Game Thread: Samford v Lady Vols, Tues Nov 5th; Home-FCC; 6:30PM; SEC+ network:,,, Win 101-53

[LadyVol1908]

Speaking of, is Spencer okay? Did she ever come back to the bench last night?

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Two points of concern. Our lack of size in the paint is something that better teams will be able to exploit, You could even see signs of it at Samford. I don't think Jillian is going to be the magic solution to this one disparity.

Perhaps related, this team will need to get better on the boards. If bigger opponents dominates the glass, the whole fast tempo thing goes out the window.

There’s no lack of size on the roster.
And what people have to realize is that getting ready to play Samford and playing against better competition is two different things.
The intensity this team is already playing with is going to go up several notches and honestly that’s a scary sight for the opponent.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Speaking of, is Spencer okay? Did she ever come back to the bench last night?

Pretty sure that was a cramp. Post game Kim said she’s fine.

 

[madtownvol]

Think long rebounds off three point attempts. More energy on ball yields longer rebounds.

I agree but we are not getting to as many of those as you would want against Samford, who are several tiers below the weakest of the SEC teams. So, there is work to be done. I am not saying it can't be fixed. I would put this in the "we are going to be better by January" bucket.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Reading through this forum it’s hard to believe some just find anything to complain about. We have a great young coach that from what I have witnessed is consistently coaching up these girls not just from pregame to scratching her head and no halftime adjustments. But from pregame to the final buzzer. She seems engaged with officials. I don’t think we have witnessed 5% of her basketball knowledge. I believe coach is going to get these girls playing better with every game. Yes we will lose a few. But I believe the best is yet to come.

 

[madtownvol]

There’s no lack of size on the roster.
And what people have to realize is that getting ready to play Samford and playing against better competition is two different things.
The intensity this team is already playing with is going to go up several notches and honestly that’s a scary sight for the opponent.

We have height with 6'4 Spearman who is more of a wing player. Not someone who can match up with wide body posts. Jillian is an odd case, she has not looked comfortable playing at the post or on the wing in her time here. She remains a player looking for a role. At 6'5 should be a post presence but has yet to show that capacity.

But, I understand you are coming from-- This team has no weaknesses; they are going to steamroll every opponent by 50 points; and absolutely no critical comments about potential weak points (since there are none and never will be any) is allowed on this discussion praise board.

Honestly, you should really spend your time emailing the NCAA and demanding that they give us the National championship right now.

 

[LV renaissance]

Yeah I get it, love it or leave it. And shut up about it.

I just have to adjust that ugly and chaotic is preferred over smooth and pretty bc it moves faster. Working on it. I'm sure some of the rough edges will smooth off and that will help.

I can commiserate with you somewhat, as I enjoy some set offenses at times. However, it has been many years since we had pretty set offenses against high quality competition. Indeed, it was often ugly. I also see ugly in players not giving their full effort on defense or seeming not to listen to their coaches. Doubt we will have hardly any of this for as long as we have CKC. I also see some sparks of pretty in some of our assists such as the ones from Cooper to Spearman, Sarah had a couple of beautiful assists, and Spencer to everyone ( esp exhib. game). This should only get better as they get used to each other and commit fewer turnovers. The crowd seems to be in this style of play and can only imagine the frenzy this team we get when they start upsetting ranked teams at home with a flurry of steals. This is to not meant to discount your perspective but pretty doesn't win as much as it used to.

Kim is making an argument with you Glv below.

Or, according to the ESPN article:"There's a lot of beauty in it," Caldwell said . "It's fun to play, it's fun to watch, it's hard to scout. Your teams are generally closer because you play more people, there's more buy in, there's less drama. I weirdly always told myself, 'At some point in time, you'll switch it up, you'll change it.' But it always works. I can't go away from something that I know is working."

 

[LVFan1912]

Last year means nothing to this new edition of LVBB.

But it does. Overlooking competition is never a good look. Not only basketball, any and all sports

 

[LVFan1912]

Without our best player.

We'll know that when they beat a ranked team.

