Lay ups and noshows

[gule]

yep! u rite!

 

[VOLINVONORE]

If the Lady Vols had hit half of their layups and held their turnovers to 15 or less a game, they may have been in defeated this year.

 

[leejoek]

If the Lady Vols had hit half of their layups and held their turnovers to 15 or less a game, they may have been in defeated this year.

With our layup failures, I'll rather live or die by the 3s. LADY VOLS cannot drive or shoot. What have they been doing in practice?

 

[Amb3096]

Russell is by far the sorriest #1 player coming out of high school I have ever seen! Idc if you call it bashing, I’m calling it like I see it! I hate we haven’t had a legitimate back up so Holly could bench her!

The way she stood and watched rebounds, sickens me! I almost cried I was so pissed at her effort!

This is Mercedes after every play ——> 🤷🏼*♀️

Yes, it's too bad that Tennessee doesn't have a JUCO All-American or a HS McD AA on the bench to spell Russell.

I saw that other teams have this man or woman on the sideline who shouts out instructions during games. I hear that they also work with the players so that they don't keep making the same mistakes game in, game out, year in, year out. I believe they are called a "coach". I think Tennessee could benefit from getting one of those so these top rated HS recruits don't become busts by the time they graduate and fans don't constantly wonder why Tennessee keeps getting top 10 recruits who don't amount to much in the collegiate game.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Yes, it's too bad that Tennessee doesn't have a JUCO All-American or a HS McD AA on the bench to spell Russell.

I saw that other teams have this man or woman on the sideline who shouts out instructions during games. I hear that they also work with the players so that they don't keep making the same mistakes game in, game out, year in, year out. I believe they are called a "coach". I think Tennessee could benefit from getting one of those so these top rated HS recruits don't become busts by the time they graduate and fans don't constantly wonder why Tennessee keeps getting top 10 recruits who don't amount to much in the collegiate game.

They would if I had them

 

[volnationnj]

They would if I had them

That's a statement that's likely to remain theoretical ad infinitum.

 

[BreatheUT]

What about the games where they hit their layups. Was it dumb luck they made the layups or had they been coached and taught how to make a layup. Amazing to me how it's always coaching when players fail to perform basic stuff that they had been doing all year.

You raise a great point. Sometimes players and teams are just going to have bad games and it is going to be frustrating to watch.

Consider the mens team, most of the time they play with great discipline and passion but in the blowout loss to Alabama they looked woefully inept at everything.

I think a glaring issue is even with all the talent at no point has this team looked dominant against elite competition unless you count the 1st half against Notre Dame. Also, the team has not gotten noticeably better in any aspect of the game throughout the year. The only identity is no identity and an insistence on forcing it in the middle.

When it happens in isolated years you point to a team leadership issue but when it happens year after year there is a coaching issue.

 

[FrozenLVFan]

Russell is by far the sorriest #1 player coming out of high school I have ever seen! Idc if you call it bashing, I’m calling it like I see it! I hate we haven’t had a legitimate back up so Holly could bench her!

The way she stood and watched rebounds, sickens me! I almost cried I was so pissed at her effort!

This is Mercedes after every play ——> 🤷🏼*♀️

Russell is one of the laziest players I've ever seen. I've wanted to give her a kick in the *** for the last 3 years, but this is the first time I've ever slammed her on a public forum. She puts out effort for <10% of most games and otherwise stands around. She's a handicap to the rest of the team, because everyone else plays much better in transition, and they can't do that when they have to slow everything down for her either because she's loafing or they're told to get the ball inside to her.

She needs to spend the rest of the season on the bench. Green puts in a lot more effort, is better on defense, tougher on the boards, and more mobile in a transition game.

Holly just doesn't know the answer. She has said it too many times.

Get a clue. She says that because she won't call out players by name. You think she's going to sit in a post-game press conference and say "Russell loafed around, wouldn't post up so she could receive a pass, didn't bother to rebound, and missed a slew of layups"?

Maybe she should be saying that stuff, but it would cause a lot of divisiveness on the team, and the fans would be accusing her of throwing players under the bus.

