Rennia and Rae them are clicking like this and they will be difficult to beat for any team. I didn't see the game yet, but from the box score they both were very efficient with their shots and punished the smaller ARK guards. This is a great win for Kellie. They lost to a lesser ARK team last season, so to pull out a win when ARK was playing well is a big accomplishment...even bigger than the Indiana win. If they continue to play like this, they will surely challenge for the SEC title this year.

Kasi did surprisingly well playing starter minutes at the 5. I would have thought ARK would exploit her, but she did a very solid job inside.

We know CKJH wasn’t your first choice like many of us.

So give me an assessment just as far as her game prep and substitution patterns.

Not if she has made it or arrived but this game in general and how her team was prepared or lacking ? We all know she has a ways to go and needs a couple more of those wins to really build confident . But i would like an assessment of how you think she did in another top 15 win?

You’ve had really good assessments so i’m looking forward to hearing this one

 

[creekdipper]

Goodness ....... are we going back 20 years with Shyra's eyelashes now?

Maybe it was Sheila Frost!

You know this game was special to her,being from arky.

Professional officiating for the ref to take time to explain to Destiny why she got called for the foul while waiting for free throws. And Destiny was listening intently and taking it in. I know some refs, and the best ones try to actually help young players improve. And the best players listen and learn. Understanding the mindset of officials is a valuable tool.

I like to see little moments like that. When I was coaching, those gestures were always appreciated.

 

[creekdipper]

Shout out to the ladies for buying into the game plan. Great job by staff preparing the team.

Those first few minutes were rough (and I did yell at the tv twice), but really glad to see the team refuse to panic, settle down, and then play comfortably and under so much control. Not a perfect game by any stretch and still some lapses that will hapoen if any game (Hey, even Dungee committed the cardinal bb sin of "saving" the oob ball under her own basket and ending up with an assist to Rennia). But, overall, this looked like a very coachable, confident team who took pride in valuing possessions.

As my ole TN HOF track coach liked to say, "Winning is more fun than not winning."

And, just to give credit where due, Slocum and Dungee are Players with a capital P.

 

[Coach Jumper]

We know CKJH wasn’t your first choice like many of us.

So give me an assessment just as far as her game prep and substitution patterns.

Not if she has made it or arrived but this game in general and how her team was prepared or lacking ? We all know she has a ways to go and needs a couple more of those wins to really build confident . But i would like an assessment of how you think she did in another top 15 win?

You’ve had really good assessments so i’m looking forward to hearing this one

I backed her from the gitgo, but that doesn't mean I didn't feel she had room to grow

I believe Coach K is learning the coaching environment of the SEC and its differences from the MVC. She has backed off the mass substitutions, she is subbing with a purpose....She is more in tune with seeing runs and how to stop them with the right personnel (e.g.. using the rookie, Destiny, last night) or a once-pocketed timeout...She is working the refs much better...and her personal growth is evident as well in her appearance, it is much more of a professional business woman....Not once did her body language come across as uncertain and conversely, not once did the offense go into a long stagnation of standing around...She is gaining the respect of her players and it is translating to better continuity and flow on the court.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

I backed her from the gitgo, but that doesn't mean I didn't feel she had room to grow

I believe Coach K is learning the coaching environment of the SEC and its differences from the MVC. She has backed off the mass substitutions, she is subbing with a purpose....She is more in tune with seeing runs and how to stop them with the right personnel (e.g.. using the rookie, Destiny, last night) or a once-pocketed timeout...She is working the refs much better...and her personal growth is evident as well in her appearance, it is much more of a professional business woman....Not once did her body language come across as uncertain and conversely, not once did the offense go into a long stagnation of standing around...She is gaining the respect of her players and it is translating to better continuity and flow on the court.

She wasn’t my first choice but i backed her and I def wasn’t one of the people mad she got chosen over Neil Ivy.

