Game Thread Lady Vols vs Louisville in the NCAA Tournament

#302
#302
Voltopia said:
The Louisville guard "cupped the ball" outside the circle and then took two more steps after picking up her dribble - what do we hear? Blah blah amazing play blah blah. Anyone can be amazing with three steps.
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She took three steps on one of the spin moves they gushed over too... and then had the gall to show it on replay as well.

When Simmons had the mystery foul called on her they made excuses for the ref.
 
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#304
#304
Vol_Maul said:
Wait until one of the better teams takes them seriously. Baylor and Tennessee both thought Louisville was no threat. It is extremely doubtful that they win it all.
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UConn 72-58 earlier this year
ND 93-64 earlier this year

I know it doesn't mean anything on the Finals if Louisville makes it but neither of the teams had issues with beating them handily.
 
#305
#305
Too bad Simmons is a junior because I've been ready for her to go. She has all the talent in the world but just doesn't get it. Her shot selection and defensive effort was sad. You don't expect that from Juniors.
 
#306
#306
Oh well, they gave all they could at the end but it was not to be this year. Hey, wait till next year, we will be a better basketball club with all this experience from this year. We just need some good leadership to come forth from the team next year. We'll be just fine with the talent that will be around in the coming year. GBO & Go Lady Vols.
 
#307
#307
Next year could definitely interesting from a team chemistry stand point. Based off what I've seen from the new recruits on film and Carter being sidelined positions 1-4 could be up for grabs--including Simmons. Russell is a guaranteed starter and her presence will significantly change how this team operates on the offensive end of the court.

Its not cool really to call out players on a message board but I would highly recommend Massengale do a lot of hard work in the offseason...her spot may depend on it.
 
#308
#308
I lost count of how many times Louisville chucked the ball the length of the court to an uncontested layup. Disappointing to say the least.
 
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#309
#309
We are not a young team, as the diehards want to believe. We should have won this game with any kind of poised performance. We caught a major break with Baylor loss and had, as someone else said, about as easy a potential trip to title game as we could ever hope for. Louisville is gritty but not great and Cal is the same--second tier, tops. We gagged the game away in the first half.
 
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#310
#310
We go from being picked to finish 5th in the SEC to almost getting to the Final Four. Man that was some really crappy coaching.:no: Sometimes it is about the players. We had no point guard, we have a shooting guard that's a head case and Izzy trying to play on one leg. I agree we should have won, but I don't think coaching cost us. Louisville just wanted it more and they were determined to win. Hats off to them. They have some tough minded kids. They punched us the way we punched the Sooners. Next year will be a different story and I sincerely believe that. GO LADY VOLS!!
 
#311
#311
I'm just gonna come right out and say it, Simmons is our scoring leader but she takes a ton of bad shots. I'm talking extremely ill-advised shots. She's been here 3yrs and she still plays out of control. That's on the coaches. You can tell by her dribble when she's about to jack a bad shot. It's predictable and should've been corrected long ago.

Massingale is far too passive and slow footed. She'd be the female equivalent of Trae Golden but Trae's good for 18-20pts every once in a while. With Spani leaving, coach better have some talent coming in for the 1-3 positions b/c we have no consistent sharp shooters.

The thing that irks me the most is that I've been watching the LVs since '94 and the image of LV basketball burned into my brain is hard nosed and hyper-competitive. I just can't accept the lack of desire some of the recent LV teams have demonstrated. Back in the day the "Meeks" would've never tolerated mediocrity. It's been a long time since UT had a floor general (Parker, Hornbuckle, Bobbit, Anosike, etc). Someone who could grab the team by the scruff on the neck and challenge them to compete. Until we get one, we won't be beating the UConns or NDs of WCBB.
 
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#312
#312
Can't wait to replace Spani and Williams with Carter and Reynolds and add Russell. Reynolds will also give us the option to sit Simmons when she has a complete breakdown like tonight.
 
