POLL: Expectations for 2024/2025

[chuckiepoo]

Now you’re trolling, the good ones wait at least a few months to build a little equity. Please tell us of these advantages Pat had? She drove the bus, washed the uniforms, no NIL, no national games, very little recruiting budget. Just a fact, no matter how many times one says fact, doesn’t make it true to the stance if you can’t make the connections. Kim just needs to be better than CKH right now.

…well, and Holly, in pretty short order.

 

[Mafiaboss]

Welcome all Marshall fans! You’ll soon learn that drama is the norm for many veteran LV fans’ posts.

 

[Majors]

…well, and Holly, in pretty short order.

One coach at a time.

 

[glv98]

Not convinced this is even a new poster at all. Yet another new identity for one of our fave trollers and exaggerators?

 

[JohnnyPayne]

I think the SEC standings are a better berometer. Obviously we have to finish higher than Haper’s finished of 3rd (4 years) and 4th (last year). Otherwise a coaching change was idiotic. So 3rd is the minimum according to Danny White.

 

[NoBackBoard]

It is a fact that Kim Caldwell has a better record than Pat Summitt and did it with less resources than her peers. Pat Summitt had every advantage a coach could have and still has a lower win % than Kim Caldwell. I'm just stating a fact.

You are no fan of Kim and certainly not a fan of Pat. You are here to sow discontent. Your tactic is lazy and doesn’t reflect the work ethic of the women you referenced. Do better, or better yet, go away.

 

[Coach Jumper]

It is a fact that Kim Caldwell has a better record than Pat Summitt and did it with less resources than her peers. Pat Summitt had every advantage a coach could have and still has a lower win % than Kim Caldwell. I'm just stating a fact.

Pat Summitt was in the SEC...Nuff said!

 

[glv98]

I think the SEC standings are a better berometer. Obviously we have to finish higher than Haper’s finished of 3rd (4 years) and 4th (last year). Otherwise a coaching change was idiotic. So 3rd is the minimum according to Danny White.

Nah, that's not really fair. It will 100% get said if they finish 5th or 6th, which they almost certainly will. But this is not Holly or Kellie's SEC. The addition of Texas, top 5 in every poll, and Oklahoma, top 10 or 15 in every poll is enough to knock the LVs back a couple of notches. Then throw in the vast improvement of Alabama, Ole Miss, and KY, all in most top 25 polls, and it's the toughest the league has been in ages. Even teams like Vandy and Auburn look to be much better.

The LVs can easily be as good a team as last year and finish lower. If they finish 3rd or 4th in the league, CKC should be SEC COY and in the running for national awards.

 

[LadyVol1908]

I know I’m super late in the convo, but I voted Sweet 16! Looking at this roster, it’s UBER talented! If Hollingshead has a breakout year….I think this team exceeds expectations! Im pretty confident in saying I think we will finally have, STEADY good guard play!

 

[SATXVolFan82]

I’m going with- just continue to make the NCAA tournament; thereafter I would have to say ideally I want at least an Elite 8. For CKC inaugural season we all have high hopes.

 

[Dak1219]

Hello, I just wanted to let all the Lady Vols fans know that Kim Caldwell has a better record than Pat Summitt. Kim's win % is 87.6 while Pat Summitt was less than 85%, Caldwell's Marshall team was projected to finish 9th place last year and finished 1st. RPI projected Marshall to go 13-17 last year against Division I opponents. This is my 1st post and I just wanted to give you all some facts from a Marshall fan. I've reading this board for months and decided to join to give you all some facts. I mean no disrespect to Pat Summitt by mentioning that Caldwell has a better record.

I can't dignify this with a comment. Yes I can. Get back to us when Caldwell makes 250.00 a month, does the teams Laundry and drives her players to away games on the team bus all while fighting for the rights of people like Kim Caldwell to even be able to compete in this sport let alone coach it. Pat won 8 NCAA division 1 national championships and I have never seen one of Pats teams lose the way Marshall lost to Virginia Tech in the 1st round of the NCAA tournament last season. Pat would have been beyond embarrassed putting a team on the floor who couldn't compete and last years Marshall team definitely looked like they didn't belong and that was playing a team who had just lost their All American center to a knee injury. I am pulling for Kim Caldwell, but she has proven nothing yet. We will see what that win/loss percentage looks like when CKC gets to coach against the same type of coaches that Pat coached against for 38 years. Just an FYI, Pat Summitt probably forgot more than Kim Caldwell will ever know. God Rest her Soul. Please don't mess with a legend or her legacy. Not here.

 

[Rooster1]

Feels like a sweet sixteen season to me, with some vig for EE if it gels late. That would shift some huge recruiting momentum back to Rocky from HS recruits tbh, because it is beyond explanation how that has fallen so far past 8 years. Blows the mind tbh. I dont want to hear NIL, it still makes no sense, I can find many examples of smaller programs that have recruited better the past 8 years, something was broke. Glad it seems to be fixed now, but no way it was all NIL, sorry if that offends supporters of past regime(s).

