Game Thread Lady Vols vs South Carolina in the SEC Tournament

[governmentmule]

Friday at 7:00 PM EST


game is in Nashville


The SEC Network will televise


you can stream it here


WatchESPN: Live Sports, Game Replays, Video Highlights



take care of the ball,damnit




as all ways Go Lady Vols :clapping:

 

[Voltopia]

We have no idea what this game will be like. Will Big Game Tennessee show up? Will Turnover Tennessee show up? Will A'ja Wilson play? Can Jamie Nared play? Will Tennessee press? Jacket on? If yes, how long until off? There's like, literally, no way to predict what's going to happen. Might as well just throw the predictions in a hat and pull one out.

 

[clkou]

Hopefully they play better this game than they did tonight. I don't think South Carolina will let them have that many chances. If they (TN) try to let them (SC) win, they (SC) will oblige. 24 turnovers against a .500 team. Had to bank it in to win. Why are they shooting a 3 when they only need a 2? Why does Holly having a Freshman inbounding OR catching an inbounds in a pressure situation?

I hated Holly's reaction to the turnover and I hated her reaction to the banked 3.

 

[1985Vols]

Hopefully they play better this game than they did tonight. I don't think South Carolina will let them have that many chances. If they (TN) try to let them (SC) win, they (SC) will oblige. 24 turnovers against a .500 team. Had to bank it in to win. Why are they shooting a 3 when they only need a 2? Why does Holly having a Freshman inbounding OR catching an inbounds in a pressure situation?

I hated Holly's reaction to the turnover and I hated her reaction to the banked 3.

Because she is a horrible coach. The ONLY reason this team wins any games is because of their talent. Holly has never won a game due to her coaching acumen. I agree, her reactions to bad plays is juvenile.

 

[LA Vol]

If the LVs start slow and sloppy, turn the ball over and let SCAR get a big lead, it could get ugly fast. I'd bet A'ja plans on playing. She's been practicing with the team and was jumping and cheering in the stands tonight.

 

[xanamanax]

Hopefully they play better this game than they did tonight. I don't think South Carolina will let them have that many chances. If they (TN) try to let them (SC) win, they (SC) will oblige. 24 turnovers against a .500 team. Had to bank it in to win. Why are they shooting a 3 when they only need a 2? Why does Holly having a Freshman inbounding OR catching an inbounds in a pressure situation?

I hated Holly's reaction to the turnover and I hated her reaction to the banked 3.

So who would you have used on the inbound play?

And what would the appropriate reaction have been?

 

[Volstylexx]

Praying for a miracle in this one.

Aja Wilson will play for the first time against us all year, Jaime may not play, and if she does, will likely be limited.

Hard to beat a good team twice in a year... virtually impossible the third time.

I hope they prove me wrong but not feeling positive about this one . In all honesty, it may not be the worst thing for us to lose. It’s not going to hurt our NCAA seeding and we can rest up. Winning the SEC tournament would likely move us to the last 2 seed in UCONNs bracket....and well, no one wants that.

 

[clkou]

So who would you have used on the inbound play?

And what would the appropriate reaction have been?

I would have had Mercedes catching it. I would have anyone except Westbrook, Davis, and Hayes inbounding. So, I think Meme was in the game at that time? She has a FULL two years extra experience and is much less likely to get rattled IMO.

Not only did she turn it over but she got beat on defense too after the turnover. You win with upperclassman. So when you have a chance to draw up a play, it makes sense to utilize them (your Seniors and Juniors).

And what would the appropriate reaction have been?

Well, I have to think ANYTHING except putting your hands in your head attempting to curl up in the fetal position would have been a better choice for the turnover. Similarly, acting like you've been there before when your team hits the gamer winner would have been preferable. Be a leader.

 

[governmentmule]

drink the kool aid


Go Lady Vols :clapping:


Osborne Brothers - Rocky Top - YouTube

 

[madtownvol]

Because she is a horrible coach. The ONLY reason this team wins any games is because of their talent. Holly has never won a game due to her coaching acumen. I agree, her reactions to bad plays is juvenile.

Go away. You have a PG who is a sub 50% FT shooter and you don't want her going to the line. And you are short on sub options because Nared is injured. So, it makes perfect sense to have Evina make the in-bound pass to Mercedes.
The execution of the play was terrible but, if you think about it, the play itself made sene. But it is clear from your post, thought is not in play.

 

[feathersax]

I've been at all the SECWB games so far. Which LV team will show? Which USCjr team? Will Aja play? Does USCjr have a good press, & if so will it create havoc? Last night was my first time to see LV play in person this season, the talent level is clearly there. :dunno:

 

[1985Vols]

Go away. You have a PG who is a sub 50% FT shooter and you don't want her going to the line. And you are short on sub options because Nared is injured. So, it makes perfect sense to have Evina make the in-bound pass to Mercedes.
The execution of the play was terrible but, if you think about it, the play itself made sene. But it is clear from your post, thought is not in play.

