Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2024-25

[J-Dog 1313]

Welp. We’re getting another SC v UConn title game. Boring

Not so quick. It will be LVs v SC in the title game. GBO.

 

[ttharp]

How do the stat keepers lose track of a players fouls?

 

[Max Roguespierre]

How do the stat keepers lose track of a players fouls?

Because women's college basketball has awful officiating. Basically, amateur hour.

 

[Volfaninfl2]

How do the stat keepers lose track of a players fouls?

Thought it was a bogus foul call anyway.

 

[VolBall09]

Man! So happy for Colorado, lots of veteran players who really wanted this. That’s what March is all about.

 

[Dak1219]

Poor Kara and her 7 High School All-Americans. 53 total points in overtime. SMH. I support our Lady Vols that are coaching at other schools, but with the amount of talent she has, she has no idea how to coach offense.

 

[ttharp]

Both Duke squads get knocked out in the 2nd rd.

Said it yesterday, getting to the S16 means something this year.

 

[FormerLadyVolFan]

For the Kara pumpers/Kellie haters...

Duke loses to a lower seed at home in the NCAA tournament while scoring only 53 points in an OT game!

Losing to a #6 seed Colorado team that the Lady Vols beat by 18 points this season.

Meanwhile Kellie and the Lady Vols score 94 points to advance to the Sweet Sixteen..while scoring 50 points in the first half!

Sweet Sixteen appearances:
Kellie Harper - 2 in a row at Tennessee
Kara Lawson - 0 at Duke

 

[Dak1219]

Both Duke squads get knocked out in the 2nd rd.

Said it yesterday, getting to the S16 means something this year.

With 5th year seniors on so many teams, because of the covid year, making it to the Sweet 16 this year is huge for a lot of teams.

 

[Dak1219]

For the Kara pumpers/Kellie haters...

Duke loses to a lower seed at home in the NCAA tournament while scoring only 53 points in an OT game!

Losing to a #6 seed Colorado team that the Lady Vols beat this season.

Meanwhile Kellie and the Lady Vols score 94 points to advance to the Sweet Sixteen..while scoring 50 points in the first half!

Sweet Sixteen appearances:
Kellie Harper - 2 in a row at Tennessee
Kara Lawson - 0 at Duke

Not to mention the amount of talent Kara has had both years. It's almost mindblowing.

 

[NoBackBoard]

Bye bye Dukies

 

[creekdipper]

How do the stat keepers lose track of a players fouls?

The regulars were on strike when they got shorted a hot dog. Their usual pay is two dogs and a shake.

 

[brassie]

That will be Walz. Auriemma clone.

Never happen.

 

[Max Roguespierre]

Poor Kara and her 7 High School All-Americans. 53 total points in overtime. SMH. I support our Lady Vols that are coaching at other schools, but with the amount of talent she has, she has no idea how to coach offense.

Typical armchair punditry.

There are no guarantees with high school stars at the next level. The Blue Devils got their two best players through the transfer portal and neither of them was dominant on offense before getting to Durham. And that is before even considering the limited games of Jordyn Oliver and Kennedy Brown. Kara Lawson has done a great job cobbling a great defensive team together. The fact that she hasn't magically turned players with limited offensive skills into a free scoring unit is hardly her fault.

 

[creekdipper]

OK just took a one-point lead over UCLA.

Jennie Baranczyk can coach. When she was at Drake, her teams and Kellie's fought many battles for supremacy in the Valley.

 

[volnationnj]

Typical armchair punditry.

There are no guarantees with high school stars at the next level. The Blue Devils got their two best players through the transfer portal and neither of them was dominant on offense before getting to Durham. And that is before even considering the limited games of Jordyn Oliver and Kennedy Brown. Kara Lawson has done a great job cobbling a great defensive team together. The fact that she hasn't magically turned players with limited offensive skills into a free scoring unit is hardly her fault.

Having players who can shoot and score is a very high priority these days. You have to go no further than Rickea and the effect she has on the LV's. South Carolina might be the only team that can win without shooting well.

 

[Peas29]

For the Kara pumpers/Kellie haters...

