Quit yer’ whining; Let’s break this loss down

[madtownvol]

On the whole, the LVs played a very respectable game against the #4 team in the country but some of the same struggles and shortcomings cost them a game they could have easily won.

Quick caveat – I was very worried after the 1st quarter because the LVs played about as well as they could and only had a one point lead. What kept MSU in the game and ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the win was that they hit some clutch 3’s whereas the LVs simply could make an outside shot in those potential game changing moments. With these key players on the bench, the LVs were not able to sustain the tempo and executional quality of the first quarter but they still managed to stay in the game till the last 2 minutes.

The Good: The LVs got 30 points on FTs. On the other thread, this stat was interpreted as a sign that we were poor offensively. I disagree; you get to the line by being aggressive on offense and forcing defenders into tough situations. And the LVs knocked down a high % of their FTs. So, that is all a plus.

And in the first quarter, the LVs were running the screen and roll to perfection. Unfortunately, MSU made some adjustments and because the LVs were so woeful from outside the arc, they could not make MSU pay for packing the paint.

Overall, the LVs gave a really good defensive effort; against a good, athletic team, there will be some times where you get beat but the LVs defense did enough to win the game.

The Bad

Offensively, the LVs did a great job attacking the paint but they needed to make a few more of those shots at the rim. And, it is very hard if not impossible, for the LVs to beat a strong opponent without making some threes. So, in the end, shooting woes and unforced TO’s undid the good work they did on the defensive side

Player assessments

Diamond – great effort on the defensive side. Played aggressively on the offensive side and got to the line a lot. But, she had her unforced and costly TO and when Nared and Jordan were on the bench, the LVs needed their star deliver some big buckets. And unfortunately, DD’s had her most ineffective stretch of the game during that clutch moment.

Mercedes – a nice looking stat line with another solid double double and she was excellent in the first quarter. But as the game wore on, she let the MSU post (shorter but stouter) push her off the block. She did not have a strong presence on the boards when MSU pulled ahead and she did not make any clutch plays when Nared and Jordan were on the bench. She did not have a bad game but the LVs will need more from her and Diamond if they are going to win against the upper tier of the SEC.

Jordan and Nared – their respective games tell similar stories; early foul trouble and not their best nights but they gave what they had. Unfortunately, this team needs one of them to step up and be the 3rd force with DD and Mercedes. If Nared had been able to hit a 3 here or there, the game could have had a different feel down the stretch.

Jackson – basically she did her job as the high energy defender and he made some clutch rebounds down the stretch. But again, on a night when the top guns are not firing at full capacity, somebody has to step up and make some shots. Unfortunately, when those opportunities presented themselves to Meme, she clanked them or committed a TO.

Middleton – no way around it; she could not heed the call. She looked more overmatched than I have seen her look all season. Some of her problem is pressing to hard. She missed some wide open jumpers. But at PG, her athletic limitations were also exposed; she could not advance the ball against the MSU guards and wound up dribbling the clock down 25 – 30 feet from the basket. But, her teammate should have been working harder off the ball. Again, they were down two key players at this juncture of the game and everyone needed to up the effort.

Nunn – she did her job as a role player.

Summary

As losses go, this game was a much better effort than in their other defeats. I know, I know a loss is a loss; there are no moral victories but there are demoralizing losses and losses which can make a team realize, you know, if we just clean up these mistakes we can play with just about anyone. This loss is more in that latter category. The fact the LVs, who had been on a confidence building roll, could not pull an upset at home is disappointing but they fought to the end, despite some adversity. We all knew that their short bench would create some problems during the season. MSU got control of the game when Jordan and Jamie were out with foul trouble. The reality is that the LVs will have to find a way to better cope with those challenges. And that means that playing well (Diamond and Mercedes) will not be good enough. The "stars" have to be dominant in those crucial moments if they are going to be stars.

 

[Tenacguy50]

As long as HW is on the bench, then this is what the future holds. Bring on Kim Mulkey.

 

[mike099]

I did not see the press conference, but did any reporter bring up not using time outs when needed to regroup or in Pat's tenure to chew them out?

Lack of solid guard play and double digit turnovers is hard to overcome.

 

[sisaq]

On the whole, the LVs played a very respectable game against the #4 team in the country but some of the same struggles and shortcomings cost them a game they could have easily won.

