Game Thread Lady Vols vs Texas

[clkou]

Career wise Carter IS much better shooting % than Te'a in her very early career. If Carter didn't improve a lick I still think she's damn good. The only knock is she doesn't score enough. Again, with all else she brings to the table that's a very small drawback. By simple logistics a team cannot have 5 starters who all put up 20 points per game. Our scorers should be Diamond, Graves, Mercedes, and maybe whoever the other hot random player of the night may be.

Freshman players need time to develop. Relying on them too much too early stunts their development IMO. Stewart at UCONN didn't start as a Freshman by design.

 

[Volfan2012]

Carter came out of high school a good shooter and regressed from her freshman season through the last two season.
Reynolds is going in the same direction.
Cooper is a player that is trying to do to much just throwing up some wild shots needs to get under control. She could shoot in the 40's if she would take the shots she can make.
Jones is another that was a better shooter early here and has went in the other direction.
I don't know why this is happening but it is really suspicious how all these players were better shooters in high school and as freshmen at Tennessee then started heading downward.

 

[Amb3096]

Carter came out of high school a good shooter and regressed from her freshman season through the last two season.
Reynolds is going in the same direction.
Cooper is a player that is trying to do to much just throwing up some wild shots needs to get under control. She could shoot in the 40's if she would take the shots she can make.
Jones is another that was a better shooter early here and has went in the other direction.
I don't know why this is happening but it is really suspicious how all these players were better shooters in high school and as freshmen at Tennessee then started heading downward.

There's a big difference between playing HS basketball and playing for a top 10 team. In HS, they are bigger and more athletic than most of their competition, so they just "out-athlete" them without having to actually be good.

Carter/Reynolds were clearly big shots in HS who are being exposed as being mediocre players for a Top 20 team. Middleton is heading in that direction. Cooper looks like she's becoming another Reynolds - confident enough to shoot, not skilled enough to connect. I think she has room to improve...maybe so does Alexa. The ship has probably sailed for Reynolds/Carter.

Jones was misused. She should have been playing in the post as a backup to Graves. There's no reason that she should be playing in the wing, especially given that she's probably the starting PF next year. It makes no sense. Her FG% was better her freshman year because she was playing closer to the basket; move her away, and you have yet another player on the team who can't consistently connect on a mid-range to long jumper.

I think the coaching team really whiffed on this one. Bashaara was a good get, but she is best as a complement, not a centerpiece. I don't care how good her and Russell are...if the guards don't produce, this team is watching the FF from home.

 

[Volfan2012]

There's a big difference between playing HS basketball and playing for a top 10 team. In HS, they are bigger and more athletic than most of their competition, so they just "out-athlete" them without having to actually be good.

Carter/Reynolds were clearly big shots in HS who are being exposed as being mediocre players for a Top 20 team. Middleton is heading in that direction. Cooper looks like she's becoming another Reynolds - confident enough to shoot, not skilled enough to connect. I think she has room to improve...maybe so does Alexa. The ship has probably sailed for Reynolds/Carter.

Jones was misused. She should have been playing in the post as a backup to Graves. There's no reason that she should be playing in the wing, especially given that she's probably the starting PF next year. It makes no sense. Her FG% was better her freshman year because she was playing closer to the basket; move her away, and you have yet another player on the team who can't consistently connect on a mid-range to long jumper.

I think the coaching team really whiffed on this one. Bashaara was a good get, but she is best as a complement, not a centerpiece. I don't care how good her and Russell are...if the guards don't produce, this team is watching the FF from home.

High School doesn't account for their freshmen years at Tennessee when they shot far better than any year since. Carter 46 percent as a freshman. She hasn't seen 40 percent since. Same for the other freshman year was their best year offensively.

 

[Amb3096]

High School doesn't account for their freshmen years at Tennessee when they shot far better than any year since. Carter 46 percent as a freshman. She hasn't seen 40 percent since. Same for the other freshman year was their best year offensively.

Carter was helped because she played alongside volume shooter Simmons, freshman Graves, and Izzy. She wasn't relied to score as much. But she still had the same panicky, terrified play in big games like the MD loss in the NCAAT. It was always there; she was just able to hide. Once Simmons left, she had no where to hide and got exposed. It was made even worst this year with Izzy, Burdick and Ariel leaving.

I don't think Reynolds played enough freshman year to get a sense of how good a shooter she really is. I think last year was the first she consistently played meaningful minutes. What you see is what you get.

