Holly's recent interviews takeaway

#1
stllvf

stllvf

StlLVF Saw first game in 1976
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#1
The two recent video interviews with Holly take away. Her two sophomores to be went to point guard camp and early indications learning from other pro's was beneficial to both. Similarly Massengale is 75% . "We need her leadership, her vocal leadership" was the message I heard from the Coach.

Then the comments from Harrison provided an indication of the severity of her concussion. No lights, no sound, headache even to talk.

My assessment is the LVs will be using more than one Point guard this year.

The other comment I found significant was how competitive the three freshmen were. And an inference that not all the upper classmen were equally competitive.
 
#2
#2
Good they went to point guard school......They left a lot to be desired from the pg position. It does sound like Ariel will be not at 100% game time, but there are still more than 3 months until tip off.

Either Dunbar or Nared will force Burdick to be a shooter, or she will be an observer. So far, for her career as a LV, she's all conference passer.
 
#3
#3
I think Holly has turned her team over to Soph guards, its going to be stiff competition at all spots. I'm curious to see who will come out as the starters, the hardest workers, the best defenders, the best rebounder, the best competitor at the 1,2,3, 4 spot this year.

Competitiveness, collectively and sustain has been our problem for the past couple of years, as a team. Nice to hear, the youngens are competitive but that is the theme of this year's class and next year's class, and the bonus of ultra competitive DD!

Smart move Holly, personally I think both freshman are better guards, as in can do more on the court, better athletes. A player who never performs well in the big games, never seize the big moment, really don't impress me to much.

Give us more interviews. Izzy sounds focus. She wants a Final Four. I don't care to hear from any other players comments about the season, I only want to hear from the Freshman, Sophomores and Izzy. Everyone else shut up and get in the gym.

I did like the update. Reality TV Lady Vols...??
 
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#4
#4
Well Ciera can either step up or step down, cos looks like Holly love the fact she has legit competition at that spot.

Its one thing to be competitive every now and then, and its another to be competitive all the time. I think our teams in the past had few competitive players besides ultra competitive players, Glory and Izzy.

Our team needs a lil nastiness. WE have become so nice, like Ladies. Giving free layups to opposing teams, no one protecting the basket, no hard screens at all, not a lot of bumps and hits on cuts, we are soft.

Lady Vols, always said, we are tougher than you, no fear.
Now its more like, "uh oh I broke a nail."
 
#5
#5
Pat4life said:
Well Ciera can either step up or step down, cos looks like Holly love the fact she has legit competition at that spot.

Its one thing to be competitive every now and then, and its another to be competitive all the time. I think our teams in the past had few competitive players besides ultra competitive players, Glory and Izzy.

Our team needs a lil nastiness. WE have become so nice, like Ladies. Giving free layups to opposing teams, no one protecting the basket, no hard screens at all, not a lot of bumps and hits on cuts, we are soft.

Lady Vols, always said, we are tougher than you, no fear.
Now its more like, "uh oh I broke a nail."
Click to expand...

physically and, maybe even more so, mentally in recent years. The louisville elite eight meltdown--in the first half!--was proof of that. what's really worrisome is that massengale, who was already fairly soft, is probably going to be leery of physical contact after her injury. we'll see.
 
#6
#6
If Massengale is only at 75% this long after her head injury I have to question whether she should be allowed to play anymore. That is not something to mess around with and I can never remember a player in the past having symptoms this far out and still making it back to play.

Maybe someone with medical training could chime in?
 
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#7
#7
Voluble2 said:
If Massengale is only at 75% this long after her head injury I have to question whether she should be allowed to play anymore. That is not something to mess around with and I can never remember a player in the past having symptoms this far out and still making it back to play.

Maybe someone with medical training could chime in?
Click to expand...
Her head is fine, her knee is 75 percent,
 
#8
#8
armchair said:
physically and, maybe even more so, mentally in recent years. The louisville elite eight meltdown--in the first half!--was proof of that. what's really worrisome is that massengale, who was already fairly soft, is probably going to be leery of physical contact after her injury. we'll see.
Click to expand...


Nice post. I agree. I was thinking the same thing, she tends to play more timid.

No change, I don't forsee a leap in confidence. Now she has another excuse to not play defense.
 
