Looking Ahead...

[Pat4life]

I was confident that we would be in the final four next year. But I read an article that said Baylor is only losing one starter and ND isn't losing anyone that even played in the Baylor game. And with UConn being UConn it seems like next year won't be as easy as I hoped. I'm still optomistic, but damn.

Baylor add the guard from Duke too, Alexis Jones, but the best thing about the next three years is...we will have one the best players in the game, on the court, playing for the Lady Vols in Diamond Deshield. She will prolly have them working out tmrw. lol

Diamond is better than anyone on South Carolina's roster, Baylor's, FL State, Unc, Ohio State Kelsey Mitchell is a special player too, Stanford, Louisville, Texas,Kentucky, let's just say everyone but Notre Dame and Uconn for now, and that makes me feel good.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

IMO USC takes the biggest loss. With us we will miss Burdick's leadership on the court the most.

 

[Pat4life]

I counted Tucker's name 15 times in this thread. I really don't understand this. By the time the next season rolls around Jannah Tucker will not have played in a game for almost 3 years (Not counting the 2 minutes or so she tried to make a go of it this season). Not to mention that it is obvious she doesn't trust her knee. And she's going to start and shoot lights out?? I don't get it.

However, on the plus side, I understand she can levitate and do loop-the-loops.

She's still young and the body heals different for each person, next year will tell us a lot about Ms.Tucker, my gut says she's another year away from being a good player, but her shooting was good, and she was explosive.We will soon find out.

 

[Pat4life]

IMO USC takes the biggest loss. With us we will miss Burdick's leadership on the court the most.

Yeah, I agree, that their leadership will be hard to replace, Deshields for sure will be a quasi-leader but I don't know who else has played consistent enough for the players to follow their lead.

Next year, we will still be young team, with most of our best players being Fresh, Soph and Juniors.

 

[Pat4life]

The European trip this summer will tell a lot, they play 3 or 4 games, this will help them jell together. I have such high hopes next year. we will miss Cierra Burdick, Ariel Massengale, and Isabelle Harrison a lot. But so excited about Te'a Cooper, she will give the team so much quickness we have not had at the point in a long time. Also Diamond DeShields has a lot of quickness.

And playing with Diamond will give Te'a
confidence. Yes, I'm exited too.

 

[Pat4life]

That's my dream lineup as well

Jordan
Tucker
DeShields
Jones
Russell

What are your thoughts about about the lineup below?

Reynolds
Deshields
Nared
Jones
Russell

 

[LadyVol1908]

What are your thoughts about about the lineup below?

Reynolds
Deshields
Nared
Jones
Russell

I could live with that...considering we don't know much about Tucker...I like starting Nared in the SG position ONLY if she looks to score the ball more. I doubt Holly starts Nared over Carter there though.

I loveeeeee the way Reynolds pushes the ball so at the PG spot....it makes everybody run and next year she'll have some quickness on the court with her. My only concern is her scoring. She easily maneuvers past guards sometimes only to miss a simple 8ft jump shot. And don't even get me started on the missed lay ups! If she works on her offense over the summer Jordan can be beastly at the PG position with her size and ball handling skills.

Like Doris Burke said last night DeShields will lead the SEC in scoring next year. She's just that good...her presence on the court will allow for a more fluid offense AS LONG AS we have guards who can make shots once the opportunity pre-seasontself. Contrary to popular belief Diamond does know how to get her teammates involved and I'm more than positive she realizes she can't win a championship all on her own.

Jones will be a force next season IMO. She had made strides this season and I believe a lot of people forgot how good she had started the year out. She wasn't as turnover prone and clearly had worked on her strength and offense last summer. I'm glad she got this year back cause pre-season Holly was singing high praises for the strides Jones had made during the off season. I like her at the post more because she's such a tremendous athlete with the ability to jump over most post players with her explosiveness. She also has a beautiful jump shot and can slash to the goal effectively.

And Ms Russell....our prized #1 recruit....I think she'll finally have a chance to show why most services rated her above Diamond. Most post players take time to develop. She'll basically be a junior next year. She's had a whole year off and has been able to play behind Izzy for two years. I have high high expectations for Ms Russell! Shes long and agile and can run the floor pretty effectively.... Mix that with a speedy Deshields, Jones, Nared, and Reynolds and we're going to hit the ground running to a National Championship!