 

[Dak1219]

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

This is how Cora Hall has them picked. What do you all think?

 

[chuckiepoo]

Log into Facebook

Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know.

www.facebook.com

This is how Cora Hall has them picked. What do you all think?

Unpacking Lady Vols writer Cora Hall's preseason ballot for All-SEC, Player of the Year

The SEC preseason media poll for women's basketball is out. Here's who Lady Vols writer Cora Hall voted for All-SEC and Player of the Year

www.knoxnews.com

Definitely can’t accuse her of being a homer beat reporter for the LVs.

 

[Voluble2]

There are no superstars on this team. There are lots of good, solid players, but I don't think any of them are elite enough to get us extra wins like a Rickea or Horston could.

We always had at least one elite player on every team up to this point and still couldn't win the league or make noise in the tournament so middle of the pack in the SEC would be a good expectation based on talent. But I think Kim will do better than that.

Making the tournament and getting a first round win would be a solid goal for this bunch.

This is the first season in a long time where we have no clue who our bell cow will be. Anyone want to take a shot at guessing?

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

No that’s more fan talk than reality.
Before coming to Tennessee last season Jewel Spear was one of the top guards in WBB. Her up and down season was not solely a knock on Jewel but the way she was utilized. That is proven based on her twice being selected as one of 12 collegiate players to represent Team USA in the AmeriCup tourney and starting alongside the best in WBB.
Talaysia Cooper and Ruby Whitehorn are former McDonald All-Americans and elite talents.
Jillian Hollingshead is a former McDonald All-American.
Samara Spencer is a former SEC Freshman of the Year and three year starter.
Alyssa Latham, Lazaria Spearman, and Sara Puckett all starters with a lot of experience.
Kaniya Boyd is an elite talent and I will take Coach Caldwell word that she is SEC ready defensively.
The issue really is thinking that former players like Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson could carry a one dimensional team against more balanced and deeper rosters.
The word superstar is used really loosely in sports in recent years.
In WBB, there is hands down only 3 to 5 bonafide superstars in the country.
Tennessee has the best depth on the roster this program has had in several years. They have a new coach and system that compliments the roster additions in athleticism and talent.
The public is only basing low expectations on previous teams and seasons when not understanding this is a completely different team.

 

[Mafiaboss]

No that’s more fan talk than reality.
Before coming to Tennessee last season Jewel Spear was one of the top guards in WBB. Her up and down season was not solely a knock on Jewel but the way she was utilized. That is proven based on her twice being selected as one of 12 collegiate players to represent Team USA in the AmeriCup tourney and starting alongside the best in WBB.
Talaysia Cooper and Ruby Whitehorn are former McDonald All-Americans and elite talents.
Jillian Hollingshead is a former McDonald All-American.
Samara Spencer is a former SEC Freshman of the Year and three year starter.
Alyssa Latham, Lazaria Spearman, and Sara Puckett all starters with a lot of experience.
Kaniya Boyd is an elite talent and I will take Coach Caldwell word that she is SEC ready defensively.
The issue really is thinking that former players like Jordan Horston and Rickea Jackson could carry a one dimensional team against more balanced and deeper rosters.
The word superstar is used really loosely in sports in recent years.
In WBB, there is hands down only 3 to 5 bonafide superstars in the country.
Tennessee has the best depth on the roster this program has had in several years. They have a new coach and system that compliments the roster additions in athleticism and talent.
The public is only basing low expectations on previous teams and seasons when not understanding this is a completely different team.

Perfect.

 

[brittannica]

There are no superstars on this team. There are lots of good, solid players, but I don't think any of them are elite enough to get us extra wins like a Rickea or Horston could.

We always had at least one elite player on every team up to this point and still couldn't win the league or make noise in the tournament so middle of the pack in the SEC would be a good expectation based on talent. But I think Kim will do better than that.

Making the tournament and getting a first round win would be a solid goal for this bunch.

This is the first season in a long time where we have no clue who our bell cow will be. Anyone want to take a shot at guessing?

Talaysia Cooper is my guess.

 

[glv98]

Making the tournament and getting a first round win would be a solid goal for this bunch.

That's what I think. But I also think there's a good chance the LVs could do much than that. There's just so much unknown about this team.

This is the first season in a long time where we have no clue who our bell cow will be. Anyone want to take a shot at guessing?

I think possibly Cooper, maybe Ruby Whitehorn. But both will need time to develop into that role.

Outside possiblity is Jewel. Not sure I buy that her uneven play last year was misuse. But she looks in the best physical shape of her life and she has a year of experience in the SEC under her belt. Could be her.

Most likely outcome is it's bellcow by committee, some combo of these players.

If not exactly bellcows, I want two players, likely Jewel and Sara, to be legit 35% 3 pt shooters. I say legit bc I want it to be 35% not bc they shoot 70% sometimes and 20% sometimes. We need a couple of very reliable 3 pt shooters against all competition.