Quick caveat – I was very worried after the 1st quarter because the LVs played about as well as they could and only had a one point lead. What kept MSU in the game and ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the win was that they hit some clutch 3’s whereas the LVs simply could make an outside shot in those potential game changing moments. With these key players on the bench, the LVs were not able to sustain the tempo and executional quality of the first quarter but they still managed to stay in the game till the last 2 minutes.

The Good: The LVs got 30 points on FTs. On the other thread, this stat was interpreted as a sign that we were poor offensively. I disagree; you get to the line by being aggressive on offense and forcing defenders into tough situations. And the LVs knocked down a high % of their FTs. So, that is all a plus.

And in the first quarter, the LVs were running the screen and roll to perfection. Unfortunately, MSU made some adjustments and because the LVs were so woeful from outside the arc, they could not make MSU pay for packing the paint.

Overall, the LVs gave a really good defensive effort; against a good, athletic team, there will be some times where you get beat but the LVs defense did enough to win the game.

The Bad

Offensively, the LVs did a great job attacking the paint but they needed to make a few more of those shots at the rim. And, it is very hard if not impossible, for the LVs to beat a strong opponent without making some threes. So, in the end, shooting woes and unforced TO’s undid the good work they did on the defensive side

Player assessments

Diamond – great effort on the defensive side. Played aggressively on the offensive side and got to the line a lot. But, she had her unforced and costly TO and when Nared and Jordan were on the bench, the LVs needed their star deliver some big buckets. And unfortunately, DD’s had her most ineffective stretch of the game during that clutch moment.

Mercedes – a nice looking stat line with another solid double double and she was excellent in the first quarter. But as the game wore on, she let the MSU post (shorter but stouter) push her off the block. She did not have a strong presence on the boards when MSU pulled ahead and she did not make any clutch plays when Nared and Jordan were on the bench. She did not have a bad game but the LVs will need more from her and Diamond if they are going to win against the upper tier of the SEC.

Jordan and Nared – their respective games tell similar stories; early foul trouble and not their best nights but they gave what they had. Unfortunately, this team needs one of them to step up and be the 3rd force with DD and Mercedes. If Nared had been able to hit a 3 here or there, the game could have had a different feel down the stretch.

Jackson – basically she did her job as the high energy defender and he made some clutch rebounds down the stretch. But again, on a night when the top guns are not firing at full capacity, somebody has to step up and make some shots. Unfortunately, when those opportunities presented themselves to Meme, she clanked them or committed a TO.

Middleton – no way around it; she could not heed the call. She looked more overmatched than I have seen her look all season. Some of her problem is pressing to hard. She missed some wide open jumpers. But at PG, her athletic limitations were also exposed; she could not advance the ball against the MSU guards and wound up dribbling the clock down 25 – 30 feet from the basket. But, her teammate should have been working harder off the ball. Again, they were down two key players at this juncture of the game and everyone needed to up the effort.

Nunn – she did her job as a role player.

Summary

As losses go, this game was a much better effort than in their other defeats. I know, I know a loss is a loss; there are no moral victories but there are demoralizing losses and losses which can make a team realize, you know, if we just clean up these mistakes we can play with just about anyone. This loss is more in that latter category. The fact the LVs, who had been on a confidence building roll, could not pull an upset at home is disappointing but they fought to the end, despite some adversity. We all knew that their short bench would create some problems during the season. MSU got control of the game when Jordan and Jamie were out with foul trouble. The reality is that the LVs will have to find a way to better cope with those challenges. And that means that playing well (Diamond and Mercedes) will not be good enough. The "stars" have to be dominant in those crucial moments if they are going to be stars.

Madtownvol tell them!!!

 

[Rickster]

Thanks for your perspective. Nice job.

 

[JVol76]

I can break it down and it's not complicated or anything. Holly Warlick is coach. As long as she remains this is to be the expected result. They'll pull off the occasional upset but all in all they are falling further behind the top programs and it's not going to stop anytime soon. When you are inept at the coaching position even talent won't overcome it.

 

[RollerVol]

GO HOLLY AND GO LADY VOLS!
PS. better days are ahead...really...

 

[dillyo51]

I did not see the press conference, but did any reporter bring up not using time outs when needed to regroup or in Pat's tenure to chew them out?