ETA: Nared put out 120% in that game and left it all on the floor. It was great to see her screaming at Russell after Russell stopped to whine at the official while Nared was trying to get the ball to her.

 

[LA Vol]

The coaches better have a plan for the NCAAT. If Russell plays many minutes game 1, she'll be tired and stationary game 2. They'd better play the bench as much as they can early on if the LVs are to make a run. Realistically, we only have 7-8 players who can contribute, so we're going to wear down.

 

[sisaq]

Pathetic period. This team may not make it out of the 1st round. Holly has destroyed this program.

That's the facts Dam!!

 

[lvocd]

Russell is one of the laziest players I've ever seen. I've wanted to give her a kick in the *** for the last 3 years, but this is the first time I've ever slammed her on a public forum. She puts out effort for <10% of most games and otherwise stands around. She's a handicap to the rest of the team, because everyone else plays much better in transition, and they can't do that when they have to slow everything down for her either because she's loafing or they're told to get the ball inside to her.

She needs to spend the rest of the season on the bench. Green puts in a lot more effort, is better on defense, tougher on the boards, and more mobile in a transition game.

I wish people would lay off her. Have people seriously never noticed how severely knock-kneed Mercedes is? That physical issue causes a person to fatigue much faster than a person who doesn't have that issue. Look it up.

Honestly, she's not lazy. She has physical limitations that literally cause her to LOOK lazy to the casual observer.

 

[LadyVol1908]

I wish people would lay off her. Have people seriously never noticed how severely knock-kneed Mercedes is? That physical issue causes a person to fatigue much faster than a person who doesn't have that issue. Look it up.

Honestly, she's not lazy. She has physical limitations that literally cause her to LOOK lazy to the casual observer.

Being knock-kneed doesn’t keep you from hustling for rebounds or fighting for position to receive the ball in the post.

 

[lvocd]

Being knock-kneed doesn’t keep you from hustling for rebounds or fighting for position to receive the ball in the post.

Suffering from severe fatigue most certainly CAN keep a player from playing to their potential. Of course it can!

 

[LA Vol]

The coaches know MR's limitations and need to plan around them. She tires easier than some of the other players, and when she's tired, she conserves her energy. Green's going to have to play more minutes or the LVs may not make it out of Knoxville. Green and KK haven't had enough PT this year and that could hurt us in the NCAAT where we'll need our bench to contribute.

 

[djtee]

The coaches know MR's limitations and need to plan around them. She tires easier than some of the other players, and when she's tired, she conserves her energy. Green's going to have to play more minutes or the LVs may not make it out of Knoxville. Green and KK haven't had enough PT this year and that could hurt us in the NCAAT where we'll need our bench to contribute.

That`s been Holly problem not finding ways to use the bench. KK Haris and Green should have been used to keep Russell fresh.

 

[bobkitten]

I wish people would lay off her. Have people seriously never noticed how severely knock-kneed Mercedes is? That physical issue causes a person to fatigue much faster than a person who doesn't have that issue. Look it up.

Honestly, she's not lazy. She has physical limitations that literally cause her to LOOK lazy to the casual observer.

I have noticed her gait for years, although I have assumed it was something hip-related, or an accommodation she made for her bad feet.

So my question is, did this problem just show up when she got to college, or was it apparent in high school? If it was apparent, why didn't those who rated her #1 notice? Or the coaches when recruiting? And if it was not apparent, why did it show up when she got to Knoxville?

Does this physical problem also explain her problems rebounding and catching passes?

How have the coaches adjusted, over the last 5 years, for this?

On another player, why did one come to school so out of shape? Was this a new thing, or was it apparent earlier? And what are the coaches doing to change this?

 

[gule]

and KD

 

[djtee]

I have noticed her gait for years, although I have assumed it was something hip-related, or an accommodation she made for her bad feet.

So my question is, did this problem just show up when she got to college, or was it apparent in high school? If it was apparent, why didn't those who rated her #1 notice? Or the coaches when recruiting? And if it was not apparent, why did it show up when she got to Knoxville?

Does this physical problem also explain her problems rebounding and catching passes?

How have the coaches adjusted, over the last 5 years, for this?