They're going to miss the defensive attention RIckea and Jordan drew. We saw the effect of that, particularly on Jewel, when Rickea was out last year.

No that’s more fan talk than reality.

But it's not. It's folks like Cora and ESPN who cover WBB for a living. By the end of this week it will also be the SEC coaches who do it for a living, who I expect to have the same predictions. Perfectly fine to think you or any fan knows more than these experts, but it seems weird to me. Of course they could be wrong, esp about a team w as many questions as the LVs, but my money is still on their knowledge.

 

[madtownvol]

Hello, I just wanted to let all the Lady Vols fans know that Kim Caldwell has a better record than Pat Summitt. Kim's win % is 87.6 while Pat Summitt was less than 85%, Caldwell's Marshall team was projected to finish 9th place last year and finished 1st. RPI projected Marshall to go 13-17 last year against Division I opponents. This is my 1st post and I just wanted to give you all some facts from a Marshall fan. I've reading this board for months and decided to join to give you all some facts. I mean no disrespect to Pat Summitt by mentioning that Caldwell has a better record.

"Facts" without context....

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Perfect.

A few posters on this VolNation forum and their alternate accounts put too much stock in sports media hype and coverage when these folks are only trying to sell them a piece of paper. Everyone who follows and watches collegiate sports know that teams like Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Alabama and others are not clear cut better teams than Tennessee right now. Why would I care about the preseason rankings of SEC coaches that Tennessee has beaten year in and year out all of a sudden? They could rank them last place and it wouldn’t matter.
Like most of the time, once the season starts and the hype disappears several of the media folks will be off those bandwagons and onto Tennessee like usual. This team has new players that led and contributed to their former schools success in the ACC and SEC for years. I’m glad that the new coach and players could not care less about the preseason polls and are right now having the time of their lives. The mental and physical strength of this group is amazing. I can’t wait to stand in Food City Center and watch the LVs this season. GBO!

 

[Voluble2]

A few posters on this VolNation forum and their alternate accounts

You are one to talk about alternate accounts.

I think we will be pleased with Kim and the team. But overhyping them is not doing them any favors.

Better to set the expectations low and exceed them than set them high and disappoint.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

You are one to talk about alternate accounts.

I think we will be pleased with Kim and the team. But overhyping them is not doing them any favors.

Better to set the expectations low and exceed them than set them high and disappoint.

Speaking the obvious is not overhyping. Expectations set themselves based on how the players and coaches prepare during the offseason. Preseason polls and predictions are part of the hype/coverage to sell a piece of paper. As I stated, the mental and physical strength of this team is in a really good place. I will base my expectations on what I see from inside the LV locker room.

 

[glv98]

A few posters on this VolNation forum and their alternate accounts put too much stock in sports media hype and coverage when these folks are only trying to sell them a piece of paper. Everyone who follows and watches collegiate sports know that teams like Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Kentucky, Alabama and others are not clear cut better teams than Tennessee right now.

"Selling a piece of paper" is a quaint notion, and even if they were trying to sell papers or clicks, they'd sell alot more by making predictions that turn out to be accurate. Cora has proven to be very thoughtful and forthright, even if overhyping the home team would win her more short term love. Media and coaches have zero motivation to purposely pick counter to their own honest, expert opinion.

And no, so far everyone who follows and watches college sports for their living actually DO think OK, OM, KY and Ala are better teams than TN right now. But once again, you're free to think your opinion is more informed.

I will base my expectations on what I see from inside the LV locker room.

How often are you in the LV locker room? How often are you in the other teams' locker rooms to judge them? The media and coaches actually ARE in those locker rooms, at least some of the time.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

Hello, I just wanted to let all the Lady Vols fans know that Kim Caldwell has a better record than Pat Summitt. Kim's win % is 87.6 while Pat Summitt was less than 85%, Caldwell's Marshall team was projected to finish 9th place last year and finished 1st. RPI projected Marshall to go 13-17 last year against Division I opponents. This is my 1st post and I just wanted to give you all some facts from a Marshall fan. I've reading this board for months and decided to join to give you all some facts. I mean no disrespect to Pat Summitt by mentioning that Caldwell has a better record.

I believe Coach Caldwell’s tenure in Tennessee is the beginning of a new era.
I feel as though with her coaching background and the success she has achieved there is no reason to form a comparison between her and Coach Pat Summitt at any point of their career.

This reminds me of Notre Dame and Coach Ivey. Ivey is a former player at ND and played under Coach Muffet McGraw who is one of the best coaches of all-time in WBB history. Yet, Coach Ivey had already built her own name and reputation as a player then as a coach separate from ND with a coaching stint in the NBA before returning to ND. So there’s no reason to compare Coach Ivey era with Coach McGraw era at ND.

Same with Coach Caldwell.
Kim has built her resume. She has been very successful coaching at multiple programs. There is no reason to even make the comparison between her and the legendary Coach Pat Summitt.
Like Coach Ivey at ND, Coach Caldwell will set her own mark with the LV program