Lack of solid guard play and double digit turnovers is hard to overcome.

it is also hard to overcome a clueless coaching staff.

 

[LVJeff]

On the whole, the LVs played a very respectable game against the #4 team in the country but some of the same struggles and shortcomings cost them a game they could have easily won...

The team has poor guard play. The struggles and shortcomings you refer to in your opening statement, are the same struggles and shortcomings that have been here for several seasons. It hasn't gotten any better, and I don't see it getting much better this season. If the guard play hasn't gotten any better in three seasons, I don't see it getting any better at all this season.

Women's college basketball is a guard oriented game. The best teams have superior guard play. The point guard, especially, is critical to the success of a women's college basketball team. The best college basketball teams have a point guard that holds everybody else accountable on offense. Anything, and I mean anything that goes wrong on offense is the responsibility of the point guard. If any one of the other players drops the ball and it rolls out of bounds Holly warlick needs to go after the point guard. That kind of accountability is missing from this team.

 

[madtownvol]

The team has poor guard play. The struggles and shortcomings you refer to in your opening statement, are the same struggles and shortcomings that have been here for several seasons. It hasn't gotten any better, and I don't see it getting much better this season. If the guard play hasn't gotten any better in three seasons, I don't see it getting any better at all this season.

Women's college basketball is a guard oriented game. The best teams have superior guard play. The point guard, especially, is critical to the success of a women's college basketball team. The best college basketball teams have a point guard that holds everybody else accountable on offense. Anything, and I mean anything that goes wrong on offense is the responsibility of the point guard. If any one of the other players drops the ball and it rolls out of bounds Holly warlick needs to go after the point guard. That kind of accountability is missing from this team.

I agree and that is where Te'a injuries looms so large. Had she stayed healthy, she should have been more experienced and effective than her freshman year (and she showed some real potential). Of course, the team should have had another option but nonetheless, this is still another season where a key player is out do to injury.

 

[Nute Gunray]

On the whole, the LVs played a very respectable game against the #4 team in the country but some of the same struggles and shortcomings cost them a game they could have easily won.

Quick caveat – I was very worried after the 1st quarter because the LVs played about as well as they could and only had a one point lead. What kept MSU in the game and ultimately proved to be a decisive factor in the win was that they hit some clutch 3’s whereas the LVs simply could make an outside shot in those potential game changing moments. With these key players on the bench, the LVs were not able to sustain the tempo and executional quality of the first quarter but they still managed to stay in the game till the last 2 minutes.

The Good: The LVs got 30 points on FTs. On the other thread, this stat was interpreted as a sign that we were poor offensively. I disagree; you get to the line by being aggressive on offense and forcing defenders into tough situations. And the LVs knocked down a high % of their FTs. So, that is all a plus.

And in the first quarter, the LVs were running the screen and roll to perfection. Unfortunately, MSU made some adjustments and because the LVs were so woeful from outside the arc, they could not make MSU pay for packing the paint.

Overall, the LVs gave a really good defensive effort; against a good, athletic team, there will be some times where you get beat but the LVs defense did enough to win the game.

The Bad

Offensively, the LVs did a great job attacking the paint but they needed to make a few more of those shots at the rim. And, it is very hard if not impossible, for the LVs to beat a strong opponent without making some threes. So, in the end, shooting woes and unforced TO’s undid the good work they did on the defensive side

Player assessments

Diamond – great effort on the defensive side. Played aggressively on the offensive side and got to the line a lot. But, she had her unforced and costly TO and when Nared and Jordan were on the bench, the LVs needed their star deliver some big buckets. And unfortunately, DD’s had her most ineffective stretch of the game during that clutch moment.

Mercedes – a nice looking stat line with another solid double double and she was excellent in the first quarter. But as the game wore on, she let the MSU post (shorter but stouter) push her off the block. She did not have a strong presence on the boards when MSU pulled ahead and she did not make any clutch plays when Nared and Jordan were on the bench. She did not have a bad game but the LVs will need more from her and Diamond if they are going to win against the upper tier of the SEC.

Jordan and Nared – their respective games tell similar stories; early foul trouble and not their best nights but they gave what they had. Unfortunately, this team needs one of them to step up and be the 3rd force with DD and Mercedes. If Nared had been able to hit a 3 here or there, the game could have had a different feel down the stretch.