I wanted to give her a chance and i’ve seen growth. I’m liking what i see. what i see is a team refusing to quit or turn on each other and doing things the right way (or trying which is huge in itself).

 

[Volfan2012]

I backed her from the gitgo, but that doesn't mean I didn't feel she had room to grow

I believe Coach K is learning the coaching environment of the SEC and its differences from the MVC. She has backed off the mass substitutions, she is subbing with a purpose....She is more in tune with seeing runs and how to stop them with the right personnel (e.g.. using the rookie, Destiny, last night) or a once-pocketed timeout...She is working the refs much better...and her personal growth is evident as well in her appearance, it is much more of a professional business woman....Not once did her body language come across as uncertain and conversely, not once did the offense go into a long stagnation of standing around...She is gaining the respect of her players and it is translating to better continuity and flow on the court.

She has a lot more knowledge of teams the second time around and the coaching style of opponents. I thought the game plan last night was absolutely brilliant in the way you play Arkansas and their personnel. We fouled a little to much but otherwise the way we slowed them down and worked the paint and offensive boards was fantastic. The way on defense that we ran them off the three point line was effective even though they still attempted 30. Most were heavily guarded very few were open looks.

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Arkansas falls to rested Lady Vols

 

[Amb3096]

We know CKJH wasn’t your first choice like many of us.

So give me an assessment just as far as her game prep and substitution patterns.

Not if she has made it or arrived but this game in general and how her team was prepared or lacking ? We all know she has a ways to go and needs a couple more of those wins to really build confident . But i would like an assessment of how you think she did in another top 15 win?

You’ve had really good assessments so i’m looking forward to hearing this one

As I mentioned, I didn't see the game yet, but looking at the box score...I think she was smart with her rotations. She rode the hot hand with Rae and Rennia, and kept the rotation to the players that would be able to pull out the win (i.e. limited minutes for Saunders, no Darby/Jessie).

The outcome shows that she was ready for them, which is impressive given they had the long layoff.. Looks like she made it hard for Ramirez to get open shots, and was content to let Slocum/Dungee try to create their own opportunities and take tough shots...which led to low FG% and lots of rebounds for Tennessee. Took advantage of their size by looking for paint points instead of taking a bunch of 3's that they weren't making.

This was a good win overall. Arkansas doesn't match up well with Tennessee...but they didn't match up well with Baylor either. They are dangerous, and Tennessee did a good job shutting their offense down. Kellie lost to basically the same team last year with a lot of the same main pieces for Tennessee, so this is a marked improvement for her.

All in all, this and the Indiana win is a good trajectory for Kellie and Tennessee. Hopefully they can continue the strong performances as SEC plan continues.

 

[Rickster]

It was good to see the team breaking out. I could tell by watching them in person that this would happen eventually. This game was probably the best our execution has been so far at least for long stretches. Now that the team has tasted success against a good and ranked club, I expect they will want to build on it and continue to improve. Great minutes by KK. Great minutes for Walker and Destiny too. Our subs stepped up against a ranked team because they were prepared.

 

[xtpsrh08123]

I don't understand why South Florida is ranked 18th and Tennessee is unranked. They are not nearly as good as Tennessee, who should be ranked next week if they don't lose before then.

TBH looking at the rankings Which teams do you feel TENN has NO SHOT TO BEAT ? Id say we can beat any team ranked 5-25 and take 1-4 down to the 4th QTR. Heck i think we can beat UCONN , NCST & SC. Stanford & LV i would be concerned with .

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

@Bballnut1952 you haven’t posted anything in awhile you ok bud?

This is less petty and more you ain’t been here to shake the hornets nest

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Yep. But I'm still trying to think of the player we had who would where these long black eyelashes in games a few years back. I can see her face in my mind but can't get her name to come forward in my brain to speak it. Oh well .... that's the way it goes in life when you have problems in recalling names.