But if course we'll see Carter and Graves in the starting line up! :-/

 

[mlindsay]

Isn't this summer they go play games over in Europe or something. Could get a gauge of how well the team works together and how well Jannah's progressed. Thinking back on it now I wish we would have redshirted Kortney. She needed a year to get into shape and work on her defense and it wouldn't have hurt to add her to the incoming class as a three point threat.

I think next year we should reshirt Dunbar and MeMe Jackson (if Tucker is healthy). We have to land a couple 2016 Post who play at the 4 because I could see JJ leaving next season if she has a good season and we will also be losing Graves and Nia.

My Dream Lineup

G-Cooper
G-Carter
F-Diamond
F-Jones
C-Russell

This would make us deadlier imo. Cooper and Diamond are joined at the hip and knows one another game well. Add to that Carter who also played alongside them during their AAU days, it only makes sense. This allows you to have a bench as follow;

G-Reynolds
G-Middleton
F-Tucker
F-Nared
C-Graves

Reynolds and Nared have played together in Oregan throughout their childhood as well and add tucker who can shoot and middleton who can attack and we will be just fine. I still wish we could have another 6'4/6'5" post backing up Russell

 

[governmentmule]

your right LadyVol1908,I also look forward to seeing a healthy Russell playing in the post,she looked pretty good playing on them sore feet

it will also be great to get Jones back

the lineup is going to be changing a lot till about mid season or so,till CHW finally figures out who is playing good and what combination of players to use

at least that is my opinion of this coming season,which isn't worth a whole lot

the main thing I am hoping for,is a fairly healthy year,for a change,especially for Russell,there is nobody that can bring what she will to the post

 

[Amb3096]

But if course we'll see Carter and Graves in the starting line up! :-/

I don't mind Graves in the starting lineup. As a pure 4, I still think she's better than Jones.

Carter needs to play a backup role if her defense doesn't improve.

For some reason, I see the starting lineup as:

Reynolds
Deshields
Jones
Graves
Russell

Andraya first off the bench (subbing for Russell; everyone moves one position down from Diamond)

Nared second off the bench (subbing for Jones)

T'ea and Alexa third/fourth off the bench (subbing for Reynolds and Andraya, Russell back in for Graves)

Beyond those 9, I don't see who else is in the regular rotation. Kortney, Jackson and Moore will spend a lot of time on the bench, possibly with Tucker depending on how her knee is.

 

[djtee]

Because we're all depressed about the loss, I'd thought we could dwell on next year's roster and see if it is a pickup.

Jamesha Jackson 5'11" F
Te'a Cooper 5'8" PG F
14 Andraya Carter 5-9 G RS SO Flowery Branch, Ga. Buford H.S.
10 Diamond DeShields 6-1 G SO Norcross, Ga. North Carolina
13 Kortney Dunbar 6-2 G/F FR
12 Bashaara Graves 6-2 F JR
2 Jasmine Jones 6-2 F JR Madison, Ala. Bob Jones H.S.
33 Alexa Middleton 5-9 G FR Murfreesboro, Tenn. Riverdale H.S.
1 Nia Moore 6-3 C JR Chicago, Ill. Bolingbrook H.S.
31 Jaime Nared 6-2 G/F FR Portland, Ore. Westview H.S.
0 Jordan Reynolds 5-11 G SO Portland, Ore. Central Catholic H.S.
21 Mercedes Russell 6-6 C SO Springfield, Ore. Springfield H.S.
4 Jannah Tucker 6-0 G RS FR Baltimore, Md. New Town H.S.

There are some things that really stick out to me.
1. We really don't have a lot of size, and the players that we do have who are bigger have not proven themselves yet. Nia Moore will probably not progress much, staying skinny and not have a lot of defensive skills. On paper Jasmine Jones isn't that tall or big to play down low, and in the past she has been known to turn the ball over a lot. Could she become a force beyond what she has been?
The biggest question mark is Mercedes Russell. How much will we rely on her? Can she defend? Can she score in a dominant way? Her freshman year was unremarkable.

