Watching Baylor today, they do what we’ve been trying to do, way better than we’ve been doing it for a very long time.
As a Lady Vol fan you hate to have to use another team as a benchmark, but if our players could execute like that on both ends of the floor we would be unstoppable. They play inside out basketball to perfection. Getting your defense chasing all over with the pass and then score on you at the rim. Wide open...On the off chance they miss, the opposite forward/center is usually waiting on the other block for the oboard.
And hate on me if you want, but in terms of athleticism I felt we were about even this year with our starting 5 when Marta was healthy and coming along. DiDi Richards was visibly hobbled all season and STILL got the job done on both ends of the floor by desire and effort alone.
On the defensive end they command the boards as well. Both by positioning and boxing out. Coach Harper mentioned we needed to improve contact on the box out a few times this year. They also make teams very uncomfortable. They get in your space in the passing lane and they stay in your space straight up until you either A) give up the ball or B) force a shot.
That is ideal for numerous reasons, primarily it oft forces the shortest pass, which is the easier to steal because the defender is usually not helping and is in good defensive position. Eliminating floor space takes the cross court corner 3 out of the game. It’s almost not a thing against Baylor. Even Michigan with 9 3s made 0 from the corner. You cannot execute that pass well the way they defend and the off side defender can stay in better position and close out faster. We get burned by corner threes an awful lot it seems. Rennia got her fair share this season as well, but I’d say it was about even.
Baylor makes you feel rushed for 40 minutes (or 45 if it takes it) and it wears on teams. Sound like I’m fangirling, but it’s truly how I’d like to see us play. And is basically what Coach Harper’s eventual, extremely successful, teams will look like.
As a Lady Vol fan you hate to have to use another team as a benchmark, but if our players could execute like that on both ends of the floor we would be unstoppable. They play inside out basketball to perfection. Getting your defense chasing all over with the pass and then score on you at the rim. Wide open...On the off chance they miss, the opposite forward/center is usually waiting on the other block for the oboard.
And hate on me if you want, but in terms of athleticism I felt we were about even this year with our starting 5 when Marta was healthy and coming along. DiDi Richards was visibly hobbled all season and STILL got the job done on both ends of the floor by desire and effort alone.
On the defensive end they command the boards as well. Both by positioning and boxing out. Coach Harper mentioned we needed to improve contact on the box out a few times this year. They also make teams very uncomfortable. They get in your space in the passing lane and they stay in your space straight up until you either A) give up the ball or B) force a shot.
That is ideal for numerous reasons, primarily it oft forces the shortest pass, which is the easier to steal because the defender is usually not helping and is in good defensive position. Eliminating floor space takes the cross court corner 3 out of the game. It’s almost not a thing against Baylor. Even Michigan with 9 3s made 0 from the corner. You cannot execute that pass well the way they defend and the off side defender can stay in better position and close out faster. We get burned by corner threes an awful lot it seems. Rennia got her fair share this season as well, but I’d say it was about even.
Baylor makes you feel rushed for 40 minutes (or 45 if it takes it) and it wears on teams. Sound like I’m fangirling, but it’s truly how I’d like to see us play. And is basically what Coach Harper’s eventual, extremely successful, teams will look like.
