Geno: Lady Vols are 'any other school now'

[lvocd]

Regardless of where Tennessee currently sits at the “elite or not elite” table, the next time the Lady Vols and Connecticut meet is likely to be among the most discussed events in the world women’s college basketball since Pat died.

Tennessee won’t end up being “just another team” to Connecticut fans, and, because of that, Auriemma won’t have to be upset that Huskie fans had, once again, been a disappointment to him because they failed to show up and sell out for his elite team.

Bottom line is that, no, Tennessee isn’t currently the competition he once spent inordinate amounts of time in his practices specifically preparing for. Losing to Alabama five consecutive times has established that fact. It is what it is.

However, Tennessee is still the program that gets avid CT fans’ goats the most as is evident by the number of discussions about our “irrelevant” program they regularly engage in. I’ll be surprised if the game up there this season doesn’t sell out.

 

[Lurker]

I'll Preface this by saying "I guess I do this as well". It gets very annoying coming here hoping for GOOD information but we seem to line up only to state the obvious stuff to each other over and over and over again. EVERYBODY knows the LV program isn't what it once was under Pat. EVERYBODY knows our football program isn't what it once was under the General and CPF. So man, lets lay off the mini lecture "let me educate you" stuff and this site would be much better IMO. I still enjoy the Vols and try to approach this stuff logically and enrich my enjoyment by reading profitable post here. And granted some are very informative and entertaining and I appreciate them (I usually can recognize who they are and steer clear of the drama queens). Most of us who have been around for many years understand these things run in cycles and we'll be back again someday. IMO that's why its so critical we enjoy a run like the Mens Basketvols enjoyed this past season. You never know when we'll come this way again....

Brilliant post! Amen and Go Vols!

 

[Volfaninfl2]

.

 

[tenecvol4]

Not to worry folks- one day this slug will just be a memory and a bad one at that- his days are getting fewer and U Conn will just be another team. Hopefully they will get a coach who can recruit within the rules and who will respect others in the game.
There would never have been the level of Women's basketball without Pat and LV- that's fact !

 

[Volfaninfl2]

"orangefloyd, post:]We are not elite nor do we care to be. We do not have an elite mindset in any sport. When you are elite you at least make an effort to hire elite coaches.

I disagree with that now that Fulmer is the AD. He may not be hiring what you consider to be name/elite coaches but he is hiring good proven coaches. Has given Pruitt a blank check in FB to bring that program back, fired the baseball coach and replaced with one no one much new about but look at the results in a short time. Put his job over friendship to fire Holly and brought a coach he believes can get it done (under many restrictions on the coach, ie had to be female, a past LV) and is providing the resources to do it. So there is an elite mindset returning to UT sports now. It cannot happen overnight.[/QUOTE]

Agree with everything except the restrictions part, Fulmer did talk to male Coaches, but they were happy where they were. Don’t think he would have talked to them if could not have hired them.

 

[JohnnyJava]

Well, "any other school" can't bring in McDonald's All-Americans at will like we can. So, we just really need some coaching and development to bring the fear back to his heart and make him choke on his obnoxious words.

 

[brassie]

Regardless of where Tennessee currently sits at the “elite or not elite” table, the next time the Lady Vols and Connecticut meet is likely to be among the most discussed events in the world women’s college basketball since Pat died.

Tennessee won’t end up being “just another team” to Connecticut fans, and, because of that, Auriemma won’t have to be upset that Huskie fans had, once again, been a disappointment to him because they failed to show up and sell out for his elite team.

Bottom line is that, no, Tennessee isn’t currently the competition he once spent inordinate amounts of time in his practices specifically preparing for. Losing to Alabama five consecutive times has established that fact. It is what it is.

However, Tennessee is still the program that gets avid CT fans’ goats the most as is evident by the number of discussions about our “irrelevant” program they regularly engage in. I’ll be surprised if the game up there this season doesn’t sell out.

I hope both games are sell outs. From a SBNation article - "A portion of the proceeds from both games will be donated to the Pat Summitt Foundation in honor of the former Vols coach who died in 2016 . . . . "

 

[vettefool]

Does just any school have 8 banners? No... This is Geno being the d*** that he is. The point of his comment was to get a rise out of the Tennessee fan base. He still has a stick up his butt about Pat's allegations against him. It's very Spurrier-esque, except that Steve could also be funny, whereas Geno is just patronizing and flippant.

He may be trying to get more fans to attend a one sided game, with little outside interest outside of Tennessee fans. Thanks again Holly and the worthless A.D.s who let her keep this job for so long. Including you Fulmer.

 

[djohnnyg]

Holly did a LOT of damage to.the program. She was a disaster. That's something we'll have to dig out from.

 

[vettefool]

I read the article and can provide a bit of context. The title is click bait, the comments are more related to high media coverage / interest in UConn - Tenn series renewing relative to coverage given to who they have been playing regularly. It wasn't so much a dig at Tenn, as much of a dig at the lack of recognition of who UConn regularly / historically schedules.

Makes sense, another inter web troll job.

 

[1reVOLver]

If the posters on the Boneyard and other CT fan sites are representative of CT Husky WBB fans, then Auriemma isn't wrong. Their most heated rivalry is with ND.
For them, other significant rivals include Stanford, Baylor, Louisville, and maybe Maryland. They take Miss. State seriously, as well as Oregon and a couple of others. A decade ago, we were, emphasis on past tense, their primary rival. Today we are just another decent OOC game with a faint aura of history.

 

[madtownvol]

I read the article and can provide a bit of context. The title is click bait, the comments are more related to high media coverage / interest in UConn - Tenn series renewing relative to coverage given to who they have been playing regularly. It wasn't so much a dig at Tenn, as much of a dig at the lack of recognition of who UConn regularly / historically schedules.

