How is Russell Going to Develop Like This?

#28
#28
TNRitz said:
Post players ALWAYS take longer to develop! There are few, if any, centers that have had super star freshman seasons. She has the potential to become something really special. Like others have stated, the main areas to improve are her strength, and quickness. The skill set is already there; it's just getting her body into the condition to handle the physical aspects of the college game. She does need to work on improving her free throws, which she is hopefully doing so now.
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I seem to remember she was a good free throw shooter in HS.
 
#29
#29
I think she got her confidence rattled on the fee throw line early this year,but she seems to be slowly coming out of it Convoluted
 
#31
#31
Vols4life said:
I laugh with the overrated #1 recruit stuff....I guess some have a short term memory and forget that even the great Griner was a weak freshman post player and took her a while to adjust to college...you gotta remember in high school they played against no one near as tall so she had it her way...given the time she will develop and be a fantastic player for the lady vols just like Glory and Izzy
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I laugh at this post . Speaking of short term memory. If you call weak , being 2nd team All American , averaging 18.4 ppg 8.5 rpg and 6.4 bpg and setting the NCAA single season record for blocks, then I guess you would be correct
 
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#33
#33
I have no idea whats going on with Russell but I know that often the problem is not having the will to win, but rather the will to prepare...in no way am I comparing myself to her but as a kid I had athletic talents I didn't develop and it wasn't a case of not wanting to but not wanting to enough....
 
#34
#34
okay seriously stop acting like DeShields has been the best freshman in the nation all season long based off that one game against Duke.


Now back to the topic at hand how can Russell or any of our post touch the ball when everyone else on the team rarely ever passes it to them? too many times I've seen them not pass it inside to Russell, Harrison and Graves. If you are posting up on the block and trying to battle for the best position possible, timing is always key and if the post has worked hard to get the best position possible they should be rewarded and given the ball at that time. I agree on Russell needing to bulk up and get stronger, by this time next year i expect to see improvements from her. by then she should be able to use her size and strength to her advantage. she needs to use this summer to improve and work on her weaknesses by watching film on herself. i would like to see her and the coaching staff reach out to Parker to work with her too.
 
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#35
#35
soda23 said:
I laugh at this post . Speaking of short term memory. If you call weak , being 2nd team All American , averaging 18.4 ppg 8.5 rpg and 6.4 bpg and setting the NCAA single season record for blocks, then I guess you would be correct
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Go back to her first few months of playing when she played teams that could be physical with her...I remember Cain eating her lunch but to Griner's credit she got better as the season went on cause she was always a good 4 or 5 inches taller than everyone she faced
 
#36
#36
WVU05UT09 said:
Should have happened in the off season last year.
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Since she was playing with the junior Team USA, she didn't spend much of the summer here, when the majority of the weight program goes on. With practice starting earlier this year, that cut more time off.

Russell came to UT having NEVER been in an organized weight training program before in her life. They had to bring her along slower than most in the weight room because she didn't have any background to build on.
 
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#37
#37
quit bringing facts into these discussions DeerPark12 :)

just kidding,but it will be good to see how much she may improve from this year to next,after being in a SEC SnC program,adding some more strength and working on her foot work will go a long way in her career at UT
 
#39
#39
Vols4life said:
Go back to her first few months of playing when she played teams that could be physical with her...I remember Cain eating her lunch but to Griner's credit she got better as the season went on cause she was always a good 4 or 5 inches taller than everyone she faced
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I did , double digit scoring in her first 12 games , that's really struggling . I stopped after that because it appeared this statement was as ludicrous as your statement about ,her being a weak post player, her freshman year. I am sure she struggled a few games along the way everyone does, but to say she was weak was flat out wrong . 2nd team AA is not weak in anyone's book.
When is Lewis going to get better because she is 2-3 inches taller than everyone else ?
 
#40
#40
Elvis was a weak singer his first couple of years. He got turned down by one band and then the grand ole opry. The rest is history. Give a player a chance she is hitting 59 percent of her shots so maybe she just needs to shoot more. Oh wait she can't she is a freshman and playing behind a junior.
Elvis-Presley-009.jpg
 
#41
#41
The women's game has become lots more athletic than in years past--lots more players like Harrison, better passing and offense, which makes it tougher for bigs like Russell, to have an impact unless they can really get up and down the court. Russell moves reasonable well, and she could help complement Harrison by giving us some size and defensive presence in the paint against certain teams. Yes, my basic point is that we should be giving her the ball more so she can practice some real post moves--pivoting and shooting off glass, for example. One problem is that we've got players who are crappy post players and don't know how to get the ball inside properly--or WHEN. You have to recognize when a post has got great position and in those 2 seconds get her the ball. It gets back to being a good passing team. Russell works hard to establish position on offense when she's in the game--but she has gotten the ball very little. Get her the ball. Push her development a little more aggressively. And the same with Moore and Graves on offense--push their development.
 
