Oh, good grief

[ivyleague]

we lost to utc with our squad...smh I mean we don't have one coach on our bench to motivate five players.

And you know this . . . how? The team lost a game. Geno's team lost to Stanford a few days ago, and one of his two stars looked damn lost at the end of that game, I might add. Stanford turned around and lost to Texas and very nearly lost to worse-than-Chattanooga New Mexico. I guess Tara can't motivate, either.

This is why (a small but vocal portion of) the Tennessee fan base is so ridiculous. They throw all-out temper tantrums when the team loses. These are the knee-jerk *******s who don't have a clue, who pop out of the woodwork only when the team loses to demand a coaching change. Every. Damn. Time. Do you people even realize how stupid you are?

ETA: Stanford just lost to UNC by double digits.

 

[ivyleague]

i am going to throw this out there, please do not throw rocks at me, but how about Kara Lawson? She has seen the game from the floor and behind the analyst desk. She makes a lot of great observations.

Sorry, there isn't an opening on the coaching staff.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

i am going to throw this out there, please do not throw rocks at me, but how about Kara Lawson? She has seen the game from the floor and behind the analyst desk. She makes a lot of great observations.

I think she know a lot of basketball, but I do not believe she has the administrative background to be a head coach.

We have a few upperclass players who don't seem to be giving a lot of effort, at least not as much as the freshmen when they were play a lot of minutes. If the experienced players don't want to play with desire, set them on the bench and play the youngsters. They may make a few mistakes, but they will more than make up for them with effort.

 

[gule]

Kara has sucked up too much UConn love. She doesn't bleed Orange anymore.

 

[CannonVol80]

We have a few upperclass players who don't seem to be giving a lot of effort, at least not as much as the freshmen when they were play a lot of minutes. If the experienced players don't want to play with desire, set them on the bench and play the youngsters. They may make a few mistakes, but they will more than make up for them with effort.

Herein lies the problem. Holly seems to be wedded to the idea that the upperclassmen should start and play the vast majority of the minutes despite the evidence of her eyes (and the box score). Frankly, I would have placed at least three of the upperclassmen on the bench. Also, in my opinion, this staff is too slow to react to the game circumstance. Like I said in another thread, I thought the pressure defense was going to result in a problem when the Lady Vols played a team like Chattanooga or especially Texas. The pressure defense was being broken too many times by teams with substantially less talented players during our first four games for it to work with the necessary consistency against a team with both the athletes and the coaching to effectively counter the press. All you had to do was look at the results of the second half to see that the team would have been better off using the press on a more strategic basis during the first half. That, or consider a simple man press as opposed to the double team press. This team simply cannot afford to leave a player totally unguarded in the event that the opposing team is able to break the press.

I realize that hindsight is generally twenty twenty, but the coaching staff has the same benefit of hindsight going forward. From the first five games it appears pretty clear that Ariel Massengale needs to be playing the two-guard position and the Ciera Burdick needs to be coming in off the bench in strategic spots for defensive purposes. And, Holly needs to learn to use her time outs strategically, as well as learning how to work the refs. In my opinion, she is way too timid in that regard.

All just my opinion.

Jim

 

[reno tony]

Kara has sucked up too much UConn love. She doesn't bleed Orange anymore.

Maybe that is what she needs. Seventeen N.C.s between them. But by the end of this season there is going to be a cry for a coaching change if Holly doesn't get this team deep into the tournament.

 

[ivyleague]

Maybe that is what she needs. Seventeen N.C.s between them. But by the end of this season there is going to be a cry for a coaching change if Holly doesn't get this team deep into the tournament.

You give knee-jerk, reactionary, raving, drama queen fans far too much credit.

 

[reno tony]

You give knee-jerk, reactionary, raving, drama queen fans far too much credit.

I wasn't pandering to the drama queens. Just pointing out the realities of not winning in a program that is used to excellence.

 

[gule]

looks like IvyL has grown another personality. 3 faces of Ivy?

 

[ivyleague]

I wasn't pandering to the drama queens. Just pointing out the realities of not winning in a program that is used to excellence.

No doubt the program is used to excellence, and I have faith Holly and her staff will continue the tradition. Holly has maintained a winning program. If she were 15-60 partially into her third year, then you easily could make the argument about the "realities of not winning" and I would be right there with you. That isn't the case. She is 60-15 over the course of two full years and five games. The fans have watched four times as many wins as losses over the past 2 years, and yet here they are blathering about firing the coach who enabled them to do that, simply because the team lost a game.