Shyra Ely ? Tasha Butts ? Ashley Robinson ? Brittney Jackson ? We have had our Share of Lash Ladies but NONE of them compared to A&M/MSU's Anriel Howard LOL

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Thanks for posting this. I don't think CKH would be ejected from a game. Maybe she'd get a "T" but not ejected that would be too harsh I think.

Never seen here that hype before and I LOVE EVERY MINUTE OF IT ! GOLV

 

[Mr. Doo Wop]

TBH looking at the rankings Which teams do you feel TENN has NO SHOT TO BEAT ? Id say we can beat any team ranked 5-25 and take 1-4 down to the 4th QTR. Heck i think we can beat UCONN , NCST & SC. Stanford & LV i would be concerned with .

Don't be so sure about UConn. I don't know what teams remain on UT's schedule besides UConn. UT played a team last night that played little defense. Whether UT wins or not depends on what team shows up, last nights team or the inconsistent one. If UT continues to play like they did last night I believe they can play with any team. I don't know if there are any teams they have no shot to beat.

 

[lvocd]

Pretty sure it's Zaay Green the poster is thinking about. Here's a close-up of the famous lashes:

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Don't be so sure about UConn. I don't know what teams remain on UT's schedule besides UConn. UT played a team last night that played little defense. Whether UT wins or not depends on what team shows up, last nights team or the inconsistent one. If UT continues to play like they did last night I believe they can play with any team. I don't know if there are any teams they have no shot to beat.

I think last year's game gave us the confidence to know we can beat UCONN. We lead most of the first half and at half. We just couldn't guard UCONN's small line up in which i thought we would have problems against Arkansas & Indiana with but we excelled. I wont be surprised if we beat UCONN this year at home. This years squad is better than last years for sure .

 

[Amb3096]

I think last year's game gave us the confidence to know we can beat UCONN. We lead most of the first half and at half. We just couldn't guard UCONN's small line up in which i thought we would have problems against Arkansas & Indiana with but we excelled. I wont be surprised if we beat UCONN this year at home. This years squad is better than last years for sure .

I've upgraded Tennessee's SEC chances. I truly think they can finish in the top 4. UK, MSST, TAMU and SC will be tough outings, but I think Tennessee would have a strong shot at a win against all 4.

I said in a previous post that I think this will be Tennessee's worst loss at TBA ever. Even with yesterday's very good win against Arkansas, I still think that will be the case. This is not a good matchup for Tennessee at all. I think the biggest difference is that UConn is a lot better this year. Last year, they were 4 deep. This year, they really have no weaknesses in the lineup, have strong bench talent, and have a backup big that could probably start for most teams.

If Key shows up and is able to contribute for 25 min vs. UConn, I think Tennessee can stay in it. If not, this will be over mid-way through the 2nd quarter even if Burrell/Davis go off (because Bueckers, Williams, and ONO will all do the same for UConn).

 

[87&91ALUM]

Enjoyed the game last night. Girls seemed determined. Maybe they watched Bama beat the men and it got them fired up. The ladies made shots, ran the ball, took care of the ball, played solid defense. Hope they keep doing that. I am a fan of CKH. Love it when a coach shows some passion like she did last night. Go Vols..win, win, and win!

 

[mudcat1973]

were was jessie is she sick?

 

[VolBall09]

I've upgraded Tennessee's SEC chances. I truly think they can finish in the top 4. UK, MSST, TAMU and SC will be tough outings, but I think Tennessee would have a strong shot at a win against all 4.

I said in a previous post that I think this will be Tennessee's worst loss at TBA ever. Even with yesterday's very good win against Arkansas, I still think that will be the case. This is not a good matchup for Tennessee at all. I think the biggest difference is that UConn is a lot better this year. Last year, they were 4 deep. This year, they really have no weaknesses in the lineup, have strong bench talent, and have a backup big that could probably start for most teams.

If Key shows up and is able to contribute for 25 min vs. UConn, I think Tennessee can stay in it. If not, this will be over mid-way through the 2nd quarter even if Burrell/Davis go off (because Bueckers, Williams, and ONO will all do the same for UConn).