Time will tell with Cooper and Middleton.

 

[PayDay99]

The reason we shouldn't hire from the Summitt tree is because she was average, at best, tactically and won due to her recruiting, force of will and superior ability to manage and motivate players. So, unless you can get someone to replicate her strengths (You can't), then you get someone who is solid at the X's and O's and forget trying to recreate the Pat Summitt tenure.

+!

Like most college sports, bball is all about recruiting. You hire a dynamic recruiter (SC, hello?) and a lot of things take care of themselves, e.g., only solid at the X and Os is fine. Sometimes you get both unexpectedly, but recruiting is always more important, and the facilities (the LVs only built in advantage at this point) will help with that.

 

[LVJeff]

Carter came out of high school a good shooter and regressed from her freshman season through the last two season.
Reynolds is going in the same direction.
Cooper is a player that is trying to do to much just throwing up some wild shots needs to get under control. She could shoot in the 40's if she would take the shots she can make.
Jones is another that was a better shooter early here and has went in the other direction.
I don't know why this is happening but it is really suspicious how all these players were better shooters in high school and as freshmen at Tennessee then started heading downward.

I wonder whether there isn't a systemic component to any such regression. Is it something they are or are not doing in practice or are being told?

 

[clkou]

Getting the best/better players isn't good enough in today's landscape. There are less skill differences than there used to be. Basketball is played and promoted everywhere. A team that knows the X's and O's can make up a lot of ground versus a team that doesn't but is more "talented".

 

[Volicity]

Carter was helped because she played alongside volume shooter Simmons, freshman Graves, and Izzy. She wasn't relied to score as much. But she still had the same panicky, terrified play in big games like the MD loss in the NCAAT. It was always there; she was just able to hide. Once Simmons left, she had no where to hide and got exposed. It was made even worst this year with Izzy, Burdick and Ariel leaving.

I don't think Reynolds played enough freshman year to get a sense of how good a shooter she really is. I think last year was the first she consistently played meaningful minutes. What you see is what you get.

Time will tell with Cooper and Middleton.

Middleton has never been a player. You can't snowbird in college ball and that has been her only way to score. She is too slow, can't create a shot, can't handle the ball and isn't a Div I player.

 

[Amb3096]

Middleton has never been a player. You can't snowbird in college ball and that has been her only way to score. She is too slow, can't create a shot, can't handle the ball and isn't a Div I player.

I'm not ready to write her off just yet. UConn had that one girl who was their starting PG for Diana's last 2 NCs, and she was slow, couldn't create her own shot and wasn't a good defender. Yet, she could camp out beyond the arc and fire off threes when the defense was focusing on Taurasi and Strother. There's no reason that Middleton can't play a similar role for Tennessee.

 

[cwbytruckers]

I'm not ready to write her off just yet. UConn had that one girl who was their starting PG for Diana's last 2 NCs, and she was slow, couldn't create her own shot and wasn't a good defender. Yet, she could camp out beyond the arc and fire off threes when the defense was focusing on Taurasi and Strother. There's no reason that Middleton can't play a similar role for Tennessee.

She would have to be able to hit the broad side of a barn to play that roll

 

[Martic]

Carter came out of high school a good shooter and regressed from her freshman season through the last two season.
Reynolds is going in the same direction.
Cooper is a player that is trying to do to much just throwing up some wild shots needs to get under control. She could shoot in the 40's if she would take the shots she can make.
Jones is another that was a better shooter early here and has went in the other direction.
I don't know why this is happening but it is really suspicious how all these players were better shooters in high school and as freshmen at Tennessee then started heading downward.

It seems that after Carter had her shoulder surgery she wasn't the same. Jones was (I think) coming into her own before the concussion issue last year. Now back to being shaky Jones. I just can't believe that no one on this team can shoot!!! The lay ups missed??? Frustrating Even DD threw up ill advised shots. What happened to the new offense Holly was going to have this year.

 

[gule]

good question

 

[Volicity]

I'm not ready to write her off just yet. UConn had that one girl who was their starting PG for Diana's last 2 NCs, and she was slow, couldn't create her own shot and wasn't a good defender. Yet, she could camp out beyond the arc and fire off threes when the defense was focusing on Taurasi and Strother. There's no reason that Middleton can't play a similar role for Tennessee.

Did you see the game last night? I stand by my statement. She missed the broad side of the barn on the air ball last night. She wouldn't be a standout at ETSU or UTC or anybody else we played