On another player, why did one come to school so out of shape? Was this a new thing, or was it apparent earlier? And what are the coaches doing to change this?

After the SC game see this is the problem i have with Holly will not call players out and you notice the reporter or press pretty much called her out on this.

Q.
Sometimes when your team has lost you cited a
lack of effort, but tonight you commended them for
their effort. They also played really hard last night.
Was that kind of an unusual outcome for your team
to play this hard and still come up short?
HOLLY WARLICK:
Well it is for me. We play hard and
aggressive and we usually win the game. I don't have
an answer for it. Like Jaime said, we missed so many
layups and little shots and it could be their length, could
have been -- I'm not, I don't know what to put my finger
on it, but we really never felt like we were out of it. At
least we talked about that in the huddle and the
feedback I'm getting from our kids. I thought it hurt
when Rennia Davis got in early foul trouble. That hurt
us as well. But we've just got to shoot a better
percentage. I mean we had a lot more chances, we
created a lot more turnovers, but we've just got to
finish, we've got to finish at the rim.

 

[LA Vol]

IDK why Green is used so sparingly. She's aggressive and could contribute. KK is out-of-shape and can't play many minutes. Instead of building up her PT, she sits. She's prone to TOs and fouls so her minutes can be costly. We need a shooter, so hopefully, KD will come off the bench motivated to make her last games her best. Harris might not even see the floor.

 

[lvocd]

That`s been Holly problem not finding ways to use the bench. KK Haris and Green should have been used to keep Russell fresh.

Exactly. Mercedes could be used to great effect in shorter spurts. The moment she feels the need to conserve energy due to fatigue, she should ask to be taken out for a few minutes.

Short spurts for Russell, Holly. Short spurts! Let her know you will spell her if she can take it to her limits for just a few minutes! It would work.

 

[bobkitten]

I suspect the freshmen were accustomed to being the best players on their teams in hs. Now they are just little frogs in the bigger pond--nothing really very special. But they brought in with them the expectations and experiences that told them their play would be successful at the college level. They could run the lane and fling the ball up and get a foul called on the other team. They could miss free throws because they made up for it in other ways. They had "slack."

Then we have the pride issue. The current players were not even born when TN was in its heyday. So the way they are playing, they think, is "good enough" for TN. Those of us with the team from 1974 ish, perhaps we have faulty memories, too. Perhaps we remember too fondly the effort the LVs showed.

The game has moved on. TN coaches need to be looking for the exceptional, the diamond in the rough players, rather than just those "decreed" to be "the best." We have seen, over the last 6 years or so, that being a Mc D AA is no guarantee of exceptionality. Forget about what the raters say about these young women! Look at their play and see if they can shoot, rebound, box out, dribble, pass, catch, as well as do they possess heart, a sense of pride, a team spirit. Can they run the court without becoming exhausted? Are they appropriately aggressive? Can they focus their efforts for the length of a game, repeatedly?

And ask the same things of the coaches. Do they have the skills they need? Can they teach? Can they inspire? Do they know all facets of the game? Can they make adjustments? Can they use the clock and time outs? Do they have a large collection of plays available? Are they keeping up with the evolution of the game? Can the coaches focus for the whole game?

Do the University administrators give the program the resources it needs to succeed?

ALL of this is important, IMHO.

 

[bobkitten]

Exactly. Mercedes could be used to great effect in shorter spurts. The moment she feels the need to conserve energy due to fatigue, she should ask to be taken out for a few minutes.

Short spurts for Russell, Holly. Short spurts! Let her know you will spell her if she can take it to her limits for just a few minutes! It would work.

And if you see her watching the game while on the court, REMOVE her!

Meanwhile, DESIGN some plays for the other post players!

 

[lvocd]

And if you see her watching the game while on the court, REMOVE her!

Meanwhile, DESIGN some plays for the other post players!

Agreed. Since the beginning of the season I have fretted over the underuse of Green, whom I believe could have been phenomenal for Tennessee by this time of the season if she'd been trusted to get there through increased time on the floor.

I'd love to see her become the focus of the offense.

 

[bobkitten]

I've been impressed with Green, too. She has needed more time, more development. She's pretty aggressive and competitive.