Jackson – basically she did her job as the high energy defender and he made some clutch rebounds down the stretch. But again, on a night when the top guns are not firing at full capacity, somebody has to step up and make some shots. Unfortunately, when those opportunities presented themselves to Meme, she clanked them or committed a TO.

Middleton – no way around it; she could not heed the call. She looked more overmatched than I have seen her look all season. Some of her problem is pressing to hard. She missed some wide open jumpers. But at PG, her athletic limitations were also exposed; she could not advance the ball against the MSU guards and wound up dribbling the clock down 25 – 30 feet from the basket. But, her teammate should have been working harder off the ball. Again, they were down two key players at this juncture of the game and everyone needed to up the effort.

Nunn – she did her job as a role player.

Summary

As losses go, this game was a much better effort than in their other defeats. I know, I know a loss is a loss; there are no moral victories but there are demoralizing losses and losses which can make a team realize, you know, if we just clean up these mistakes we can play with just about anyone. This loss is more in that latter category. The fact the LVs, who had been on a confidence building roll, could not pull an upset at home is disappointing but they fought to the end, despite some adversity. We all knew that their short bench would create some problems during the season. MSU got control of the game when Jordan and Jamie were out with foul trouble. The reality is that the LVs will have to find a way to better cope with those challenges. And that means that playing well (Diamond and Mercedes) will not be good enough. The "stars" have to be dominant in those crucial moments if they are going to be stars.

Very perceptive assessment as always, madtownvol. I enjoy very much your player and team analyses.

 

[Nute Gunray]

I can break it down and it's not complicated or anything. Holly Warlick is coach. As long as she remains this is to be the expected result. They'll pull off the occasional upset but all in all they are falling further behind the top programs and it's not going to stop anytime soon. When you are inept at the coaching position even talent won't overcome it.

No words were spoken so true. Sad words, but true words.

 

[T_Vol376]

Excellent analysis, madtown - thank you! Now on to the next one - forward together!

Go Lady Vols! 💙🍊🏀

 

[volmandu]

I never thought there would be a day for Lady Vols where we would be celebrating loss to a #4 team as 'respectable' one .. or loss to any team ..but oh well .. We are Tennessee Volunteers ..oops Tennessee Mediocres

 

[Amb3096]

Last year, they lost to Syracuse because Jordan was hurt and Te'a couldn't step up. This year, their guard play is weak because Te'a is hurt and Jordan isn't a natural PG.

It seems whichever player is hurt has become the Miracle Pill for this team's woes. I'm surprised there hasn't been more (and there's been some) "If Kortney was healthy..." posts.

 

[armchair]

---No, Warlick wasn't asked about her failure to use her timeouts, which was all the more stupid in the second half because our starters played the ENTIRE second half, the only sub coming in the last minute of the game. That alone shows how thick-headed our coach is.

She was asked if she considered putting Reynolds back in the game in the second quarter when we started floundering and Miss. State rallied to take a 7-point lead--big momentum shift. Warlick said she considered it but thought Middleton could handle the job. A smart coach would have done it as players all the time have to learn to play minutes without fouling. It is axiomatic in coaching that, when your opponent has momentum, you try to stop it--either with timeouts or substitutions. And what does Warlick do? Usually, nothing! My bet is that Warlick didn't consider putting Reynolds back in.

As for Middleton, the girl has some skills--but she lately seems to be playing very nervously, lacking confidence. You have to be mentally tough, kid. She's not. She's a good shooter, excellent form--but she plays tight. You can see it. You can't play that way--you might as well come out. The coaches need to toughen her up--as we need her--but that is not a speciality of our coaches.

Excellent analysis, MadTown. More simply, the problem in this was game was the problem that has bedeviled this program for a decade--poor offensive execution. It's a poor scheme, IMO--too much reliance on 1v1, and beyond that there was the usual poor decision-making, too few assists and too many turnovers, and the usual poor shooting. If one just looks at a team's assist/turnover ratio, you will have a very good idea of how they performed offensively, which in turn can suggest a win or a loss (depending on the competition). UT's assist/turnover ratio has been BAD, by and large, for a decade--maybe longer, because our coaches do not know how to install a good system and teach good fundamental offensive basketball. We have our stretches when we play well offensively and are fundamental, and we have have our games when we do so--but more often than not, the offensive execution is not there.

