Game Thread: Tennessee (13-7, 6-2 SEC) versus Missouri Tigers (11-10, 2-6 SEC) @ Food City Center, 2:00 PM (EST), Live Stream SECN+

Anyone still want Sara out of the starting lineup? She's playing so well right now in so many areas.

Lord please let Jewel stay on fire! Obviously she can't stay this hot, but boy has she been great lately. Thank goodness for her. She should be a lock for SEC POW.

Thought Rickea was going for 40 today, not sure why we quit posting her up as often. But dang that second half was a mystery. It was like the air let out of a balloon. Something was just off. Turns my stomach a little that at halftime, insteading of shooting around w the team, RJ was getting treatment. On her lower right leg. But I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have played her if there was any danger whatsoever. Please, please I hope. Anyway, she got a really nice ovation for the 2000 pts and just saw replay on SEC network and she was genuinely pleased, made a heart and said "I love ya'll".

Sara, Rickea, and Jewel scored 56 points on 22-38 shooting, 8-14 fm 3, 16 reb, 10 asst and 6 steals. That's getting it done friends. Anyone who wants to break up that lineup right now is cray cray.

KJH said post game this just wasn't a good matchup for TK. But that one block was awesome and she'll be back.

JP continues to play at the top of her game. Her fifth straight game with six or more assists.

Our defense sucks, pure and simple. No one, not one, on our squad can stop a drive nor close out on a 3. Hard to imagine it's going to improve much at this point. The "athletic" ones got blown by just like our "slow footed ones". It's a damn good thing we're equipped to outscore teams, bc that's about our only shot.
 
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Jackson averaging 18.8 in SEC play and Spear 17.7. That’s hard for teams to guard. If Puckett can continue to give us 12+ that is a huge lift.

Powell is averaging 5.9 assists with a 2.0 At/O against conference opponents.

Spear and Puckett are both 44% from 3 in SEC play. They need to be taking the majority of our outside shots along with Jackson.

Heard the announcer mention Tess has been shooting great in practice but right now she’s just having a tough season. She’s only 29% in SEC play and her defensive short comings can’t support that percentage. She either has to be 40%+ shooter or an excellent defender to continue to get the minutes she has. It looks to me like she tried to speed her shot up this year and it just hasn’t worked for her. She still does best against teams where she gets lots of time for her shot. Everyone knows she can shoot so she draws a lot of attention out there and just hasn’t been able to maintain her percentage with the quicker shot.
 
I really don’t like the lineup Kellie uses of Powell, Spear, Darby, Puckett, Striplin. Everytime we put that out there teams go on a run, it’s just too slow and somehow too small at the same time.

Darby should only be giving Spear the occasional blow with Kaiya playing the majority of minutes off the bench.

Striplin has to be our backup 5 because Hollingshed still just looks lost.
 
It looks to me like she (Tess) tried to speed her shot up this year and it just hasn’t worked for her. She still does best against teams where she gets lots of time for her shot. Everyone knows she can shoot so she draws a lot of attention out there and just hasn’t been able to maintain her percentage with the quicker shot.
IMO alot of it is just not being in rhythm from not playing very much. Probably a confidence issue now too. Hate it for Tess bc she seems such a great kid. But we kinda knew she'd be odd man out on minutes when they got Spear.
I really don’t like the lineup Kellie uses of Powell, Spear, Darby, Puckett, Striplin. Everytime we put that out there teams go on a run, it’s just too slow and somehow too small at the same time.

Darby should only be giving Spear the occasional blow with Kaiya playing the majority of minutes off the bench.

Striplin has to be our backup 5 because Hollingshed still just looks lost.
I think that lineup only got used bc this was a game that never felt like we might lose, even when they got close. Yeah, it's not an effective lineup.

And poor Jill. Another sweetheart, but damn, she's just mired in the muck right now. Painful to watch.
 
IMO alot of it is just not being in rhythm from not playing very much. Probably a confidence issue now too. Hate it for Tess bc she seems such a great kid. But we kinda knew she'd be odd man out on minutes when they got Spear.

I think that lineup only got used bc this was a game that never felt like we might lose, even when they got close. Yeah, it's not an effective lineup.

And poor Jill. Another sweetheart, but damn, she's just mired in the muck right now. Painful to watch.
Not even sure that returning her to a stretch four in the scheme would help. Thats assuming we can pull another center from the portal and Key returns.
 
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IMO alot of it is just not being in rhythm from not playing very much. Probably a confidence issue now too. Hate it for Tess bc she seems such a great kid. But we kinda knew she'd be odd man out on minutes when they got Spear.

I think that lineup only got used bc this was a game that never felt like we might lose, even when they got close. Yeah, it's not an effective lineup.

