NCAA Game Thread: (1) Texas vs (5) Lady Vols

[ttharp]

 

[Coach Jumper]

It was very evident today the LVs need some tall athletic posts more than they need another guard.....It would be nice for Coop to learn to put some arc on her 3 ball...When she starts bouncing the ball hard in quick succession, she is going to go right with her drive no matter how many defenders are there....That is a problem that needs to be corrected.

In any event, it was a fun season that we all enjoyed.

zackly

 

[SmokeyLives]

This was CKC’s first sweet sixteen game. She has a learning curve too.

How do you leave 3 to’s hanging while watching your team get gassed down the stretch? Hey Coach Kim was amazing this year. Got out coached today though.

 

[AllVols3]

Maybe we did have today’s best players out there the last 4

They were the best today.

 

[37620VOL]

How do you leave 3 to’s hanging while watching your team get gassed down the stretch? Hey Coach Kim was amazing this year. Got out coached today though.

Because stoppages hurt our system we thrive on the chaos, it's like when Heupel tries to use 11 personnel.

 

[DeerPark12]

Will be interesting to see how the roster looks. See if anyone gets in the portal. If not we have two scholarships need to use them wisely.

It’ll be interesting to see how a lot of things look next year, on the court and off. Certainly, there will be a little bit of player movement, but nothing has to be forced with having this many seniors. But where does Strickland fit in, and with the elimination effectively of walkons, what happens to little Darby?

They kept around a lot of support staff (athletic trainer, social media, operations people, dietician, video coordinator, broadcaster) from the previous staff since Caldwell didn’t have a lot of that before. Was told to expect almost all of that to change.

A good season, but one that will hopefully be a really good starting point.

 

[wpcadetdad]

This was CKC’s first sweet sixteen game. She has a learning curve too.

After listening to CKC’s post game comments I think she has learned a lot and I was truly impressed with her answers and outlook.

 

[HerdLVol]

This video says a lot. So proud of this team.

 

[kell7517]

Coop having a bad game, team bad passing and 3 pt and FT shooting did them in. TX is really good and to their credit they hung in there till the end. I think this was their ceiling for this yr. We can and should expect more next season. I think we all have a lot to look forward to.

I think 9 turnovers and only 9 points in the 4th quarter was the issue. How do you have as many turnovers as you do points. I noticed you said bad passing and that’s exactly what it was. Oh well, good run ladies. Mature and put the incoming freshmen under your wings and run it back.

 

[papatomany]

Well maybe she will work on her handles and passing in the off season, because any coach that is trying to win a game isn't going to put a player that has been loose with the ball the whole game in the final few minutes of a game. You don't have a chance of winning if you don't have the ball.

I don't think turnovers was why she wasn't in. She had a sequence where she took a bad quick 3, then at the other end she was called for a cheap foul. She acted frustrated, fussing about it; and one of the other players tried to settle her down.

Kim sent in subs; and when Cooper's group got to the bench, Kim said one word to each player, except Cooper. She said more to Cooper. Cooper sat down, and Kim went to her again and said something else. Cooper played very few minutes after that.

 

[texas_vol2]

I would be the last person to second guess coach but. . . . just my observation - both teams looked gassed in the 4th. We just couldn't put together a good offensive drive. Time for a TO.

 

[Volfan1017]

Will be interesting to see how the roster looks. See if anyone gets in the portal. If not we have two scholarships need to use them wisely.

I hate that Edie and Wynn will be taking up 2 spots next year, but I get you can't kick them off. Fingers crossed Edie transfers now that Tess is gone. Just imagine what Kim could do with 4 open portal spots as opposed to 2.

Hard to think that we wouldn't have at least one enter the portal in this age, but I could also see everyone staying. I guess we will find out soon enough!

 

[madtownvol]

Easy enough to rationalize this loss but it was a missed opportunity. The TCU upset of ND and TX not playing at its best offered the LVs an unexpexcted path to the final four and they had the players to take it.

I will say that the LVs being up 4 pts midway in 4th quarter on an abysmal shooting night was not on my bingo card but at that point in the game, it really seemed like the LVs starting to feel the pressure while TX stayed calm. The LVs had a disastrous series of possessions with 3 or 4 unforced TOs.

This team had two big losses that have to go in the "coaching mistake" category-- not taking their foul to give in the first LSU game and instead letting Gilbert [corrected on edit] use the final 10 seconds to get a buzzer beater shot.

In this game, after the 2nd and certainly 3rd bad possession in crunch time, it was on CKC to take a time out and settle her team down. They were caught in panicked, frenetic type of play. They needed a minute to regroup and run a calming set play out of the Time Out.

The future looks bright but this season could have been much more.

 

[Vols2015]

I don't think turnovers was why she wasn't in. She had a sequence where she took a bad quick 3, then at the other end she was called for a cheap foul. She acted frustrated, fussing about it; and one of the other players tried to settle her down.

Kim sent in subs; and when Cooper's group got to the bench, Kim said one word to each player, except Cooper. She said more to Cooper. Cooper sat down, and Kim went to her again and said something else. Cooper played very few minutes after that.

I do worry a little about Cooper entering the portal. I do not recall her being in the game the last minute and change.

 

[Scotty4lvs]

I do worry a little about Cooper entering the portal. I do not recall her being in the game the last minute and change.