If you want to talk about reality, here's a dose of it. This is a game. Someone has to lose. Chances are, it's going to be your team on occasion. Complain when the team is losing regularly. Demand a coaching change when there are more losses than wins. Right now, try to understand that the Lady Vols basketball program has undergone some vast changes and challenges over the past few seasons, on top of the fact that there is more parity in women's basketball now than ever before. Unfortunate as it may be, the Lady Vols aren't going to win every single game they play. UConn managed to pull it off last season and then fell last week to a Stanford team that now seems to be slipping into free fall mode very, very quickly. Where are all the posters demanding that Tara VanDerveer be fired? Oh, that's right ... she's at Stanford where the fans and alumni are a bit more . . . reasonable.

When you entertain and give credence to any of this "fire the coach" crap, you are, indeed, pandering to the drama queens. And the Tennessee fan base is full of them.

 

[ivyleague]

looks like IvyL has grown another personality. 3 faces of Ivy?

Trying to boost your post count?

 

[FrozenLVFan]

Herein lies the problem. Holly seems to be wedded to the idea that the upperclassmen should start and play the vast majority of the minutes despite the evidence of her eyes (and the box score). Frankly, I would have placed at least three of the upperclassmen on the bench. Also, in my opinion, this staff is too slow to react to the game circumstance. Like I said in another thread, I thought the pressure defense was going to result in a problem when the Lady Vols played a team like Chattanooga or especially Texas. The pressure defense was being broken too many times by teams with substantially less talented players during our first four games for it to work with the necessary consistency against a team with both the athletes and the coaching to effectively counter the press. All you had to do was look at the results of the second half to see that the team would have been better off using the press on a more strategic basis during the first half. That, or consider a simple man press as opposed to the double team press. This team simply cannot afford to leave a player totally unguarded in the event that the opposing team is able to break the press.

I realize that hindsight is generally twenty twenty, but the coaching staff has the same benefit of hindsight going forward. From the first five games it appears pretty clear that Ariel Massengale needs to be playing the two-guard position and the Ciera Burdick needs to be coming in off the bench in strategic spots for defensive purposes. And, Holly needs to learn to use her time outs strategically, as well as learning how to work the refs. In my opinion, she is way too timid in that regard.

I agree with all of that, except I don't understand why anybody thinks Cierra should be used for defense. Her defense is terrible. Just look at any game film and you can see her getting beat to the basket time after time. Part of the problem is that she's defending at the 3 position and simply doesn't have the quickness to match up with most other teams' SF's. She needs to come off the bench when everyone else has the flu or has fouled out. She is just not getting it done, either offensively or defensively, given the minutes she gets.

 

[Amb3096]

Burdick needs to come off the bench when everyone else has the flu or has fouled out. She is just not getting it done, either offensively or defensively, given the minutes she gets.

Personally, I'd look for volunteers in the audience first.

 

[reno tony]

No doubt the program is used to excellence, and I have faith Holly and her staff will continue the tradition. Holly has maintained a winning program. If she were 15-60 partially into her third year, then you easily could make the argument about the "realities of not winning" and I would be right there with you. That isn't the case. She is 60-15 over the course of two full years and five games. The fans have watched four times as many wins as losses over the past 2 years, and yet here they are blathering about firing the coach who enabled them to do that, simply because the team lost a game.

If you want to talk about reality, here's a dose of it. This is a game. Someone has to lose. Chances are, it's going to be your team on occasion. Complain when the team is losing regularly. Demand a coaching change when there are more losses than wins. Right now, try to understand that the Lady Vols basketball program has undergone some vast changes and challenges over the past few seasons, on top of the fact that there is more parity in women's basketball now than ever before. Unfortunate as it may be, the Lady Vols aren't going to win every single game they play. UConn managed to pull it off last season and then fell last week to a Stanford team that now seems to be slipping into free fall mode very, very quickly. Where are all the posters demanding that Tara VanDerveer be fired? Oh, that's right ... she's at Stanford where the fans and alumni are a bit more . . . reasonable.

When you entertain and give credence to any of this "fire the coach" crap, you are, indeed, pandering to the drama queens. And the Tennessee fan base is full of them.

Appears to me that you seem to be a bit of a drama queen. Reread my posts and you won't hear me calling for her firing. But she does need to be successful to be the coach of a program like Tennessee. She has the horses, it is time to produce. Again, if she doesn't get deep into this tournament there will be a lot of people wondering what a different coach could do with this squad. They were a preseason top five pick for a reason.