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#42
#42
Graves is far better facing than posting. I think she is to short to play a post position especially against SEC inside players. I notice that when she get the ball at the foul line she can make a move to score or shoot the short jumper. She fails more in the post than anywhere else she takes shots. When Russell catches in the post she scores most of the time or gets fouled. Sometimes the fouls are not called. She hasn't grown into her body yet see that happen with a lot of tall people she'll be better next season, but her junior year is when she will really shine. She will be All SEC that season.
 
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#43
#43
armchair said:
The women's game has become lots more athletic than in years past--lots more players like Harrison, better passing and offense, which makes it tougher for bigs like Russell, to have an impact unless they can really get up and down the court. Russell moves reasonable well, and she could help complement Harrison by giving us some size and defensive presence in the paint against certain teams. Yes, my basic point is that we should be giving her the ball more so she can practice some real post moves--pivoting and shooting off glass, for example. One problem is that we've got players who are crappy post players and don't know how to get the ball inside properly--or WHEN. You have to recognize when a post has got great position and in those 2 seconds get her the ball. It gets back to being a good passing team. Russell works hard to establish position on offense when she's in the game--but she has gotten the ball very little. Get her the ball. Push her development a little more aggressively. And the same with Moore and Graves on offense--push their development.
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or is the game changing because there aren't more players like Russell ?
 
#44
#44
armchair said:
The women's game has become lots more athletic than in years past--lots more players like Harrison, better passing and offense, which makes it tougher for bigs like Russell, to have an impact unless they can really get up and down the court. Russell moves reasonable well, and she could help complement Harrison by giving us some size and defensive presence in the paint against certain teams. Yes, my basic point is that we should be giving her the ball more so she can practice some real post moves--pivoting and shooting off glass, for example. One problem is that we've got players who are crappy post players and don't know how to get the ball inside properly--or WHEN. You have to recognize when a post has got great position and in those 2 seconds get her the ball. It gets back to being a good passing team. Russell works hard to establish position on offense when she's in the game--but she has gotten the ball very little. Get her the ball. Push her development a little more aggressively. And the same with Moore and Graves on offense--push their development.
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The problem Russell needs to conquer is getting up and down the court faster. That's not easy because she's got to run the entire length of the court from end line to end line on every play to get into proper position. If she doesn't get there in time, she's not going to get the ball or make the defensive play. Enough running up and down without touching the ball and it gets discouraging. But, perhaps it's her fault for not being fast enough. Those lucky guards only have to run a few feet from back court to backcourt and they're not lugging around extra inches of height and weight. A great post is strong, fast and has great stamina too. Being big isn't as important (I didn't say unimportant, just unimportant without the other two qualities). That's why Tina Charles was so great. Graves has more potential as a post, but she seems to have lost her motivation and isn't learning new moves. That's on the coaches.
 
#46
#46
WVU05UT09 said:
Wrong, I wouldn't want any piece of North Carolina in the post season. DeShields is a fantastic player.
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North Carolina just lost to not only an unranked, but Virginia Tech who has a LOSING record @ 13-14 and 3-11 in the ACC. Just because North Carolina has some talent and may be a contender in the future doesn't mean they aren't rebuilding now and DeShields being their best player as a Freshman is a testament to that. No team in wcbb has ever won a NC led by a Freshman.

If the Lady Vols had just lost like NC did, you all would have crucified them, so don't pretend NC is anything special.
 
#47
#47
clkou said:
North Carolina just lost to not only an unranked, but Virginia Tech who has a LOSING record @ 13-14 and 3-11 in the ACC. Just because North Carolina has some talent and may be a contender in the future doesn't mean they aren't rebuilding now and DeShields being their best player as a Freshman is a testament to that. No team in wcbb has ever won a NC led by a Freshman.

If the Lady Vols had just lost like NC did, you all would have crucified them, so don't pretend NC is anything special.
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I think were gonna get parity in women's basketball in the next few years. I Know UConn has recruited better than everybody else but the last two years haven't been that great. If they fail to get Wilson they lose two top players next season replacements want be as good. Teams on the rise are Notre Dame, Texas, and SC as far as recruiting. If we get Wilson will add our name to that group.
 
#48
#48
clkou said:
North Carolina just lost to not only an unranked, but Virginia Tech who has a LOSING record @ 13-14 and 3-11 in the ACC. Just because North Carolina has some talent and may be a contender in the future doesn't mean they aren't rebuilding now and DeShields being their best player as a Freshman is a testament to that. No team in wcbb has ever won a NC led by a Freshman.

I would refer you to a freshman named Chamique Holdsclaw in 1996.
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#49
#49
Russell had 6 points on 5 shot attempts and 11 rebounds today. She is coming along nicely looks more aggressive also had 3 blocks. She is gonna be a very good player.
 
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#50
#50
I watched the Cinderella season on DVD and to say that they were "led" by Holdsclaw I think is a bit of stretch. While her stats and play was good, I seem to remember her crying a lot tbh and struggling to make the transition to college ball just like all other freshman every year.

But, even if you count that, ok, 1 out of 40 years of wcbb - not good odds for your team if you're relying on Freshmen.
 
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