Game Thread: Lady Vols Vs Texas ; Thurs Jan 23rd ; Away game; 8 PM Eastern; SECNetwork

#851
#851
Texas played a sensational game won by four. They won the rebounding battle by 15. They shot over 50 percent as did the Lady Vols. They got the extra ten shots and more trips to the free throw line and that was the game. Were so close to beating one of these top ten teams. Just a little better defense, just a little better rebounding, just one more made shot. It hasn't been pleasant to watch, but Tennessee is a very good team. South Carolina next we will have to play our best game of the season to win. I hope we have it in us to do just that.
 
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#852
#852
Never easy to win on the road in the SEC, especially against top teams.

Lady Vols are very close to being "back" and they play their butts off every game. This one came down to rebounding, letting Texas get extra opportunities while not getting many ourselves.

Just keep getting better each week, gonna be a team no one wants to see in the tournament!
 
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#853
#853
KTrain said:
Also an assistant doesn't carry as much gravitas with refs, who are human. Just think young refs looking over at Schaffer and askance at interim assistant Burdine's, an unfamiliar face her first year in SEC, as they decide charge vs foul, good rebound or over the back at an arena filled with Texas faithful. Yes refs are human and can be skewed.
My assessment, are we a better team if we hit the 3 in the corner with around 4 seconds left for the win, are we a better team. I say no we are the same team but would feel better and would be a reward for hard work. The team showed if they don't let these close losses get to them and they grow just a bit more they can win a neutral court tournament setting type scenario that comes down to legs and short turnarounds.
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My sister worked for Penn state for 32 years. She said the older ref called many of their games. Said he is awful.
 
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#854
#854
KTrain said:
Also an assistant doesn't carry as much gravitas with refs, who are human. Just think young refs looking over at Schaffer and askance at interim assistant Burdine's, an unfamiliar face her first year in SEC, as they decide charge vs foul, good rebound or over the back at an arena filled with Texas faithful. Yes refs are human and can be skewed.
My assessment, are we a better team if we hit the 3 in the corner with around 4 seconds left for the win, are we a better team. I say no we are the same team but would feel better and would be a reward for hard work. The team showed if they don't let these close losses get to them and they grow just a bit more they can win a neutral court tournament setting type scenario that comes down to legs and short turnarounds.
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To be honest it shouldve never came to that corner 3 to win it we had for spurts of that game very good defense....all we had to do was stay close on the boards and this is a double digit win for us....i keep saying this we got to fix this and this ish hurts cuz this really could be a top 5 team that can compete and beat anybody if they fix the rebounding issue...
 
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#855
#855
superfly said:
Ok...after a disappointing end to the game for me and my sister there is thought here. If Texas is a final four favorite, then Tennessee proved it is also a contender by going into Austin and really taking it to them. The end of year Vols team will be better than the midseason Vols if they can stay away from injuries. My sister and I will now watch my team play against LSU. We won't watch the Tennessee/South Carolina game together, (she's going home) but she will be pulling for the Vols anyway...lol...I am way more concerned about going into Thompson Boling than I was before this game. That could very well be our 2nd loss. Good luck after that game. Meet you in the SEC tournament final and then the final four....if it plays out perfect.
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The problem is by not being able to close out any of these close games we will probably not be a high enough seed to be a real threat. It’s much less common for teams outside the top 2-3 seed lines to make the Final Four in the women’s tournament than the men’s.

Right now we are probably looking at a 5 seed which means you’re playing a true road game against a 4 in the r32 if they aren’t upset in the r64. And then if you win that it’s a 1 seed in the s16 unless somehow that team didn’t get through the first weekend. That’s an extremely difficult path to a FF
 
#856
#856
SGMVols said:
Right now we are probably looking at a 5 seed which means you’re playing a true road game against a 4 in the r32 if they aren’t upset in the r64. And then if you win that it’s a 1 seed in the s16 unless somehow that team didn’t get through the first weekend. That’s an extremely difficult path to a FF
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An exact repeat of last year. 5 seed and lost to eventual FF team on their floor in the second round. In fact, alot of what's happened this season is an exact repeat of last season so far, in spite of alot of noise and style difference.

However, it really feels like this team will eventually break thru and get that big win. These agonizing close losses have been going on for several years and you have to think just the law of averages will catch up.

The LVs need one big win - maybe at LSU - and to avoid another upset like the Vandy game and to win at least 2 out 3 against KY, Bama, and OM to host. Tall order, but doable. And as we saw last year, hosting makes a huge difference.
 
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#857
#857
Knoxville Nation said:
Spearman was horrible and should not have been in towards the end if she wasn't gonna try to block Booker's layup from Sam's turnover off the inbound pass.
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She had the angle on her, but ran half speed, instead of beating her down the floor and squaring up to take the charge or stop the lay up.
 