#9
#9
As I have said in many posts the staff has said screw the recruiting rankings...they want competitive girls that hate losing....three freshman and DD....jackson and te'a in the 2015 class...It's a different...the other lady vols better get ready to compete or they will be on the bench this year
 
#10
#10
We have heard the cliche "every team brings their A game" and Lady Vol Basketball for as many years as you or me (Stokely gym years).

The top men's teams lose games when both teams play well and the game is decided in the final minutes. I agree with the posters above that being competitive for 40 minutes in every game is essential. With that comment I recognize that given the competition the LVs will lose games. What I hope not to hear is "we weren't prepared" or "we failed to follow the scouting report" or "we took them for granted"

For example Notre Dame - a game of two halves - a second half wilt. Having lost to them for several years and now playing an away game I would hope for a well-played 40 minute game back and forth. South Carolina is a quality team. Stanford, Ky, LSU ??
 
#13
#13
I hated to hear about what Ariel had to through last season tho, that had to be tough.

I think she would be nice coming off the bench.
 
#14
#14
armchair said:
what's really worrisome is that massengale, who was already fairly soft, is probably going to be leery of physical contact after her injury. we'll see.
Click to expand...

I don't see Massengale as afraid of contact. She drives hard to the basket in traffic a lot. She gets her shot stuffed and ends up on the floor a lot too, but she will attack the basket. I will take that over Carter who has no offensive game outside of breakaway layups and some lucky 3's when the defense dares her to shoot. By the latter point of the season, Tennessee had too many players content to stand around on offense and hope that Izzy or Meighan's shot went in.

Tennessee needs Massengale's leadership and court vision. I hope she's healthy, because the freshmen guards are not ready to run the ship yet.
 
#15
#15
GameTime said:
Either Dunbar or Nared will force Burdick to be a shooter, or she will be an observer. So far, for her career as a LV, she's all conference passer.
Click to expand...

Personally, I've had enough of Burdick after 3 years. I hope she stays on the bench in warmups. Maybe she'll make a fine sideline cheerleader?

You forgot to mention that the highlight reels love her...at least for the other team.
 
#16
#16
Amb3096 said:
She gets her shot stuffed and ends up on the floor a lot too, but she will attack the basket.
Click to expand...

Previous to last year she ended up on the floor a lot even when not shooting. She fell down more than any guard I have seen. But it looked like last year she had lost a lot of bad weight and had put in the work to be better. She had improved so much it just added to the tragedy of having to miss out on playing most of the season.
 
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#17
#17
Amb3096 said:
I don't see Massengale as afraid of contact. She drives hard to the basket in traffic a lot. She gets her shot stuffed and ends up on the floor a lot too, but she will attack the basket. I will take that over Carter who has no offensive game outside of breakaway layups and some lucky 3's when the defense dares her to shoot. By the latter point of the season, Tennessee had too many players content to stand around on offense and hope that Izzy or Meighan's shot went in.

Tennessee needs Massengale's leadership and court vision. I hope she's healthy, because the freshmen guards are not ready to run the ship yet.
Click to expand...


Ariel is ok but she's not better, remember she lost her spot to a freshman a year, before carter got hurt, and those two freshman played better than her to close the out the year, and she's a junior, now a senior.

Big guards wear her out on defense, Carter and Reynolds are better players, just need a veteran mindset. I think Ariel will be a nice punch off the bench with Cierra. They had three years to show us what they got, which is nothing.

Let the youngens play.

1. Reynolds
2. Carter
3. Ariel
 
#20
#20
an article on UNC men's basketball team freshmen was on ESPN and I copied a paragraph from one upperclassman about the freshmen. I include it because it includes words we have stated on this threat about the LV freshmen

“The thing I like about them most is they all have a real tough competitive edge, you can even tell in pickup games and in drills -- especially Joel,” Paige said. “He’s such a fiery competitor, and having that on the team is going to help. Because not everyone has it, let’s be honest. Everyone wants to win, but not everyone is super-fiery and competitive and I think all three of them have that and to go with their talent, it’s going to push our team to make it better.”
 
#21
#21
Ariel's career may be over.

Russell who needs a ton of work, has not been working out because of surgeries. That ain't good.

I see another season 'bout like last year.
 
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#22
#22
Pat4life said:
Ariel is ok but she's not better, remember she lost her spot to a freshman a year, before carter got hurt, and those two freshman played better than her to close the out the year, and she's a junior, now a senior.