Without our best player??? One player shouldn’t equal loss. It was MTSU. Horrible excuse

 

[LVFan1912]

Exactly. Talking about the outcome of games against teams like MTSU and Memphis from last season when Tennessee in three games have scored a combined 332 points in 3 games for an average of 111 ppg and just set a record for steals (28) in a game in the season opener of a new era is plain ignorance.
Regardless of how those games play out in the coming weeks, nothing about last season is even a factor.
People using that kind of stuff to try to discredit the early success is just lame.

I’m not discrediting anything. The poster said do we play any real competition and i answered that simple

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

We have height with 6'4 Spearman who is more of a wing player. Not someone who can match up with wide body posts. Jillian is an odd case, she has not looked comfortable playing at the post or on the wing in her time here. She remains a player looking for a role. At 6'5 should be a post presence but has yet to show that capacity.

Lazaria Spearman has started games at the 5 spot in the AAC for two years.
You saying things as your opinion and trying to pass it off as a fact. Saying she is more of a wing is just false.
At 6’4, she plays in the post and has had success doing it in two of the top conferences in WBB.
Alyssa Latham started 28 games as a freshman at 6’2 and started games at the 5 spot.
Rarely has the combination of Latham, Puckett, with either Spearman, Ayodele, or Hollingshead seen time on the floor together. Play either of those combinations with Cooper, Whitehorn, Boyd, and Spear and you’ll have 5 players 5’10 - 6’5. Throw in Tess Darby and you could put a lineup on the floor of 5 players 6’feet or taller with Cooper running the point.
In no scenario, does not roster lack size. They just aren’t playing them together.

 

[Mafiaboss]

Historically? Absolutely. Currently?
Not so much. We both received 3 votes in the recent AP poll.

View attachment 694784
We have a patron Saint in Pat Head. This forum does not need a Prophet, calling the masses to adjust their opinions in your likeness. The constant denigrating of the opinions of others gets tiresome. You occasionally bring great material, but it’s usually mixed in with your consistent verbosity.

Taking a more centered, less judgmental approach, and you will be much better received and a larger community will engage you. Just my thoughts…

I think we received a gob more in the coaches’ poll:

 

[Mafiaboss]

We have height with 6'4 Spearman who is more of a wing player. Not someone who can match up with wide body posts. Jillian is an odd case, she has not looked comfortable playing at the post or on the wing in her time here. She remains a player looking for a role. At 6'5 should be a post presence but has yet to show that capacity.

But, I understand you are coming from-- This team has no weaknesses; they are going to steamroll every opponent by 50 points; and absolutely no critical comments about potential weak points (since there are none and never will be any) is allowed on this discussion praise board.

Honestly, you should really spend your time emailing the NCAA and demanding that they give us the National championship right now.

We aren’t playing post position.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Lazaria Spearman and Alyssa started games last season in the ACC at the 5 spot. Favor Ayodele started multiple games at the 5 spot at Pittsburgh in the ACC.
Regardless of what they are being called in this system, they can play in the post.

 

[madtownvol]

We aren’t playing post position.

That is true. Also true is that the LV system will not stop teams who have size and skill in the post from exploiting that gap (or attempting to).

Maybe I am mistaken. Has this ceased to be a discussion board and now functions only as a place to post comments about the flawless and unbeatable genius of CKC?

Don't get me wrong, I like what I am seeing from the team but there are some potential problems in the mix.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

GBO!

 

[BruisedOrange]

Has the entire Samford game video been posted within some thread?

Radio boy been looking around for it. Wanted to see how we matched up against their 6'5" Junior, Bowman.

 

[chuckiepoo]

I’ll post this at the game replay thread also…


…oops. When I find it… nada, found the hilights but not the full game.

 

[Mafiaboss]

That is true. Also true is that the LV system will not stop teams who have size and skill in the post from exploiting that gap (or attempting to).

Maybe I am mistaken. Has this ceased to be a discussion board and now functions only as a place to post comments about the flawless and unbeatable genius of CKC?

Don't get me wrong, I like what I am seeing from the team but there are some potential problems in the mix.