#862
#862
THEONLYTENISEE said:
How was our rebounding previous seasons compared to this year? Will our recruiting class help or is this a portal need?
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Recruiting class are mostly guards and wings and it doesn't help. They need bigs. What's killed them all yr? Lack of size. You need some athletic ones who are tough and not afraid to do the dirty work. Zee is soft. Jill can only do so much. Puck can't. Latham's probably the best big but she can only do so much with the minutes she plays. It's supposed to be positionless but it won't work. How many times were our guards trying to defend bigs last night? We're getting exposed. Make adjustments!!!
 
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#863
#863
Yall don’t be mad when I start predicting the other teams to win by 1-5 points lol. We are right there, still 3 big chances in the next few weeks. Going to have to have some of these to start going our way, right? Right.
 
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#865
#865
Knoxville Nation said:
Recruiting class are mostly guards and wings and it doesn't help. They need bigs. What's killed them all yr? Lack of size. You need some athletic ones who are tough and not afraid to do the dirty work. Zee is soft. Jill can only do so much. Puck can't. Latham's probably the best big but she can only do so much with the minutes she plays. It's supposed to be positionless but it won't work. How many times were our guards trying to defend bigs last night? We're getting exposed. Make adjustments!!!
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#867
#867
Knoxville Nation said:
Recruiting class are mostly guards ad wings and it doesn't help. They need bigs. What's killed them all yr? Lack of size.
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Some have argued, esp pre season, that the "system" would overcome the need for size. Positionless basketball, wherein a big would only slow us down. Or that 6'2" bigs are enough.

Turns out that's not true. Still need bigs, but they need to be the right bigs, ones that at are least somewhat mobile. Those aren't easy to find but I'd bet my bottom dollar they'll be plumbing the portal for some of thiose this spring. Because not only are the recruits not bigs, graduation will take our tallest player, Jill, and leave only Zee at 6'4", Latham at 6'2" and no other player taller than 6'0" on the current roster. Probably our smallest team in years and years.
 
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#869
#869
Here's my perspective as a Texas fan:

- very entertaining game to watch as a fan
- I've never seen a team hit on so many floaters in the lane
- so strange to see so many substitutions from the LVs; i'm sure you guys are used to it, but i could not keep up with who was on the floor
- i've read all the comments here about Texas' size; have to admit I've never seen such a "slender" LV's squad; great athleticism, just not much girth in the paint
- all i kept thinking watching the game was Joan Bonvincini's comment about the Lady Vols in the late 80's -- "corn-fed chicks"
- such a different LVs squad (physique-wise) than I grew up watching; definitely no Daedra Charles, Dana Johnson, or Pashen Thompson clones on the roster
 
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#870
#870
We need to remember how seldom some of these particular players have been in close games on this big time stage. Nor have the coaches for that matter. Clemson, Miami and Lord knows Arkansas didn't enjoy these situations. And the players who have been through these wars - Jewel, Sara, Tess, Jill have very seldom been on the winning side of them. They lived the agony of last year.

I don't think Zee, Coop, or anyone, knowingly freezes or makes bonehead decisions in the stretch. But mental focus and confidence in those situations is learned behavior and really tough to be consistent at in the clutch. It's what makes these situations so hard - you need to win a few to learn how to win them but it's hard to win them when you haven't broken thru to that lesson yet.

I still think it will happen, if not this stretch than later in the tourney. I see a possible big time SEC tourney for this team.
 
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#871
#871
007Racer said:
Well, it's not about you, it's about the team. My daughter played for Coach Summit, and with that effort, she not only would've sit her down, but probably not played again til she proved to everyone that was the goal. TEAM!
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How can she help the TEAM sitting on the bench? And, maybe she was told to try and NOT foul? I think she was smart to stay in the game.
 
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#873
#873
glv98 said:
We need to remember how seldom some of these particular players have been in close games on this big time stage. Nor have the coaches for that matter. Clemson, Miami and Lord knows Arkansas didn't enjoy these situations. And the players who have been through these wars - Jewel, Sara, Tess, Jill have very seldom been on the winning side of them. They lived the agony of last year.

I don't think Zee, Coop, or anyone, knowingly freezes or makes bonehead decisions in the stretch. But mental focus and confidence in those situations is learned behavior and really tough to be consistent at in the clutch. It's what makes these situations so hard - you need to win a few to learn how to win them but it's hard to win them when you haven't broken thru to that lesson yet.

I still think it will happen, if not this stretch than later in the tourney. I see a possible big time SEC tourney for this team.
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This was so apparent to me watching the LSU game. Their Big Three just knew how to close out a big game on a big stage. Kim M does too. I also think it will happen.
 
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#874
#874
brittannica said:
This was so apparent to me watching the LSU game. Their Big Three just knew how to close out a big game on a big stage. Kim M does too. I also think it will happen.
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Also tough bc the repeated close losses have a pile-on effect, a here-we-go-again yips factor. That's the exact opposite of the confidence built by the Big Three in having seen that particular ball go thru the nets.

It's the script Kellie could never flip. Hopefully Kim, with more talent and resources, will.
 
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