And poor Jill. Another sweetheart, but damn, she's just mired in the muck right now. Painful to watch.

I can agree with that, it is tough as a shooter to come in off the bench and find your rhythm right away. Right now that’s where she is though. She either needs to hit her first 1-2 3s or sit back down.

Spear is too valuable on the floor to sit for any extended period. She, like Jackson, can get her shot anytime she wants now. I’m especially impressed with her ability to attack the rim and get to the line since SEC play started.

Jewel has a great handle, you just feel good about the ball being in her hands. She only has 6 turnovers in SEC play. She has 23 assists in SEC play. She understands her roll is to score or get rid of the ball, just doesn’t make many bad decisions.

For comparisons on our duo, last season Horston and Jackson scored 13 and 21 in SEC. This season it’s 18 and 17 for Jackson and Spear. What we gained in balance and ball handling we did lose in defense and rebounding though.
 
Of our remaining six games, we should beat Arkansas and Vandy, and I think we'll win at least one of bama and Texas A&M,
and conceivably could win both--but will obviously have to play well. Three of those four are at home--and so those are must wins.
I think we'll lose to SC, but could be competitive with LSU--maybe even should be. We're playing some good basketball right now,
and so my prediction is that we win four of our last six games.
 
Of our remaining six games, we should beat Arkansas and Vandy, and I think we'll win at least one of bama and Texas A&M,
and conceivably could win both--but will obviously have to play well. Three of those four are at home--and so those are must wins.
I think we'll lose to SC, but could be competitive with LSU--maybe even should be. We're playing some good basketball right now,
and so my prediction is that we win four of our last six games.

Really think we should win all of those 4 but agree we will probably drop one. I think we beat Arkansas and A&M at home. Gotta know this team will be ready for a second shot at A&M, that game was awful.

Bama has a couple decent players. Barker has really improved her percentages and you do have to really guard her this season. Traditionally she has not had good games against us. In her career she has scored only 8 points against us. 5 last season, 0 in the two previous games at UGA and 3 in her first game against us at UGA. Barker tends to struggle with our length and athleticism.

Nye is an excellent 3 point shooter, would honestly recommend just face guarding her. She needs no space to get her shot off and it’s a pure stroke. She isn’t super athletic though and would get frustrated easily if denied the ball.

Bama will be on the road at Vandy Monday (tomorrow) so that gives us an extra day of rest and practice. Should help a bit.


Vandy on the road is the one that worries me most. They will get a big home whistle I’m sure. That’s just a terrible gym to play in and they are improved this season even if only .500 in SEC play.
 
Really think we should win all of those 4 but agree we will probably drop one. I think we beat Arkansas and A&M at home. Gotta know this team will be ready for a second shot at A&M, that game was awful.

Bama has a couple decent players. Barker has really improved her percentages and you do have to really guard her this season. Traditionally she has not had good games against us. In her career she has scored only 8 points against us. 5 last season, 0 in the two previous games at UGA and 3 in her first game against us at UGA. Barker tends to struggle with our length and athleticism.

Nye is an excellent 3 point shooter, would honestly recommend just face guarding her. She needs no space to get her shot off and it’s a pure stroke. She isn’t super athletic though and would get frustrated easily if denied the ball.

Bama will be on the road at Vandy Monday (tomorrow) so that gives us an extra day of rest and practice. Should help a bit.


Vandy on the road is the one that worries me most. They will get a big home whistle I’m sure. That’s just a terrible gym to play in and they are improved this season even if only .500 in SEC play.
Great analysis. 😎
..all points.
 
You’ve got to be kidding look who they’ve played lately. We will know in the 7 games and if DW fills that way 1 don’t care about women’s basketball 2 not a very good AD 3 I have no trust in him for the university of Tennessee in all sports. Thought everyone wanted to win championships not with Kellie same oh same oh every year. Hope I’m wrong not been there yet
Not kidding at all. You’ve got to look at where we were and where we are now. Not compared to where Pat was when she had been building the program for 15 years in a period where there were not that many great players. Trajectory.
Kellie’s seat is stone cold.
 
Not kidding at all. You’ve got to look at where we were and where we are now. Not compared to where Pat was when she had been building the program for 15 years in a period where there were not that many great players. Trajectory.
Kellie’s seat is stone cold.
Relax, Sister. Deebow is the eternal pessimist and has decided their opinion has more weight than the UT administration.
 
Hmm, I thought that was a relaxed post!!😆😆😆
I went back and checked. Sorry for jumping to conclusions. My bias is showing.

It bothers me when folks show up that can’t remember that Coach Pat Head Summitt actually lost basketball games (and had teams that were at the top of the SEC in turnovers).
 

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