2. Guard play...a lot of potential, but again, a lot of question marks. I think Alexa Middleton has the potential to be a great player. Will she progress? Can Jordan Reynolds become more poised and offensively efficient? Will she start at point guard? Should Carter, who is reluctant to score right now, and instead be a distributor? Should Middleton be at the 2 or 1?
Will Jannah Tucker ever return? Can she even play anymore? Will Tea Cooper make an impact as a freshman?

3. We're loaded at the forward position. Graves will finally be able to play where she belongs at the 4. Can Nared progress enough to be as good of a shooter as Burdick (when Burdick played well) to play at the 3? Or will they play her at the 4?
What can Kourtney Dunbar do?

Do our next few years simply come down to how dominant Diamond DeShields is? How will Holly use her?

Next year has a lot of questions that time can only answer.
Possible starting lineup based on Holly's tendencies 2015-2016:
Carter (G)
Reynolds (G)
DeShields (G)
Graves (F)
Russell (C)

May the drought end in 2016 :crossfingers:epper:

Graves is not the answer at the forward spot, She`s to short no leaping ability and i`m so sick of her just throwing the ball up at the basket. I look for Nared to work very hard over the summer on her game and to me she might be the player to fill that position. We have seen 3 years of Graves and her game has not changed.

 

[armchair]

I am bemused by those who put Tucker in their "dream" lineup. The girl has played 1 minute of college basketball, hasn't really play for more than two years--but she is a dream player. Dream is the right word. What, is she the first highly ranked player we've recruited? More like the 500th--and a lot of highly-ranked don't pan out. I hope she really comes on--but she probably won't be in the top 8 in the rotation and therefore will probably get very limited minutes. We need another good wing player, so, again, I hope she comes on.

First: It doesn't matter how much talent you have on the floor if your players cannot play and shoot well under pressure. Our players have consistently shown since Warlick took over that they cannot play big tournament games under pressure. Everybody's talent level varies, but if you cannot play with confidence in big spots you are of little value. Ultimately, the game is about putting the ball in the basket. We didn't even score 50 last night--pretty pathetic. We were leading early, playing pretty well--and then inexplicably fell apart offensively. Warlick should think about why.

Next year: Point guard, our guards generally, are a question mark and potential problem. They all have different qualities--and we don't really have a natural, good shooting guard. I love Carter, she's our best perimeter defender and that is crucial, but her offense is a problem. She was a bust at shooting guard. She is more naturally a PG to me--and seemed to play with more confidence as a PG as a freshman. Reynolds: She is hard to evaluate. I like her physical game, can get to the basket, can score some--but she is not a great ball-handler, decent passer, doesn't go to her right, is inconsistent. Definite upside and more potential if she works on her weaknesses--ball-handling and becoming a dependable shooter.

Middleton is actually a natural PG: pretty good ball handler, nice shot, understands the game. I like her game, but she is the least athletic of our guards and that might be an issue. Hard to know what to expect from Cooper. You can't be a championship team without guards who can lead your team, create in the clutch and score when you need points. Who is going to do that?

Second, the DeShields factor. It will be nice to have her on the floor--but can our coaches integrate her into a COHESIVE offense? They couldn't really do it with Simmons. Will our players be standing around a lot watching DeShields go one-on-one? Uh, yea, knowing how we play I can absolutely see that happening. That is not how good offenses play.

Third: Who is going to make outside shots next year, besides maybe DeShields, and isn't she more of a slasher than a jump shooter? Who will be our spot-up shooter, filling the Burdick role, next year? Right now, we don't have anybody. Maybe Nared or Dunbar. Could be a problem.

Fourth: Russell will give us legit size inside and free up Graves a bit. Russell needs to develop a power low post game--and Graves desperately needs to develop an 8-15 foot offensive game. She is a warrior, improved some offensively this year, has a great basketball body--but she plays too slow. She is too indecisive with the basketball; she is always trying to decide what to do--even as a junior! She double clutches close to the basket--that is why she is always getting her shot blocked. She's GOT To be quicker and more EXPLOSIVE with the basketball, stop hunching over all the time and play taller and quicker.

Fifth, I hope the coaches work Jones at the 4 spot with Graves. She'd be better inside rather than outside. She played wing early this year before being hurt--and I can see why the coaches put her out there:We basically had NO scoring wings, but she does not have the ball-handling and decision-making skills that a good winger needs. Makes too many mistakes. However, she's got moves that Graves doesn't have--namely, a turnaround jumper of a kind that can be effective close to the basket.