I certainly don't want Coop to leave and don't think that she will, but if she (or anyone) does, then the program will re-group and carry on. If coach thought she wasn't the answer in this game at that time and a player leaves over that, it just is what it is. You have to coach with an awareness of the portal and with player relationships in mind, but not in total fear of them leaving to where that dictates in-game decisions.

 

[Dak1219]

Easy enough to rationalize this loss but it was a missed opportunity. The TCU upset of ND and TX not playing at its best offered the LVs an unexpexcted path to the final four and they had the players to take it.

I will say that the LVs being up 4 pts midway in 4th quarter on an abysmal shooting night was not on my bingo card but at that point in the game, it really seemed like the LVs starting to feel the pressure while TX stayed calm. The LVs had a disastrous series of possessions with 3 or 4 unforced TOs.

This team had two big losses that have to go in the "coaching mistake" category-- not taking their foul to give in the first LSU game and instead letting Johnson use the final 10 seconds to get a buzzer beater shot.

In this game, after the 2nd and certainly 3rd bad possession in crunch time, it was on CKC to take a time and settle her team down. They were caught in panic, frenetic type of play. They needed a minute to regroup and run a set play out of the Time Out.

The future looks bright but this season could have been much more.

It was Kailyn Gilbert in the final 10 seconds for the buzzer beater, but this is spot on. To add, I think the Oklahoma had some to be desired on the last play of the game.

 

[lvocd]

I noticed in warmups that we weren't hitting very many threes even though pre-game shooting is mostly from long range. My friend and I were worried that would carry over, and obviously it did.

Texas, on the other hand, shot mostly from 10-12 feet out and under the basket in their pre-game shooting session, and they couldn't miss! It was crazy.

To the Lady Vols' credit, they DID eventually get Texas tired enough that they started missing shots, but every time we'd get stops and then get a little momentum, one of two things happened EVERY TIME: we either committed a particularly deflating turnover, or there was a Texas-rest-giving stoppage in play for "an official time out" for (I'm assuming) TV commercials or because of a review of some play. EVERY. FREAKING. TIME.

Everyone around us were shaking their heads about the awful timing, and how it hurt Tennessee every time. I think that's why it appeared we were pressing, I think. It was frustration and desperation.

For the most part we did a great job defending them. But just couldn't keep it going any time we put together a few scores. It's a near miracle we were so close to winning considering we weren't shooting well. Obviously Texas is an outstanding defensive team. But like I said, Texas wasn't guarding us in warm-ups and our shots were off then.

It was just not our day, folks!

 

[madtownvol]

I do worry a little about Cooper entering the portal. I do not recall her being in the game the last minute and change.

I hear you 100% but I have come to accept that worrying about transfers is like worrying about the weather, What happens, happens.

But, Tennessee is putting decent $ into NIL and Coop is getting lots of recognition so fingers crossed.

 

[lvocd]

Just thought I'd add this for anyone here who has not been in a position to be blessed to attend any games in person.

During "official time outs" that are called not by either team but by the officials who are told it's time to make money off commercials, when you're at home watching on TV the time away from the game may not seem that long. But when you're in the arena, those things seem to last forEVER.

Both teams are in limbo, and often the stoppage goes on so long that the players have long left the initial coaching consults and are just kinda standing there looking stuck in time. This is not good when immediately BEFORE the tv commercial break stoppage your team was rolling. They go from 60 to 0 several times a game, and it most definitely affects momentum.

It hurt us particularly badly today. The standing around twiddling thumbs definitely helped Texas the most today.

 

[JustFunnN'Orange]

zackly

I swear, this pix gives me chills. I can see Pat's spirit and drive in CKC!

 

[Orange007]

this is the first season that has ended since pat that i feel inspired about the future. pat was the last coach to coach a LV team that played this hard and played hard consistently for most of the long season. we have a great coach yall.

 

[Lucy]

I hear you 100% but I have come to accept that worrying about transfers is like worrying about the weather, What happens, happens.

But, Tennessee is putting decent $ into NIL and Coop is getting lots of recognition so fingers crossed.

I feel like folks are misinterpreting T Coop a bit. In interviews she just seems a little shy and a bit quiet . I don’t believe this means she is unhappy at UT at all. Various casual video of the team shows her well involved in kidding and laughing with her teammates. Love her, the sky’s her limit.

 

[Orange007]

I hear you 100% but I have come to accept that worrying about transfers is like worrying about the weather, What happens, happens.

But, Tennessee is putting decent $ into NIL and Coop is getting lots of recognition so fingers crossed.

agreed. i also think cooper's best shot of being a high draft pic in the wnba is to stay at tn and shine. she is our star player. the ball is literally in her court. she would take a big gamble by expecting to be the star player at another school with a platform for pro ball as big as the lady vols. real talk.

personally, i don't see any reason for her to transfer and i definitely hope she stays a lady vol!

 

[GameTime]

Rewatched the 4th quarter again....It should be shown as a what not to do video...It started with the ill advised, casual pass by Puckett (of course) which Texas intercepted for another game changing play for Texas...And then it really got bad.

 

[JCP201]

We weren't suppose to win that (or the Ohio State game) We played them tough. Kim is going to be a good coach for us.