Big guards wear her out on defense, Carter and Reynolds are better players, just need a veteran mindset. I think Ariel will be a nice punch off the bench with Cierra. They had three years to show us what they got, which is nothing.

Let the youngens play.

1. Reynolds
2. Carter
3. Ariel
Click to expand...

Ariel never lost her spot to a freshman. She lost her spot, as a freshman, to a SENIOR, Briana Bass, because Pat wanted all the seniors starting. Bass and Manning, two seniors, were starting over better players by the end of Rel's freshman year.

Anyone who doesn't understand that Ariel is, by far, the best offensive option at PG needs to have their head examined. Reynolds should be her backup. Carter needs to stay as far away from the PG spot as possible. She looks lost playing PG and, TBH, annoys the ever lovin' hell out of me most of the time, especially when she is at PG. Why, you may ask? Mentally weak, plays scared, overrated defensive ability* IMO, liability on offense because she's afraid she will miss the shot, dribbles way too much, has nowhere near the court vision of either Rel or Reynolds. Honestly, I fail to see why people are so enamored with Carter, specifically when those same people frequently nitpick at Ariel. It's not even close as to who I want as my PG. (*Both she and JJ are supposedly these elite defenders yet get blown by pretty regularly because they don't understand defensive position.)
 
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#23
#23
Well, the year Draya got hurt and had to redshirt, she took Ariel starting spot. Ariel is not tough and big guards punk her. They punk her in the big games.

See, and that's part of the problem playing players, just for the sake of playing players cos you have no better option or they are veterans.

As soon as Holly had option, she applied the pressure, with Carter, then Reynolds. I would take the skill set and size of the two freshman over Ariel any day. I bet in practice, one on one those Freshman dominated Ariel on both sides of the ball.

I watched 75% of the games, Ariel was a liability, especially on defense.

But you look at the potential of both Reynolds and Carter, they are greater than Ariel. ijs.


And you build a mindset as a coach. Holly wasn't expecting J.J to be a defensive stopper day one, it usually takes about two years, next year, the roles of defensive stoppers should be better for j.j and carter, progression.

I would take the progression or potential Carter and Reynolds over Ariel who hasn't shown us anything, she played better in high school. I bet Ariel won't be starting next year. Holly has turned the team over to the Freshman guards, well sophomores.

I had my head examine. Dr. confirmed it, I am crazy. lol
 
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#24
#24
I had forgotten that Ariel wasn't starting the first three or four games of the season during Holly's first year. Still, by the time Carter hurt herself, she wasn't starting. She hurt her shoulder in the MTSU game, a game she did not start, and a game where Ariel played well. The game before that they both started. The two actually played pretty well together and still do, because they compliment each other's strengths and weaknesses.

Ariel may be a liability on defense, but Carter is as much of a liability on offense -- and probably more so. Rel is not scared of the moment. Carter is, and she isn't even discreet about it. Everyone in the arena can tell when Carter is scared. She acts hesitant, telegraphs passes, and dribbles, dribbles, dribbles. You can tell by the look on her face that she is unsure of herself. Not sure about Reynolds. To me she shows much more promise than Carter does, mentally anyway.

Carter and JJ are the two quickest and most athletic players on the team. Honestly, they are both freaks of nature when it comes to physical skills. Unfortunately, as great as they are physically, they are the exact opposite mentally. I believe you mentioned the term "mental midgets" in another post, and I think that's a very good description of those two. Honestly, it's maddening. They have so much potential, but they seem to be content on acting like head cases. They both needed Pat to coach them IMO.

If Ariel isn't starting next year, it will be because she won't be playing. Either that or it will be because Holly has lost her effin mind. She is simply the best option at PG, no matter how much her detractors want to think otherwise. There is no way a sophomore Reynolds will run the team better than a senior Massengale. If you can't see that the offense looks much better when she is in the game...then I'm not sure what to say. As for defense, let's not act as if Reynolds is some stud defender...she isn't. She's about on par defensively with Ariel. As for Carter...like I said, she should be a distant third option at that spot. I think it's fine if she starts...just not at PG.
 
#25
#25
So you are much more qualified to judge Carter than Carolyn Peck and Nancy Lieberman? Massengale is a pure pg and better at pg than Carter, but Carter is much better than you give her credit for. On defense Carter can keep her feet and her body in front of her opponent better than most.
 
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