Why would Danny White, who knows basketball, hire a coach who doesn’t have a plan? Answer. He wouldn’t. Speed, handles, turnovers. Kim coaches 80-90 shots a game. We shoot more we score more, including 3s. Let their bigs have their bunnies.

 

[lvocd]

Jillian is an odd case, she has not looked comfortable playing at the post or on the wing in her time here. She remains a player looking for a role. At 6'5 should be a post presence but has yet to show that capacity.

Last night was puzzling to me because against Carson-Newman Jill, on two plays at least, made what I thought were some terrific power moves with what looked to me like some supreme confidence.

Then last night she was a little shaky, and was clearly relegated to playing a lesser role after waiting quite a while before entering the game. It could be she's had some disappointing practices between C-N and Samford -- I don't know. But I do know I was impressed by a couple of bigtime power moves she made against CN because I thought, "Yesssss! This is what I've been waiting to see!!!"

Could also be she's sensitive, too, as far as Caldwell's accountability tracking methods are concerned, and is going to wax and wane with her confidence. It's obvious she doesn't have the quickness the other post-type players have, and so that may be getting her a bunch of dings on the whiteboard. She does seem to me to be the super sensitive type.

But hey, we've had exactly ONE actual game. She can pull it together and be helping this tea, a lot pretty quickly if she'll just not give up on herself.

 

[madtownvol]

Why would Danny White, who knows basketball, hire a coach who doesn’t have a plan? Answer. He wouldn’t. Speed, handles, turnovers. Kim coaches 80-90 shots a game. We shoot more we score more, including 3s. Let their bigs have their bunnies.

Explain to me how "better teams will try to exploit our lack of size in the post" = "Danny White hired a coach without plan!!!"

 

[Mafiaboss]

Last night was puzzling to me because against Carson-Newman Jill, on two plays at least, made what I thought were some terrific power moves with what looked to me like some supreme confidence.

Then last night she was a little shaky, and was clearly relegated to playing a lesser role after waiting quite a while before entering the game. It could be she's had some disappointing practices between C-N and Samford -- I don't know. But I do know I was impressed by a couple of bigtime power moves she made against CN because I thought, "Yesssss! This is what I've been waiting to see!!!"

Could also be she's sensitive, too, as far as Caldwell's accountability tracking methods are concerned, and is going to wax and wane with her confidence. It's obvious she doesn't have the quickness the other post-type players have, and so that may be getting her a bunch of dings on the whiteboard. She does seem to me to be the super sensitive type.

But hey, we've had exactly ONE actual game. She can pull it together and be helping this tea, a lot pretty quickly if she'll just not give up on herself.

Great post! I saw the same in Jill during the CN game.

 

[Mafiaboss]

Explain to me how "better teams will try to exploit our lack of size in the post" = "Danny White hired a coach without plan!!!"

I don’t know what you mean. I just explained how.

 

[Mafiaboss]

Watch the first quarter of the CN game and you’ll see that Jill runs the floor as fast as the other players.

 

[madtownvol]

Last night was puzzling to me because against Carson-Newman Jill, on two plays at least, made what I thought were some terrific power moves with what looked to me like some supreme confidence.

Then last night she was a little shaky, and was clearly relegated to playing a lesser role after waiting quite a while before entering the game. It could be she's had some disappointing practices between C-N and Samford -- I don't know. But I do know I was impressed by a couple of bigtime power moves she made against CN because I thought, "Yesssss! This is what I've been waiting to see!!!"

Could also be she's sensitive, too, as far as Caldwell's accountability tracking methods are concerned, and is going to wax and wane with her confidence. It's obvious she doesn't have the quickness the other post-type players have, and so that may be getting her a bunch of dings on the whiteboard. She does seem to me to be the super sensitive type.

But hey, we've had exactly ONE actual game. She can pull it together and be helping this tea, a lot pretty quickly if she'll just not give up on herself.

But hasn't that been Jill's MO during her Vol career. A "flash" that gets everyone excited that she has found her groove only to not materialize in the ensuing games.

The reality is that it is unlikely that a senior player becomes something radically different. I mean it can happen but the odds are low.