Holly is not the problem.

#126
#126
Amb3096 said:
ND went to the foul line 25 times because Tennessee was intentionally fouling them to stop the clock in the last 3 minutes. Half of their trips occurred in this span. But I do agree that Russell/Graves suck at protecting the basket. Bashaara is not built to be an eraser, but Russell is. No excuse for that.

I think the turnovers have as much to do with low bball IQ/mental toughness/not smart as it does with the fact that they are just not good at passing or dribbling the ball. They pass the ball to no one at least once per game it seems.
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The counterpoint is that the problem is not low basketball IQ or mental toughness (not sure how that makes for better passing anyway). We have a team that looks very uncertain of what they want to do on the court and as Doris Burke, in a rate moment of clarity, noted, the team has no identity on the offensive end.

I am sorry that falls on the coaching staff. If the players are not being put into a position to succeed, that is a coaching problem.

Imagine any other program, that had a roster full of AA (and a freshman player of the year) and began the season ranked in the top 5, and then was losing to unranked teams and being hammered by supposed peer schools-- Stanford, Texas, and Notre Dame--to fall out of the top twenty. There is no question that responsibility would fall on the coach.
 
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#127
#127
vol66 said:
I know where you are at and you know I'm for supporting the coaches and players until the end of the season which in basketball is before the tourney begins if we don't make it and after the final loss if we do.

I respect your opinion, you brought a reasonable name to the table, we discussed it, no problem.

As for the latest post, most of the teams you mentioned are all good teams and all teams lose to lesser opponents sometimes, happens every week.

Certainly I know that Pat was not going to be the coach forever, it ended to soon and Pat's last few years might not have measured up...that too happens...often.

The vast majority here, not that I think that's reflective of all LV's fans, want to ride CHW out on a rail. There's a whole thread on her post game presser and not one post about DeShields taking herself out of the game because her shoulder hurt...not injured mind you, hurt. Did Candace Parker pull that? Aside from Graves and maybe Carter, the rest are as soft as fresh marshmallows. That's the last negative comment I plan to make and one more than I should have. Kevin Punter played 40 minutes the other night, DeShields could be that if she wants to, but she has to want to.

GBO!!!
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She deserves to go out respectfully and I'm not going to insult her, but the track record is troubling. I think the sample size is large enough at this point to determine she's not the answer long term. Had she taken over a rebuild effort, 3.5 years may be too short, but that obviously wasn't the case.
 
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#128
#128
Amb3096 said:
ND went to the foul line 25 times because Tennessee was intentionally fouling them to stop the clock in the last 3 minutes. Half of their trips occurred in this span. But I do agree that Russell/Graves suck at protecting the basket. Bashaara is not built to be an eraser, but Russell is. No excuse for that.

I think the turnovers have as much to do with low bball IQ/mental toughness/not smart as it does with the fact that they are just not good at passing or dribbling the ball. They pass the ball to no one at least once per game it seems.
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I don't disagree with any of that.

I'm tempted to share a cool bro story but I won't...I'll just say if you've ever been in a coaches meeting when the poop is hitting the fan for the team and the coaches...folks might be surprised what it's like.

I'm quite sure in this instance they are doing everything they can, they are feeling the pressure, but I'm 100% positive that no stone is being left unturned trying to find a way to get it back on track. Sometimes the leadership on the team can do more good than anything the coaches try to do and I'm not 100% sure that is happening just because we aren't privy.

One turd in a bowl of candy ruins the whole bowl.
 
#130
#130
bowlinggreenvol said:
She deserves to go out respectfully and I'm not going to insult her, but the track record is troubling. I think the sample size is large enough at this point to determine she's not the answer long term. Had she taken over a rebuild effort, 3.5 years may be too short, but that obviously wasn't the case.
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I try to give you the benefit of the doubt, but sometimes folks talk about her like she's Derek Dooley and has a losing record, hasn't won the conference, like 2 Elite 8's are just nothing for a HC with her experience.

I'm only saying this to you because I know you, like me, really follow multiple UT Sports closely. It's taken 8 years in football just to get back in the conversation in year 9. We are nowhere (Dooley reference) in Men's BB.

Are you prepared to do that with the LV's and I won't even get into the money, contract issues...one bad hire and you are no longer making the tourney every year and how much of the legacy, some of which has already been taken, or is just gone are yawl prepared to lose?
 
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#131
#131
The coach is never the problem until he/she is gone and replaced by an actual coach that knows what he/she is doing. At that time the old coach becomes awful.
 
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#133
#133
zaqhhh said:
While I agree with the responders, the OP has a point we have landed top players who haven't turned out to be top players I.E Russell

Could Holly be better? Yes
But the players are a HUGE problem (base talent not just coaching)
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The players are where they are because they are not being coached up! No way pat would accept this half -a lackadaisical effort. She would run their tails til they dropped and they would be terrified to give crap effort and piss poor attitude. Who's afraid of the hand-wringer ??? Not these kids ....!
 
#134
#134
The Holly experiences is over. The end of the book has been written. Question is, how much filler material will be added before that last chapter? Will Dave Hart let the program sink into obscurity before he does something? Does he make the change after this season or does he continue to let the program slip further to the point of no return? Remember LA Tech? Used to be a major power in WCB. Now they are an afterthought.