Think about this: If we have a top seven rotation of

Carter
Reynolds
Russell
Graves
Deshields
Nared
Jones.......Who in that group is going to make outside shots dependably? Nared is more of a slasher than a spot-up shooter. Vols will need her to become a reliable mid-range shooter, and we may need Dunbar too. I see no one at the moment. Shooting could again be a problem.

 

[WVU05UT09]

This will be Diamond's team, we will go as far as she takes us, the players have to play with her rather than watching her play.

This X10000

Teams are going to sag on and double-triple team Diamond until they believe the other four players on the floor can beat us.

Diamond is PHENOMENAL but where UConn gets people (and to some extent Notre Dame) is they are great at spots 1 through 5. All are shooters, all know their role, and each of them can burn you on a given night. At this point we can only be sure Diamond is consistently that type of player.

 

[armchair]

shrugs. We are not for every one.

It made sense 10+ years ago but not anymore.

 

[WVU05UT09]

Hold on to your panties but I think it would do the team well to stop and watch UConn handle the ball on the offensive end.

There is very little dribbling and when it happens its done with a purpose. The ball moves non-stop with crisp passing forcing the defense to always be reactive and on their toes. I think you see this a bit with our post players, and as the poster above mentioned Graves. She needs anticipate better, know what she is going to do when she gets the ball, and immediately kick it out if the defender has position. If shes holding the ball longer than 5 seconds its a problem.

 

[Volicity]

Cooper, Carter, DeShields, Graves and Russell will start.
Reynolds, Nared, Jones, Tucker, Moore will backup. Jackson will see some time early in the season. Dunbar and Middleton may end up transferring before it's over.

Because we're all depressed about the loss, I'd thought we could dwell on next year's roster and see if it is a pickup.

Jamesha Jackson 5'11" F
Te'a Cooper 5'8" PG F
14 Andraya Carter 5-9 G RS SO Flowery Branch, Ga. Buford H.S.
10 Diamond DeShields 6-1 G SO Norcross, Ga. North Carolina
13 Kortney Dunbar 6-2 G/F FR
12 Bashaara Graves 6-2 F JR
2 Jasmine Jones 6-2 F JR Madison, Ala. Bob Jones H.S.
33 Alexa Middleton 5-9 G FR Murfreesboro, Tenn. Riverdale H.S.
1 Nia Moore 6-3 C JR Chicago, Ill. Bolingbrook H.S.
31 Jaime Nared 6-2 G/F FR Portland, Ore. Westview H.S.
0 Jordan Reynolds 5-11 G SO Portland, Ore. Central Catholic H.S.
21 Mercedes Russell 6-6 C SO Springfield, Ore. Springfield H.S.
4 Jannah Tucker 6-0 G RS FR Baltimore, Md. New Town H.S.

There are some things that really stick out to me.
1. We really don't have a lot of size, and the players that we do have who are bigger have not proven themselves yet. Nia Moore will probably not progress much, staying skinny and not have a lot of defensive skills. On paper Jasmine Jones isn't that tall or big to play down low, and in the past she has been known to turn the ball over a lot. Could she become a force beyond what she has been?
The biggest question mark is Mercedes Russell. How much will we rely on her? Can she defend? Can she score in a dominant way? Her freshman year was unremarkable.

2. Guard play...a lot of potential, but again, a lot of question marks. I think Alexa Middleton has the potential to be a great player. Will she progress? Can Jordan Reynolds become more poised and offensively efficient? Will she start at point guard? Should Carter, who is reluctant to score right now, and instead be a distributor? Should Middleton be at the 2 or 1?
Will Jannah Tucker ever return? Can she even play anymore? Will Tea Cooper make an impact as a freshman?

3. We're loaded at the forward position. Graves will finally be able to play where she belongs at the 4. Can Nared progress enough to be as good of a shooter as Burdick (when Burdick played well) to play at the 3? Or will they play her at the 4?
What can Kourtney Dunbar do?

Do our next few years simply come down to how dominant Diamond DeShields is? How will Holly use her?