I do not think ONO will fair very well against us. Our interior defense, even last year, has been good. Team’s bigs consistently have their worst night against us and that’s a great sign for the UCONN game. I do give them the edge, but I think it will be a close game. Potentially even an OT game.

ONO does look improved but they have played 0 teams with size to match her this season. She played well against small teams last year too and then dropped off as soon as the size increased. Was really looking forward to their game with Baylor. Felt it was going to be a great litmus test to see how we would match up with them and how good each of those teams actually is.

It’s very difficult to tell how good UCONN is right now based on the games they have played. I think Geno would agree, they haven’t been tested.

One huge advantage is, we have been! WV loss in OT stung, but this team learned from that. They executed very well against both Indiana and Arkansas.

 

[madtownvol]

Late to the party but what a great win!! I have read through the posts and just a few comments that I don;'t think are too redundant.

1. Half court offense. It has been a long, long time since the LVs were effective through an entire game running a half court (against a good team). Going to back to the last few years of CPS tenure, the LVs have largely lived or died with their transition game. If you got them into a slow, half court, they would struggle.

Before I get totally excited, I want to see this kind of offensive execution repeated across multiple games but this performance is very, very encouraging.

2. The point has been made that when Rae, Rennia, and Jordan are playing well, the LVs are inherently difficult to beat. It is a fair point-this game was a best case scenario, with the LVs big three playing at a high level and a really solid post contribution from KK. If we have games, where some combination of those players are not "on," a struggle is likely on hand. But that is true of a lot of teams which rely on a few key players for offensive punch. And I think part of the reason that all played well is that the offensive game plan was excellent and it was executed very well. So, we have a bit of a chicken and egg dilemma but I think this offensive system (though still a work in progress) bodes well for future performances.

3. Jordan H. had one of her best games but Jordan W. also played very well and I think we executed a touch better when she was at the point. Jordan H. still has a tendency to let the ball get stuck in her hands and Jordan W. moves the ball more quickly and decisively. But they make a great 1-2 punch.

4. Great game from KK. We have seen her look really good in the past when matching up against smaller post. So, I want to see her give that level of performance against bigger posts.

5. The only who did not have a good game was Marta. Her main problem was being too slow in deciding what to do and she wound getting her "pocket picked." This is a speed of play adjustment that she can hopefully make sooner than later.

 

[Amb3096]

I do not think ONO will fair very well against us. Our interior defense, even last year, has been good. Team’s bigs consistently have their worst night against us and that’s a great sign for the UCONN game. I do give them the edge, but I think it will be a close game. Potentially even an OT game.

ONO does look improved but they have played 0 teams with size to match her this season. She played well against small teams last year too and then dropped off as soon as the size increased. Was really looking forward to their game with Baylor. Felt it was going to be a great litmus test to see how we would match up with them and how good each of those teams actually is.

It’s very difficult to tell how good UCONN is right now based on the games they have played. I think Geno would agree, they haven’t been tested.

One huge advantage is, we have been! WV loss in OT stung, but this team learned from that. They executed very well against both Indiana and Arkansas.

DePaul is probably the best team they've played, who beat Kentucky and lost by a basket to TAMU. Not a big team, but they are good. And they lost by 30 something with UConn not shooting particularly well.

It wasn't size that bothered ONO...it was All-American size that was just better than she was. Tennessee has done very well in shutting down opposing team's interior players, but UConn will be the best one by far that they've seen all season. This is where not playing TAMU hurt them. Tamari sent ONO to the bench early with foul trouble, then proceeded to get wrecked by a 6'1 guard forced to play C. They have yet to go against an elite interior (Indiana's was good, but not at the same level as the best in the SEC). UConn has her plus Edwards, so their post game is in much better shape.

I would be happy to see a win or a competitive game, but I'm bracing myself for the worst.