#313
#313
Bravo, best post of the night.
Voldemonium said:
I'm just gonna come right out and say it, Simmons is our scoring leader but she takes a ton of bad shots. I'm talking extremely ill-advised shots. She's been here 3yrs and she still plays out of control. That's on the coaches. You can tell by her dribble when she's about to jack a bad shot. It's predictable and should've been corrected long ago.

Massingale is far too passive and slow footed. She'd be the female equivalent of Trae Golden but Trae's good for 18-20pts every once in a while. With Spani leaving, coach better have some talent coming in for the 1-3 positions b/c we have no consistent sharp shooters.

The thing that irks me the most is that I've been watching the LVs since '94 and the image of LV basketball burned into my brained is hard nosed and hyper-competitive. I just can't accept the lack of desire some of the recent LV teams have demonstrated. Back in the day the "Meeks" would've never tolerated mediocrity. It's been a long time since UT had a floor general (Parker, Hornbuckle, Bobbit, Anosike, etc). Someone who could grab the team by the scruff on the neck and challenge them to compete. Until we get one, we won't be beating the UConns or NDs of WCBB.
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#314
#314
armchair said:
What freshmen? Williams and Spani are seniors; Simmons, junior. Massengale, Harrison and Graves--sophs.
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Graves is a true freshman. This is Harrison's first year on the court but she is a sophomore... not sure if she had an injury and redshirted. She, Massengale and Graves had essentially zero experience going into the season. Williams had played very sparingly as well. We basically replaced our entire starting line-up in a single season. Spani was always a role player and nagged by injuries but she stepped up her senior year.

I think we failed to get enough out of Kamiko while she was here. It was obvious to me from her freshman year that she could be as good as she wanted to be but she was very lackadaisical. She was forced to the forefront due to injuries this year and you can see how good she was by the end of the season.

Holly has to learn how to win games like this one. No doubt about that. But she made big strides between last year and this one so let's see where we end up.

My main gripe is that we have something that is institutional in our program that makes our players play scared in big games. This has spanned two coaches and several sets of players. That has to be stamped out.

Our coaches are nice and our kids are nice. Geno is an ******* but his kids play cocky. Maybe Holly needs to be more of an *******? Who knows... I don't have the answer.
 
#315
#315
Voldemonium said:
The thing that irks me the most is that I've been watching the LVs since '94 and the image of LV basketball burned into my brained is hard nosed and hyper-competitive. I just can't accept the lack of desire some of the recent LV teams have demonstrated. Back in the day the "Meeks" would've never tolerated mediocrity. It's been a long time since UT had a floor general (Parker, Hornbuckle, Bobbit, Anosike, etc). Someone who could grab the team by the scruff on the neck and challenge them to compete. Until we get one, we won't be beating the UConns or NDs of WCBB.
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THIS x1000000000000000.....this part of his comment is probably THE MOST 'at the heart of the problem', well said comment about the past 5ish years of Lady Vols basketball that I've read on these forums.
 
#316
#316
The Vols as we once knew them are fading away. I have followed them for 40 years and the difference Pat would have had a plan in the locker room at half time to win the game.Some way, some how.I hope I'm wrong but high standards are set in stone for Lady Vol basketball.
 
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#317
#317
Our guards, except for Williams, are soft and erratic and weak defensively. And, yes, Massengale needs to be tough and a leader but she's not. Elite eight game and we gave up 86 points! That's pathetic. Almost 90 points! Spani and Simmons played scared in the first half--pretty much like they've played in every pressure game for two years. Had we come out aggressively, we could have put doubt in mind if cardinals. Hard to watch weak-minded Lady Vols in recent years. No final four for, what, six years? Warlick's palsy style is not what we need. Brass tacks, more like UT.
 
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#318
#318
Very sad to move to the place of "mediocrity" from the days of just knowing our Lady Viols would move on...tough to make that adjustment as a fan of many years.
 