Next year has a lot of questions that time can only answer.
Possible starting lineup based on Holly's tendencies 2015-2016:
Carter (G)
Reynolds (G)
DeShields (G)
Graves (F)
Russell (C)

May the drought end in 2016 :crossfingers:epper:

 

[Darth_Vol]

I am bemused by those who put Tucker in their "dream" lineup. The girl has played 1 minute of college basketball, hasn't really play for more than two years--but she is a dream player. Dream is the right word. What, is she the first highly ranked player we've recruited? More like the 500th--and a lot of highly-ranked don't pan out. I hope she really comes on--but she probably won't be in the top 8 in the rotation and therefore will probably get very limited minutes. We need another good wing player, so, again, I hope she comes on.

I can't think of a single circumstance in basketball, men's or women's, where a player has missed this much time and come back anywhere close to the same player....

 

[volnationnj]

Cooper, Carter, DeShields, Graves and Russell will start.
Reynolds, Nared, Jones, Tucker, Moore will backup. Jackson will see some time early in the season. Dunbar and Middleton may end up transferring before it's over.

Cooper may start but I doubt it. She would have to be fantastic in practice for Holly to start her. It's possible but not probable. I have a feeling that Holly will start 3 guards. She seems to prefer to start the more experienced players.
Carter - Cooper-Middleton
Reynolds-Jackson-Tucker
DeShields- Nared
Graves - Jones- Dunbar
Russell - Moore
I really don't know what to make of Tucker. Maybe we'll have a better idea at the start of next season.

 

[Volngeorgia]

1 obviously it is Russell who the Vols will hang there hat on

Nia can be a very good player if she works on her Defense and stop all the fouling

2 Tucker being back into basketball shape is the question,I think she will come on later in the season,Reynolds should be better and like you said,there is a lot of potential in Middelton,hopefully Carter gets some confidence in her Offensive skills,which she has ,as to a who will be the point guard ? I would think Carter,due to her defense and lets not forget our Diamond

3 Graves has gained some confidence in her play,will she continue to grow or not is the question,Nared needs a full season of weight training and I do believe she will be one to watch,Dunbar needs to learn to play Defense for sure and time in the weight room will help her too and you forgot to add Jones,if she can improve offensively,that would be huge


Carter (G)
Reynolds (G)
DeShields (G)
Graves (F)
Russell (C)

could be the starting line up,but Jones will be in there somewhere,I do believe there will be a lot of changes as the season goes along other than Russell,she will be our post player with Nia as back up,I don't think the line up will be set till late in the season

which could be bad or good as we see how the younger players and the injured come along

2 healthy feet... And we drive our Mercedes to final four!!!:rock:

 

[madtownvol]

Per Jannah Tucker, heaven help us that some of us are assuming that she will be able to come back from her injuries and be a contributor, not necessarily an all-American, but a positive addition to the rotation. And double heaven help us, for those who think she might even be able to have a full return to elite status.

Because when it comes to off season speculation, somehow optimistic assessments will have terrible consequences whereas writing off specific players and predicting that the team won't gel, that DeShields won't fit, that Russell will be poor and so forth is uh, the path to long term success.

Okay negavols, have at it and bust a vessel shaking your first and screaming "I'm mad as hell and I am not going take it anymore!" at your computer screens.

To the real Lady Vol fans, see y'all next season and hopefully following the journey to NC #9.

 

[Putbacks]

Hold on to your panties but I think it would do the team well to stop and watch UConn handle the ball on the offensive end.

There is very little dribbling and when it happens its done with a purpose. The ball moves non-stop with crisp passing forcing the defense to always be reactive and on their toes. I think you see this a bit with our post players, and as the poster above mentioned Graves. She needs anticipate better, know what she is going to do when she gets the ball, and immediately kick it out if the defender has position. If shes holding the ball longer than 5 seconds its a problem.

Because of the proper spacing and each player's confidence and trust in her assignment, Connecticut executes it's offense proficiently. When the ball goes through the hoop, everyone has helped score it.

 

[djtee]

I could live with that...considering we don't know much about Tucker...I like starting Nared in the SG position ONLY if she looks to score the ball more. I doubt Holly starts Nared over Carter there though.