 

[mikey2smart]

Since when was making a Final Four appearance considered a successful season in Tennessee terms? Now you whiners will lower the bar when it benefits your reasoning for firing Holly. Outside of UConn, which other team has won multiple championships in the past 7 years? Answer: Tennessee! Stop being the Debby downer and let the season play out before pronouncing it over after one loss. The team is doing just fine and are still without a HUGE piece to the puzzle.

 

[ivyleague]

Appears to me that you seem to be a bit of a drama queen.

Hardly.

Reread my posts and you won't hear me calling for her firing. But she does need to be successful to be the coach of a program like Tennessee.

She has a 60-15 record, an SEC regular season title, an SEC tournament championship, an Elite 8 appearance, and Sweet 16 appearance in only her second year as a head coach. What makes you think she hasn't been successful?

She has the horses, it is time to produce.

Read above. And the last time I checked, she's not the one on the court actually putting the ball in the basket or preventing the other team from scoring. It takes more than just a coach to win or lose a game.

Again, if she doesn't get deep into this tournament there will be a lot of people wondering what a different coach could do with this squad.

What do you consider "deep" into the tournament? Final Four? What other fan base demands a Final Four or else? Some people truly are deluded . . .

They were a preseason top five pick for a reason.

Preseason rankings are about as useful as a crystal ball.

 

[Pat4life]

And you know this . . . how? The team lost a game. Geno's team lost to Stanford a few days ago, and one of his two stars looked damn lost at the end of that game, I might add. Stanford turned around and lost to Texas and very nearly lost to worse-than-Chattanooga New Mexico. I guess Tara can't motivate, either.

This is why (a small but vocal portion of) the Tennessee fan base is so ridiculous. They throw all-out temper tantrums when the team loses. These are the knee-jerk *******s who don't have a clue, who pop out of the woodwork only when the team loses to demand a coaching change. Every. Damn. Time. Do you people even realize how stupid you are?

ETA: Stanford just lost to UNC by double digits.

What hell does that have to do with us losing to UTC and our coaches not being able to motivate 5 Lady Vol players to play defense and rebound? Hello, we lost. smh

Simply dat wasnt lady vols baseketball, and those of us who have been lady vols basketball for a while know it, when we see it and that wasn't it. Now I can see,if we lost and we competed and they were simply a better team but we didn't even compete, that my friend is coaching.

Don't reply to me you sound like a loser. Excuses, excuses, that what losers make. Sorry losers can't chastise me. Gone.

Btw. Tara didnt lose to New Mexico tho, she lost to two talented teams, two top 15 teams. Plus,them beating Uconn with their talent was..Tara is HOF, Holly is not, maybe in a few years but certainly not on Wednesday. Tara has young, non athletic team.

 

[ivyleague]

What hell does that have to do with us losing to UTC and our coaches not being able to motivate 5 Lady Vol players to play defense and rebound? Hello, we lost. smh

Simply dat wasnt lady vols baseketball, and those of us who have been lady vols basketball for a while know it, when we see it and that wasn't it. Now I can see,if we lost and we competed and they were simply a better team but we didn't even compete, that my friend is coaching.

Motivation and competitive drive are inherently intrinsic values. You can encourage them, you can foster them, you can support them, but you can't "coach" them or "teach" them. When a team appears to be lacking motivation or competitive spirit (and I don't necessarily think the Lady Vols lack those things at all), that's a TEAM issue, not merely a coaching issue. You don't know what was going on with the team that may have caused them to have an "off" night on Wednesday. If a teacher presents the best, most engaging lesson possible but one of her students still fails the test because he's upset, angry, or worried about something going on outside of school or maybe just has his mind on something else, is it the teacher's fault for not "motivating" him enough?

Don't reply to me you sound like a loser. Excuses, excuses, that what losers make. Sorry losers can't chastise me.

Frankly, you sound like a high school dropout.

Gone.

Bye.

 

[ivyleague]

Btw. Tara didnt lose to New Mexico tho, she lost to two talented teams, two top 15 teams.

Stanford very nearly lost to New Mexico. Had Tennessee only won by that slim margin, people would have been b******* like there's no tomorrow. If Tennessee loses to Texas tomorrow, the histrionics here will be out of this world.