I wasn't just talking about that one inbounds play. I was talking about Holly's overall coaching. There is no coaching going on over there. It's just a team of a lot of talented players that overcomes poor coaching. Read John Adams article in the Knoxville News Sentinel yesterday
. He mentions the talent that Holly has accumulated and the results: 2015-16 team had 7 McDonalds All Americans and lost 12 games; 2016-17 team had 6 McDonald AA and lost 14 games; this years team has 2 All -SEC players and the #1 freshman class and came in 7th place in the SEC and won't get past the second weekend in the NCAA tourney , if even that far. I challenge anyone to tell me there is " good" coaching on the Lady Vols.

 

[volbeast33]

I wasn't just talking about that one inbounds play. I was talking about Holly's overall coaching. There is no coaching going on over there. It's just a team of a lot of talented players that overcomes poor coaching. Read John Adams article in the Knoxville News Sentinel yesterday
. He mentions the talent that Holly has accumulated and the results: 2015-16 team had 7 McDonalds All Americans and lost 12 games; 2016-17 team had 6 McDonald AA and lost 14 games; this years team has 2 All -SEC players and the #1 freshman class and came in 7th place in the SEC and won't get past the second weekend in the NCAA tourney , if even that far. I challenge anyone to tell me there is " good" coaching on the Lady Vols.

I don't think she is a great coach but she could definitely be worse. I am also ok with removing her as head coach but we dang well better know for sure that we can get an upgrade on the hill. Look at some of the greatest programs in the women's game from the 1980's and what they are today. You can also look at the men's game and how far some of the great programs have fallen....Look at what has happened with UCONN and Pittsburgh men's teams after losing two of their best coaches in school history. It is not that easy to follow an icon.

As vols fans, we have a tendency to criticize every single decision a coach makes no matter how small. We criticize the way Holly smiles, doesn't smile. The way she yells, doesn't yell, the way she talks, crosses arm, the way she walks, and anything else we can come up with.

We make excuses for every other coach that we go against. If we win it was bc of our talent....it doesnt matter how many Mcdonald's all-americans the other team has. Go Lady Vols...Let's win this tournament!!

 

[mike099]

If Nared does not play, I would like to see London start in her place and see what she can do. Let Dunbar rotate in at the same position.

 

[RollerVol]

may need Dunbar more than ever and as for the rest of the team...push it...push it real good...all game long...sure hope Davis's prayers keep getting answered...

GO LADY VOLS!

 

[th2421]

I wasn't just talking about that one inbounds play. I was talking about Holly's overall coaching. There is no coaching going on over there. It's just a team of a lot of talented players that overcomes poor coaching. Read John Adams article in the Knoxville News Sentinel yesterday
. He mentions the talent that Holly has accumulated and the results: 2015-16 team had 7 McDonalds All Americans and lost 12 games; 2016-17 team had 6 McDonald AA and lost 14 games; this years team has 2 All -SEC players and the #1 freshman class and came in 7th place in the SEC and won't get past the second weekend in the NCAA tourney , if even that far. I challenge anyone to tell me there is " good" coaching on the Lady Vols.

People keep saying we finished 7th in the SEC. We didn't. We finished in a 4-way tie for 4th, and we are the 7th seed due to tie-breakers.

Not that I'm super happy with 4th, but can we at least try to base our critiques on facts?

 

[FrozenLVFan]

I hope all of Holly's yelling when she was mic'ed up last night finally shut up the whiners who keep complaining she doesn't do any in-game coaching.

 

[Volfan2012]

Got to get better play at point guard. We struggled because the point guards couldn't get the ball down the court or make a decent pass. I know they are freshmen but this far into the season you expect better than what was done last night.
Your talking about 11 turnovers from the point guard position and an additional five from the two guard position. Hard to win a game doing that and yet we won on a last second shot.
I don't know why Hayes and Westbrook are finding it so difficult to play their position effectively this late in the season but definitely a huge problem and the reason the game was even a contest.

Anywhere near that today and we get blown out take care of the ball girls and that would be my message for the team today.

 

[Volfan2012]

I hope we win but more so play like we know what were doing. Sometimes you play well and lose because shots do not fall as long as you get the shots then you have made the effort. They have a huge advantage with Wilson and the revenge factor however if players suddenly start hitting shots none of that matters.

 

[movinonup]

I would have had Mercedes catching it. I would have anyone except Westbrook, Davis, and Hayes inbounding. So, I think Meme was in the game at that time? She has a FULL two years extra experience and is much less likely to get rattled IMO.