Duke loses to a lower seed at home in the NCAA tournament while scoring only 53 points in an OT game!

Losing to a #6 seed Colorado team that the Lady Vols beat by 18 points this season.

Meanwhile Kellie and the Lady Vols score 94 points to advance to the Sweet Sixteen..while scoring 50 points in the first half!

Sweet Sixteen appearances:
Kellie Harper - 2 in a row at Tennessee
Kara Lawson - 0 at Duke

I’m starting to think some of y’all look for any reason to talk about Kara and other former lady Vols players who are coaching. FYI kellie has been coaching longer so should have it figured out. Kara will be an excellent coach with timing. She can recruit and other skill sets will come. Why not just be happy for both coaches and leave it at that.

 

[Max Roguespierre]

Having players who can shoot and score is a very high priority these days. You have to go no further than Rickea and the effect she has on the LV's. South Carolina might be the only team that can win without shooting well.

True. But Rickea Jackson didn't learn how to shoot from Vic Schaefer or Kellie Harper. Coaches can motivate players and give them opportunities to succeed but they cannot shoot for them.

 

[JustaChicken]

 

[Dak1219]

Typical armchair punditry.

There are no guarantees with high school stars at the next level. The Blue Devils got their two best players through the transfer portal and neither of them was dominant on offense before getting to Durham. And that is before even considering the limited games of Jordyn Oliver and Kennedy Brown. Kara Lawson has done a great job cobbling a great defensive team together. The fact that she hasn't magically turned players with limited offensive skills into a free scoring unit is hardly her fault.

Show me high school basketball players that become All-Americans because of the Defense. They don't. I played college basketball. There are 7 former High School All-Americans on that team. Kara has had a few of these players for a couple years and they are no better on the offensive end now than they were coming in. Fact is, you can go right down that roster and look at the numbers those players had before arriving at Duke and they are worse. She may have cobbled together a defensive team, but i stand on the fact that she has shown no ability to coach the offensive end. That team she had a year ago should have been at the top of the league with the players they had on it and the players they got this year are even better.

 

[volnationnj]

True. But Rickea Jackson didn't learn how to shoot from Vic Schaefer or Kellie Harper. Coaches can motivate players and give them opportunities to succeed but they cannot shoot for them.

I agree. But coaches are in control of the offensive system the players use. However, if the players can't shoot very well, the outcome won't be good regardless of the system used.

 

[Dak1219]

BIG - 12...........Can we say OVER-RATED now?

 

[Rons1989]

This is the craziest women tournament i have ever seen but i like lol

 

[Ladyvolfan45]

I like Kara but she has to grow as a coach or bring in someone who knows how to run a offense. There is way too much talent to be that inept scoring

With that said, it was a good year for Duke. Much better than I would have predicted.

 

[Max Roguespierre]

Fact is, you can go right down that roster and look at the numbers those players had before arriving at Duke and they are worse.

Your assertion doesn't stand up to inspection. Duke starts three transfer students. And all three have improved their offensive efficiency during their time at Duke. The fact is that none of them were accomplished scorers before they got to Duke. As such it is not surprising that they haven't become scorers for the Blue Devils. But all three have improved their FG% at Duke.

If you played college ball then you should be well aware that players don't have their offensive games overhauled at that level. Players tend to improve as their confidence and understanding on the floor grows. These players were starters before getting to Duke so they already made that jump prior to arriving in Durham. Players can also fine-tune their games in the offseason. But most of that involves tweaks, lots of practice and improved conditioning. Most importantly, the players have to commit to putting in that work to get better. Celeste Taylor and Elizabeth Balogun are very good college basketball players but neither has shown the capacity to regularly carry their team offensively. Kennedy Brown, in turn, has suffered an ACL injury at Oregon State and is probably never going to be a dominant post player.

After three years Kara Lawson has turned Duke into a top 5 destination for recruits. If, in spite of that, the Blue Devils' offensive woes continue into future seasons then the criticism will rightfully get louder. For the moment though, I don't think that it is quite fair to call her out for not being a shot whisperer.