UTC isn't exactly the crap team many are making it out to be, and UT was playing without its star player and senior leader. Not that crazed fans take those things into account.

Plus,them beating Uconn with their talent was..

Or perhaps UConn just had an off night like UT had.

Tara is HOF, Holly is not,

Tara's been a head coach for a few decades longer than Holly, so . . .

maybe in a few years but certainly not on Wednesday.

Everybody has a bad night.

Tara has young, non athletic team.

And Holly was missing her star player.

 

[Pat4life]

Stanford very nearly lost to New Mexico. Had Tennessee only won by that slim margin, people would have been b******* like there's no tomorrow. If Tennessee loses to Texas tomorrow, the histrionics here will be out of this world.

UTC isn't exactly the crap team many are making it out to be, and UT was playing without its star player and senior leader. Not that crazed fans take those things into account.



Or perhaps UConn just had an off night like UT had.



Tara's been a head coach for a few decades longer than Holly, so . . .



Everybody has a bad night.



And Holly was missing her star player.

Excuses, we play for Championships, that is the standard, it will always be the standard. The pressure of having the best brand in wcbb and the most loyal fans, meaning we watched a lot lady vols basketball. Hopefully yo bad night is right, we'll see against Texas.

It doesnt sound like you ever played on a winning team.

High school you give me too much credit, whats high school, a place where you go and smoke. hmm

 

[ivyleague]

Excuses, we play for Championships, that is the standard, it will always be the standard. The pressure of having the best brand in wcbb and the most loyal fans, meaning we watched a lot lady vols basketball. Hopefully yo bad night is right, we'll see against Texas.

It doesnt sound like you ever played on a winning team.

High school you give me too much credit, whats high school, a place where you go and smoke. hmm

Wow.

 

[mikey2smart]

Ivyleague once again I have to warn you, you can't reason with ignorance. Misery loves company and the same miserable rants come from the same miserable people (pat4life, Darth vol and armchair).

 

[ivyleague]

Ivyleague once again I have to warn you, you can't reason with ignorance. Misery loves company and the same miserable rants come from the same miserable people (pat4life, Darth vol and armchair).

I've been posting regularly on internet message boards for a decade. I know exactly what these individuals are. You are right -- you cannot reason with them. You can, however, make fun of them, piss them off, and just generally make them look even more ridiculous.

Though I am not a UT alum, and have no family connections or otherwise to UT beyond living in the university's regional footprint, I have been a fan of Lady Vols basketball for thirty years, ever since I was a child. I think I own almost as much Lady Vols gear as I do gear from my own university (which is an academic powerhouse but not so much an athletic one . . . despite being a Division I school, athletic scholarships are not offered which rather limits recruiting ability). It bears saying, Tennessee has one of the most storied athletic traditions in the nation, but it boasts one of the most ridiculously spoiled fanbases imaginable. The disrespect and contempt with which (many) UT fans treat their teams and, especially, coaches, especially after a loss, is pathetic.

 

[volbabyvol]

I've been posting regularly on internet message boards for a decade. I know exactly what these individuals are. You are right -- you cannot reason with them. You can, however, make fun of them, piss them off, and just generally make them look even more ridiculous.

Though I am not a UT alum, and have no family connections or otherwise to UT beyond living in the university's regional footprint, I have been a fan of Lady Vols basketball for thirty years, ever since I was a child. I think I own almost as much Lady Vols gear as I do gear from my own university (which is an academic powerhouse but not so much an athletic one . . . despite being a Division I school, athletic scholarships are not offered which rather limits recruiting ability). It bears saying, Tennessee has one of the most storied athletic traditions in the nation, but it boasts one of the most ridiculously spoiled fanbases imaginable. The disrespect and contempt with which (many) UT fans treat their teams and, especially, coaches, especially after a loss, is pathetic.

If you don't like hearing fans rant about coaching tough tiddy go start your own message board?

Bottom line we expect more!

 

[ivyleague]

If you don't like hearing fans rant about coaching tough tiddy go start your own message board?

Bottom line we expect more!

As I said, UT has some of the most spoiled, rude, disrespectful, despicable fans in college athletics. I know not all -- not even most -- UT fans fit that bill. Unfortunately, a hell of a lot of them do. There are passionate fanbases in all top Division I programs. However, I can't think of any who treat their teams and coaches as abominably as UT's fanbase, especially after a loss. These individuals really are shameful excuses for human beings. And that isn't something to be proud of, I assure you.