I loveeeeee the way Reynolds pushes the ball so at the PG spot....it makes everybody run and next year she'll have some quickness on the court with her. My only concern is her scoring. She easily maneuvers past guards sometimes only to miss a simple 8ft jump shot. And don't even get me started on the missed lay ups! If she works on her offense over the summer Jordan can be beastly at the PG position with her size and ball handling skills.

Like Doris Burke said last night DeShields will lead the SEC in scoring next year. She's just that good...her presence on the court will allow for a more fluid offense AS LONG AS we have guards who can make shots once the opportunity pre-seasontself. Contrary to popular belief Diamond does know how to get her teammates involved and I'm more than positive she realizes she can't win a championship all on her own.

Jones will be a force next season IMO. She had made strides this season and I believe a lot of people forgot how good she had started the year out. She wasn't as turnover prone and clearly had worked on her strength and offense last summer. I'm glad she got this year back cause pre-season Holly was singing high praises for the strides Jones had made during the off season. I like her at the post more because she's such a tremendous athlete with the ability to jump over most post players with her explosiveness. She also has a beautiful jump shot and can slash to the goal effectively.

And Ms Russell....our prized #1 recruit....I think she'll finally have a chance to show why most services rated her above Diamond. Most post players take time to develop. She'll basically be a junior next year. She's had a whole year off and has been able to play behind Izzy for two years. I have high high expectations for Ms Russell! Shes long and agile and can run the floor pretty effectively.... Mix that with a speedy Deshields, Jones, Nared, and Reynolds and we're going to hit the ground running to a National Championship!

But if course we'll see Carter and Graves in the starting line up! :-/

See that`s the problem with Holly there is no way Graves should be guaranteed starting spot. She will not start on UConn,ND,Baylor, MD,Dayton,SC, And i can go on.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

Diamond DeShields will lead the SEC in scoring next season as a sophomore.

6-6 Mercedes Russell will be healthy, stronger, and more experienced.

6-2 Bashara Graves will again be a beast on the boards. She will not be forced to play center.

6-2 Jasmine Jones will be healthy.

6-3 Nia Moore will be bulked up.

6-2 Jamie Nared will be stronger, more experienced, and smarter.

Next season is going to be a Great time to be a Lady Vol fan.

 

[Orange_Mamba]

I don't blame Bash not one bit. Since she's been playing an undersized post role she likes to catch the ball on the perimeter, shot fake, and drive. But she can't do that, because the other players don't cut when they hand her the ball. I watched countless number of times last night when she would get the ball at the high post and the guard would just there and watch her instead of moving. So instead of one one situations; she had to worry about the guards defender leaking inside to. That happened throughout the season.

 

[volfanIND]

1. Everything will go through Diamond.

2. Jones will be the most athletic player on the floor. Girl can jump. I think with Diamond, this will settle Jones down on the floor because Jasmine will not have any of the pressure to produce offensively. Jones will be most productive on the elbow/high block, give Diamond the ball to create, Jones is the perfect 10 footer. Also Jones on the low block versus a smaller defender, Jones just needs to turn around and jump as high as she can and put it in. (as far as low block post moves, Jones is better at this than Graves because Jones can jump higher)

3. If Nared comes off the bench, I think we will see instant production. I really really think this girl could be special for us with Diamond. I think we saw a glimpse of her mentality when we played at South Carolina, she just came in and immediately attacked. Maybe a little out of control, but as a freshman you love to see a lamb attack a lion.

I think the pressure for the off season for the coaching staff is to develop Moore. As a senior and her height, we will need a back up for Russell. Graves is a 4 NOT A 5. Moore needs to work this summer. We can't put everything on Russell for 40 minutes, especially versus South Carolina.

If we pick up Evelyn Akhator, still not sure if we are on her radar, that would solidify a final four chance even more. She is a what-if and not on our roster so won't go farther than that.

For my starting lineup. I'm going to choose SPEED and Major Up-Tempo. Full court press. Intense in your face line-up

Cooper
Carter
Deshields
Jones
Graves
Off the bench, I think Jackson and Reynolds could be put in as well.

Going big and half court offense
Reynolds
Deshields
Jones
Graves
Russell

Verdict is out on Tucker. The hype is big, but no production. I hope this girl gets the opportunity to live up to her hype next year