My opinion is he does nothing after this year. He couldn't care less about the Lady Vols probably to the point of resentment over the whole "One Tennessee" fiasco and subsequent backlash. I predict further decline.
 
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#137
#137
CHW's supporters like to bring up her win-loss ration and the SEC reg. season & tournament wins (along with 2 Elite 8 appearances).

The question is...if those stats are so meaningful, why did she go oh-fer in the last recruiting season? Evidently recruits & their families aren't impressed. Let's face it...DeShields is a transfer, not an original recruit. Despite her flaws on the court, it's likely that we would have a couple more losses at this point without her (unless the argument is that her presence is disrupting the team).

Also, when your record against Chattanooga over the past 4 years is 2-2 (keeping in mind that this year was a WIN...by a whopping 2 POINTS)...and that next year's team will be virtually the same barring a home-run JUCO signing...one has to ask whether we expect to see a vastly-improved team next year or a continual decline (and possible disaster depending upon what transpires during the off-season).

Of course, it's still possible for a miraculous turnaround. Fans like to reference the 10-loss championship season...but then, this year's team doesn't have a Holdsclaw or Jolly.
 
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#138
#138
creekdipper said:
Also, when your record against Chattanooga over the past 4 years is 2-2 (keeping in mind that this year was a WIN...by a whopping 2 POINTS)...and that next year's team will be virtually the same barring a home-run JUCO signing...one has to ask whether we expect to see a vastly-improved team next year or a continual decline (and possible disaster depending upon what transpires during the off-season).
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Next year's team will be worse on paper since Bashaara is graduating. It seems there is a possibility that Jasmine Jones may be done as well (2 concussions in 2 years is no joke). So there goes your toughest player and best rebounder, as well as potentially the player who would replace her in the lineup for 16-17.

Unless Holly finds another Evelyn Akhator in the JC ranks and gets her to sign, she will have an uphill battle next year unless Russell does a complete 180 and the guards learn how to shoot.
 
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#139
#139
Holly is a major part of the problem. The players like her because she is easy to deal with and never causes them not to get their shots per game.
Replace Holly with a tough coach and get the players in line playing as a team and you'll see results in wins and losses.
The players that can't accept this need to move on Geno doesn't take any crybabies and neither do the other successful coaches.
 
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#140
#140
I do believe that the offense does need some revamping, But it does not matter what offense holly draws up ,IF the players can not make a jump shot teams will continue to pack it in , The difference from last year is that cierra burdick could hit a jump shot and Ariel was a great three point shooter. SO until the players get in the gym and make shots from the outside teams will continue to pack it in PERIOD>
 
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#142
#142
There are two problems with this team, IMO. HW is one of them, but I'm not going to blame her for the negative vibe that clearly has been exuded by one player from game one.
 
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#143
#143
armchair said:
There are two problems with this team, IMO. HW is one of them, but I'm not going to blame her for the negative vibe that clearly has been exuded by one player from game one.
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the two problems I see are the players and the coaches.
other than that we're good.
 
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#144
#144
People no matter how much you love Holly and support her, she is not a top 25 coach. It does not take a Harvard scholar to recognize that. She may be the nicest person on this earth but that in and of itself will not get you recruits or make one a good coach. If Tennessee fired Holly today I doubt many programs, would be braking down her doors for a head coaching job. she is not the first person to replace a legend and fail.

Announcers are starting to sound like a broken record with such comments as, the Lady Vols are not focus, they are playing out of control, the team is not very discipline, etc. They dance all around the coaching issue but in essence they are saying that Holly has lost control. We need to quit hoping and thinking Holly is going to get better, because it simply is not going to happen. We have a nice lady who is a bad coach. This program can be saved if the Administration get its head out of its rear and ante up 2.1 million dollars and show Holly the door. Folks we are at the crossroad of mediocrity and failure.
 
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#146
#146
Here is what I see: 1) You have a very angry team. 2)There are factions within the team that have taken away a team ethos and replaced it with a "me" ethos. The other players resent that,and probably resent being put in that position and it not being firmly addressed. These problem players do not seem to rejoice when a teammate scores, or when a teammate sends them a pass that allows them to score. 3) you have players that have limitations, old and new. Mercedes has poor hands and does not play with power.She also does not jump well. Andraya has been scared into not shooting. She was a scoring machine on her 3X state champ high school team. Too many players take quick shots--see #2 above--when no one is ready to rebound.4) some of the LV players are too delicate or "polite" to get in there and scrap5) some of the players need to learn to play defense. You can't recruit just players who scored in high school.

A good bit of this is on Holly and staff. They can fix some of it, and some of it sure could have been avoided from the beginning. I did not have this impression last year of the negative vibe in the team. This team acts more like a clowder or glaring of self-absorbed, overly indulged cats, complete with scratching and hissing.

These are my impressions and observations; yours may differ.
 
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#150
#150
bobkitten said:
Andraya has been scared into not shooting. She was a scoring machine on her 3X state champ high school team.
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This is one in particular that has baffled me. Carter was an amazing player coming out of high school, and she looked like a real spark of energy when she came in as a freshman. She was a top guard prospect. I want her to shoot more, not less. But for whatever reason, it's just shifted dramatically since her freshman year. :ermm:
 
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