Just want to reiterate WestCoastPup's factual assessment of the article. On the web, people are quick to get upset by assuming that something outrageous has been said, rather than actually reading what WAS said.

But let's go with the idea that everyone is getting worked up about-- The LVs finished back of the back in the SEC and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs (after barely getting off the bubble). They are a run of the mill team until they prove otherwise. NO one insisting that LA Tech or Immaculata (an AIAW powerhouse) is relevant today because of their distant legacy.

There is much work to be done for the LVs to be relevant on the national stage again and Coach Harper knows it.

 

[SEC FAN 1111]

The guy is a total tool. UConn has 11 titles Tennesee has 8! Two of the most storied programs ever! He’s just worried now that holly is gone. He couldn’t hack it as a men’s coach!

 

[Voltopia]

Just want to reiterate WestCoastPup's factual assessment of the article. On the web, people are quick to get upset by assuming that something outrageous has been said, rather than actually reading what WAS said.

Here's the thing about that though -- I submit that Auriemma was taking a dig at Tennessee and knew exactly what he was doing when he commented. Let's take the Tennessee football team as an example. Even with their historic lack of relevance in the past 15 years, I don't think I've ever heard Nick Saban say it was just another game. And I can think of many times where, again, even in the face of Tennessee's lack of football relevance for the past decade, he's continued to call it the most important rivalry game for Alabama. Tennessee-Alabama, along with Alabama-Auburn, is a cornerstone rivalry in the SEC, and Saban knows this. And going off that perspective, if I think about other rivalries, in football, basketball, whatever, I can't think of many times where I've heard one of the coaches in such a situation wave off their most historically significant rivalry as if it was just another game.

Even WITH Tennessee's struggles, if you think of women's basketball, the biggest rivalry of all time is Tennessee-Connecticut. It transcended the sport, and was a phenomenon 20 years ahead of the game's current state. But now it's just another game? Yeah. It wasn't the biggest diss ever, but I think ol' Auriemma knew what he was doing -- and what he was saying.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

UConn is about to look at the backs of Notre Dame.Baylor and Stanford as they take over Women's College Basketball

Not sure how that helps the LV.

 

[k-town_king]

That's what happens when you hire two unqualified coaches.

 

[VolsSportsFan]

Does just any school have 8 banners? No... This is Geno being the d*** that he is. The point of his comment was to get a rise out of the Tennessee fan base. He still has a stick up his butt about Pat's allegations against him. It's very Spurrier-esque, except that Steve could also be funny, whereas Geno is just patronizing and flippant.

UCLA men have 11 banners; how relevant are they?

 

[The Crimson Cried]

I'm sure it pained him to say that and that strategy wasn't involved at all.

 

[Coach Jumper]

What if he's trying to raise everyone's hackles and inject some small amount of life into this obvious non-rivalry. Tennessee doesn't have any burning rivalries right now, except maybe someone like UTC.

I like the way you think.
good spin

UConn is about to look at the backs of Notre Dame.Baylor and Stanford as they take over Women's College Basketball

I disagree
I think what we are about to find out is "just how good is Geno?"
Frustration and fervor are very close to each other,,,this is where we get to see if he is "all that and a pan of cornbread"

Well, "any other school" can't bring in McDonald's All-Americans at will like we can. So, we just really need some coaching and development to bring the fear back to his heart and make him choke on his obnoxious words.

Agreed

 

[Coach Jumper]

I'll Preface this by saying "I guess I do this as well". It gets very annoying coming here hoping for GOOD information but we seem to line up only to state the obvious stuff to each other over and over and over again. EVERYBODY knows the LV program isn't what it once was under Pat. EVERYBODY knows our football program isn't what it once was under the General and CPF. So man, lets lay off the mini lecture "let me educate you" stuff and this site would be much better IMO. I still enjoy the Vols and try to approach this stuff logically and enrich my enjoyment by reading profitable post here. And granted some are very informative and entertaining and I appreciate them (I usually can recognize who they are and steer clear of the drama queens). Most of us who have been around for many years understand these things run in cycles and we'll be back again someday. IMO that's why its so critical we enjoy a run like the Mens Basketvols enjoyed this past season. You never know when we'll come this way again....

There is knowledge here

But there is also a nervousness in the LVolNation

We had a very private coach here recently, who fupped duck the program
I need sure would like to hear from some one who has seen a practice

If you're good,
you want the attention

 

[NewDog]

UConn is about to look at the backs of Notre Dame.Baylor and Stanford as they take over Women's College Basketball

No matter hw many times you post it, it doesn’t make it true.

Notre Dame lost all five starters from last year’s team. They will be lucky to make the top 16 this season.

 

[BowlBrother85]

UCLA men have 11 banners; how relevant are they?

That is actually a comparable example to the Lady Vols... Ben Howland showed that UCLA is never more than a few seasons away from #1 recruiting classes (Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, etc) and multiple Final Fours with the right hire - just like the Lady Vols. They are relevant in men's basketball - we very nearly lost our coach to them last month. We will see if Harper is the right hire...

 

[XknoxvolsX]

The same logic can be applied to football. When Fulmer was fired, the football team went to heII. Kinda perverse logic.

We are now just another football team.

Two losing seasons in four years; the football program was already headed on a downward trajectory.

 

[VOL_Lyfe]

headline in 2021:

Coach Harper says Lady Huskies are 'any other school now,' doesn't see UT-UConn as big deal

 

[Coach Jumper]

It will be a big game
Cant get past that

It will also be a good barometer for both coaches entering a season with new athletes that will have to carry early and extended loads.
But we got Jordan and two trees coming in and I feel good about this aspect

Real good.