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#319
#319
Wow. If you folks think being mediocre is being the last team out of the final four you need a reality check!! Bet Baylor, Stanford and duke are feeling pretty "mediocre" right now too !
Holly coached her butt off this year and I'm proud of her and our girls. Disappointing game but at least we went down swinging. Lots of teams would have mailed it in after that horrible first half.
The FB boys would love to be able to recruit like the lady vols have for next year. I think you better take a look at what the team will do then before you declare them mediocre!!!

Proud to be a vol tonight. Keep it loyal vol nation!!!
 
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#320
#320
What kills me is Louisville players would just throw the ball up for a 3 point shot & the damn ball would go through the net. And then they would drive the center lane & make lay-ups on us. But coming down the court & shooting the ball for a 3 to go in the basket sometimes unbelievable thing to happen. It was bad timing for us to go cold in the 1st half. Just too much to make up....nobody's fault but TN's to let that happen.
 
#321
#321
orangealways said:
Wow. If you folks think being mediocre is being the last team out of the final four you need a reality check!! Bet Baylor, Stanford and duke are feeling pretty "mediocre" right now too !
Holly coached her butt off this year and I'm proud of her and our girls. Disappointing game but at least we went down swinging. Lots of teams would have mailed it in after that horrible first half.
The FB boys would love to be able to recruit like the lady vols have for next year. I think you better take a look at what the team will do then before you declare them mediocre!!!

Proud to be a vol tonight. Keep it loyal vol nation!!!
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Mediocre for the past few years means we aren't in the same conversation as Uconn, Baylor and ND...to a slightly lesser extent Stanford......everyone else HAS FAR LESS TALENT THAN US, yet were amongst that clump of lesser teams
 
#322
#322
armchair said:
Our guards, except for Williams, are soft and erratic and weak defensively. And, yes, Massengale needs to be tough and a leader but she's not. Elite eight game and we gave up 86 points! That's pathetic. Almost 90 points! Spani and Simmons played scared in the first half--pretty much like they've played in every pressure game for two years. Had we come out aggressively, we could have put doubt in mind if cardinals. Hard to watch weak-minded Lady Vols in recent years. No final four for, what, six years? Warlick's palsy style is not what we need. Brass tacks, more like UT.
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I would think Reynolds and Tucker have noticed the guard play at home. If they are ambitious driven young women they have to see a huge opportunity to take spots away from starters.
 
#323
#323
Voldemonium said:
The thing that irks me the most is that I've been watching the LVs since '94 and the image of LV basketball burned into my brained is hard nosed and hyper-competitive. I just can't accept the lack of desire some of the recent LV teams have demonstrated. Back in the day the "Meeks" would've never tolerated mediocrity. It's been a long time since UT had a floor general (Parker, Hornbuckle, Bobbit, Anosike, etc). Someone who could grab the team by the scruff on the neck and challenge them to compete. Until we get one, we won't be beating the UConns or NDs of WCBB.
Click to expand...

Quoting this again...because its damn near the most profound comment about the state of Lady vol basketball lately
 
#324
#324
W.TN.Orange Blood said:
What kills me is Louisville players would just throw the ball up for a 3 point shot & the damn ball would go through the net. And then they would drive the center lane & make lay-ups on us. But coming down the court & shooting the ball for a 3 to go in the basket sometimes unbelievable thing to happen. It was bad timing for us to go cold in the 1st half. Just too much to make up....nobody's fault but TN's to let that happen.
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LOL.. Yeah they were hitting some crazy shots. But again...other than Simmons, the cherry picking layups they kept getting were seriously pissing me off. How do you let someone run to the other end of the court for a full court pass and uncontested layup...5 TIMES!?!?!?!?
 
#325
#325
I am not impressed by CHW. She seems to not have the fire. CPS saw something in her to keep her around for all these years, but she may be like the Chief, great assistant but crappy HC. I hope she comes into her own though.
 
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