Lockwood Needs to Teach Graves...

[armchair]

Harrison looks like she knows exactly what to do when she catches the ball. It seems that the guards have to throw a perfect pass for Russell to snag it, so it always look like they are hesitant to pass to her. Graves gets too low under the basket, then tries to bail herself out by tossing the ball at the bottom of the backboard and hoping she gets a foul call. I've seen Graves shoot a 12-15 jump shooter a few times in the last couple of games, and the shoot looks great. If she can pull her defender out, she can get some easier points by driving to the basket instead of trying to establish position directly underneath all the time.

Russell in particular should be able to catch, turn and shoot in a fairly seamless sequence. She's tall, has long arms, and she's thick enough that she's got some mass that shouldn't be easy to move off the block. She needs to toughen up and be more assertive, because she's not imposing herself on the court.

Harrison seems to get it--but I cannot FATHOM why Graves hasn't yet learned a single post scoring move. They could not be more basic! Her lack of an offensive game is a major problem. Good athlete, good size, highly recruited, two full years at a top program, and she has very weak offensive game and very little offensive confidence. THAT, folks, is sorry coaching. Graves has made a couple of 10-foot jumpers this year, but I would hardly call her shooting "great." Her shot is very tentative. And I've yet to see Russell make a post move either--after a full season! I see her make layups, but I have not seen her score with a defender on her back side--not seen her pivot and shoot. Bizarre--but the Vols have a lot of odd issues of one kind or another.

 

[armchair]

Anosike was another post player who had no offensive game. She was an absolute beast athletically, tremendous defender and rebounder--she and Parker completely dominated the paint on defense, and that was a huge reason why we won two national titles. But she couldn't score, didn't even try to shoot until the NCAA playoffs of her senior year! Our coaches do a poor job of building offensive confidence.

 

[djtee]

Anosike was another post player who had no offensive game. She was an absolute beast athletically, tremendous defender and rebounder--she and Parker completely dominated the paint on defense, and that was a huge reason why we won two national titles. But she couldn't score, didn't even try to shoot until the NCAA playoffs of her senior year! Our coaches do a poor job of building offensive confidence.

I will agree with you on Anosike also she had more size then Graves. Anosike was 6-4 but what a tremendous defender and rebounder ever the other teams coach had to had to respect her game. just a flat out beast. Like i said in my other post Move Izzy to the 4 and Russell into the 5. Here is what we do know Izzy has a faceup game Graves do not.

 

[governmentmule]

Harrison looks like she knows exactly what to do when she catches the ball. It seems that the guards have to throw a perfect pass for Russell to snag it, so it always look like they are hesitant to pass to her. Graves gets too low under the basket, then tries to bail herself out by tossing the ball at the bottom of the backboard and hoping she gets a foul call. I've seen Graves shoot a 12-15 jump shooter a few times in the last couple of games, and the shoot looks great. If she can pull her defender out, she can get some easier points by driving to the basket instead of trying to establish position directly underneath all the time.

Russell in particular should be able to catch, turn and shoot in a fairly seamless sequence. She's tall, has long arms, and she's thick enough that she's got some mass that shouldn't be easy to move off the block. She needs to toughen up and be more assertive, because she's not imposing herself on the court.

actually thinking about it doesn't it seem to you that Graves should be getting the ball sooner and more often,while she is driving to the basket ? of course that could be because teams are clogging the paint up on them too

 

[stllvf]

There is an old old joke about prisoners during lunch and over the years they have heard all the jokes so each has been assigned a number. A new prisoner stands up and states #48 and #275 no one laughs or applauds. An old hand responds "you obviously can't tell a joke! Does this relate to some of the unnamed boarders? perhaps

 

[madtownvol]

Do people actually think the post players are taught to bring the ball down? They harped on Nicky Anosike for 4 years and that was under Pat. Did it make her change. NO. In the heat of battle the player reverts to what they have been doing their whole life. They don't get enough practice time in school to get it out of their system. Maybe a greater emphasis should be put on it, but they are being coached to keep the ball up.

The comparison to Nicky Anosike is spot on. Both had the same tendency and both shared another important trait. They were good athletes who could not jump two inches of the floor. And at 6-2, 6-3, they were often matching up against post players who were taller or could jump much higher.

So, if they tried to keep the ball "way up high" and shoot in one motion, more of than not - BLOCKED SHOT.

These players and coaches aren't stupid nor are the players inexplicably locked into bad habits. There are reasons they have these tendencies. Nicky found ways to compensate and that is the challenge facing Graves. I think fakes and jump hooks might make more sense. A jump hook gives you some space and keeps defenders at bay.

 

[volcrazy89]

Glory was bad about bringing the ball down when she got to UT. That was coached out of her. So yes, with coaching it can be corrected.

 

[Volfan2012]

How to catch and shoot the ball in almost one motion. Every time she catches a pass or grabs a rebound, she brings the ball down to waist level, bends over and THEN tries to go up and shoot. It's like she needs to gather herself before shooting. No good. She is wasting time and wasting movement--and giving the defense time to recover. And then she tenses up and fights the shot and misses another 3-foot shot. She's painful to watch. Where has Lockwood been with this kid?

If you catch the ball head high, extend your arms and shoot the freakin' ball. Get rid of it! Quick release, soft touch. Lockwood should watch some tapes of Bernard King--UT's best-ever player--and then show them to Graves (and everybody else). King was an absolute master of the quick release, soft touch: no wasted motion, no wasted time. He'd catch the ball and an instant later it was bouncing gently off the glass and through the hoop. Graves doesn't have the King touch, but at least she can work on a quick, one-motion release. Keep your arms (and the ball) up. Don't bring the ball down, because then you have to bring it up again to shoot--and by then you've lost the easy opportunity. In the 1.5+ seconds you wasted bringing the ball down, defenders have recovered and now you have a more difficult shot. Clang. It's basketball 101. Don't go from high to low to high again. Graves has finished two full years at UT and apparently has not been taught, or learned, this fundamental lesson. This is a big reason why she can't make three-foot shots.

And Simmons? 4-15. The less said, the better. She's back in her low IQ street mode. What are the odds she'll play a high IQ game and shoot well when we really need her against a big dog? Uh, L-O-W.

Somebody will have to teach Lockwood first. The fact she is the same as she was when she got here is on Lockwood.

 

[teacherdean]

Back room coaches are a dime a dozen. If you know what you're talking about, get a job at a D1 school as a coach. 'Til then, nothing more than opinions.

That is all this forum is, a ton of arm chair and back room coaching opinionators. However no matter how bad or good we love giving our opinions. It is Doubtful that any of us are crazy enough to even want a D1 coaching job. If in our wildest dreams we became a D1 coach, we would be subject to the same forum scrutiny. It goes with the territory.