Did you not see the play and who was going to the ball ? It was designed to inbound to Mercedes - she just did not look up and the pass was bad. Looks like you and Holly were on the same page :good!:

 

[clkou]

Did you not see the play and who was going to the ball ? It was designed to inbound to Mercedes - she just did not look up and the pass was bad. Looks like you and Holly were on the same page :good!:

I DID see the play. I saw a FRESHMAN get nervous and throw the ball BEFORE our Senior got to her spot. Did you not read my post? I said she needed an upperclassman receiver AND inbounder. She should have either WAITED until she got to her spot or LED the pass to where she was going. You could tell on the replay she was NERVOUS throwing the ball in and just wanted to get rid of it. That turnover was NOT Mercedes fault. Holly had HALF the play right. She had the right RECEIVER. She had the WRONG inbounder.

People keep saying we finished 7th in the SEC. We didn't. We finished in a 4-way tie for 4th, and we are the 7th seed due to tie-breakers.

Not that I'm super happy with 4th, but can we at least try to base our critiques on facts?

They finished 7th. Those tie-breakers count. You can't explain them away. What you are TRYING to say is that they were within a game of finishing 4th, which is a valid point, but they didn't. They got 7th. They EARNED 7th and that loss to unranked Alabama really stung and contributed a LOT to that, but it still counts.

 

[th2421]

I DID see the play. I saw a FRESHMAN get nervous and throw the ball BEFORE our Senior got to her spot. Did you not read my post? I said she needed an upperclassman receiver AND inbounder. She should have either WAITED until she got to her spot or LED the pass to where she was going. You could tell on the replay she was NERVOUS throwing the ball in and just wanted to get rid of it. That turnover was NOT Mercedes fault. Holly had HALF the play right. She had the right RECEIVER. She had the WRONG inbounder.




They finished 7th. Those tie-breakers count. You can't explain them away. What you are TRYING to say is that they were within a game of finishing 4th, which is a valid point, but they didn't. They got 7th. They EARNED 7th and that loss to unranked Alabama really stung and contributed a LOT to that, but it still counts.

No, I'm not trying to say that, thank you, because that would be incorrect. They were within a game of finishing in a tie for 2nd. The tie-breakers determine seeding for the SEC tournament but NOT where you actually placed. I've seen us (and the teams we tied with) listed as T-4th on several articles, websites, etc. (e.g., Wikipedia).

 

[madtownvol]

I hope all of Holly's yelling when she was mic'ed up last night finally shut up the whiners who keep complaining she doesn't do any in-game coaching.

I have no idea what you are talking about it. I always mute those scenes that show Holly coaching the players so I can yell at the top of my lungs that "Holly does not coach the team!" I also turn my back to the TV screen just to make sure that no disconfirming information sneaks into my brain.

 

[leejoek]

may need Dunbar more than ever and as for the rest of the team...push it...push it real good...all game long...sure hope Davis's prayers keep getting answered...

GO LADY VOLS!

Yes, we want to build a wall against South Carolina to prevent them from pounding it in. If pounding it in is the only thing Holly wants to do, then we play into South Carolina's hand.

Can Holly shoot? Does Holly believe in dribbling and shooting? Do fans pay to see a bunch of girls who can't shoot open jumpers?

Watch Geno grin when his girls hit the 3S!

 

[clkou]

No, I'm not trying to say that, thank you, because that would be incorrect. They were within a game of finishing in a tie for 2nd. The tie-breakers determine seeding for the SEC tournament but NOT where you actually placed. I've seen us (and the teams we tied with) listed as T-4th on several articles, websites, etc. (e.g., Wikipedia).

Well then, what are you REALLY trying to say? We are really BETTER or the same as seeds #4, #5, and #6? Well, we lost to the #4 seed and the #6 seed and we split with the #5 seed. That #5 seed BEAT Alabama by 19 points on the road (we lost by 9 at home) and they only lost to South Carolina by 2 with Wilson playing and scoring 25 points. I'd say all those teams DO look better than us. The reason they were tied in record with those other 3 teams (4 LSU, 5 TAM, and 6 Missouri) is because we faced South Carolina TWICE without Wilson playing and won. All the teams we are tied with have a loss on their record against South Carolina when Wilson played. My guess is all those teams probably win against South Carolina if Wilson sits and we probably lose 1 or both our games if Wilson was healthy.

They don't give out 4th or 7th place trophies. You play the regular season for mostly 2 reasons: to get a good seed in the tournament and to win a regular season SEC championship. We got neither. Not sure why anyone would want to sugarcoat it. 7th place is a BAD seed for us. We had a 7th seed two years ago as well.

As a fan since 1991 I don't like seeing our program suffer and I don't like reading denials that it is suffering because it IS not performing to the standards it should be.