Fans say, oh, wait until we next year, next year, when we have a better PG or we have better guards. We have had highly recruited guards. Massengale was a very highly recruited PG; Middleton was. Nearly all of the players on our team are top-rated prospects. Problem is, they don't get coached up enough. Fans say, "Oh, we played fairly well against the no. 4 ranked team--emphasis on that number 4 as it makes them feel better about the loss.

Really? Who's starting five as more talent--us or Miss. State? Every player on our starting five was highly recruited. Is that the case with Miss. State? Who here thinks that Miss. State's has more talent than we do? Vivians is very good and athletic--but she had a terrible shooting game. She's like DD. Their center is pretty decent--big, made a couple of nice shots in the 2nd quarter, but all things considered I think Russell is a bit better. I don't think Miss. State has anyone with Nared's size/skill set. Their PG is small but productive. Nobody else for them stood out. And then we fill out our lineup/roster with Reynolds (big, athletic guard), Jackson (big and even more athletic), Middleton and Nunn. If I had to big one of the lineups to coach just on skill sets and potential, I'd pick ours. But of course Miss. State's lineup performs consistently and ours doesn't. Their coaching is BETTER. You think the substitute Miss. State guard who made three big threes has more TALENT than Middleton? She doesn't--she probably has less talent. But she produces in a big spot and our substitute guard doesn't. If you compare the lineups, Nared should have been an advantage spot for us. But of course she wasn't: She had a very bad offensive game, for a variety of reasons: She forced play--made bad decisions; lost her composure, shot poorly. DD? She was 5-15. We had 17 turnovers and they had 10. They had more assists.

We did draw a ton of fouls, and that was a very good thing--but had that been an NCAA tournament game, say, we would not have gone to the foul line anywhere close to 35 times. That was an anomaly. We have played good defense lately--but we fail when it comes to OFFENSIVE EXECUTION. It's not good enough, hasn't been good enough for a decade. The reason UConn is a juggernaut, has been for many years, is that they not only play good defense and have talent--but their offensive execution is outstanding, FAR, far better than ours. It is why Geno was 4-0 against PS in national title games. More movement, better passing, better shot selection, smarter decisions, better shooting. And let's be clear about this: This lack of offensive execution is a COACHING failure--and has been a coaching failure for MORE than a decade. We had the same problem even when we won two national titles with Parker and Anosike--we just didn't notice it because those two were a defensive force, and because Parker was the best player in the country. (As soon as PS sat Parker, our offense reverted to being bad.)

The bottom line is that we continue to underachieve. Let's not sugarcoat this game: We didn't lose because Miss. State is some tremendous team--no. 4 in the country! Yea, they've got a good team--athletic and they play hard. Every team should play hard, and we certainly have as much more athleticism as Miss. State. The difference is very simple: Their coach is getting the most out of his group--topping out their potential--and our coach is not, has not, cannot. They overachieve, we underachieve. Let's be candid about it. There is absolutely no reason why we couldn't have won that game--but our players didn't perform--don't perform individually and don't perform well enough--consistently-- as a group.

Warlick just doesn't have it. She should be chewing ass in our practices and in games, and she doesn't--it's not her personality; and if she tries to chew ass, I'm sure our players recognize that it's not natural for her. That's my take on one of our issues. PS chewed ass. Geno chews ass. Warlick scratches her head after losses and wants to blame the players. The way you get better offensive execution is to demand it, practice it, and then practice it again and again. I spent quite a bit of time one season with Jim Calhoun, men's coach at UConn--3 national titles, Hall of Fame coach. Good guy but he was TOUGH. If his team was practicing at 70 percent, say, he chewed ass and they practiced and drilled until they got to 80 percent--and then the following week he chewed ass until they got to 90 percent. But he also knew how to motivate individual players, and different players require different approaches. It's all about maximizing potential.

Everybody, coaches and players, ARE working to get better. There has been talk, and media stories, about how the team is trying to get on the right track, and making progress. And there has been progress. But good grief: You'd think we were the basketball version of the Bad News Bears--a group of misfits--given all the happy talk about winning six straight, etc.--when in fact we got a lineup that most coaches would kill for. We've played so much mediocre basketball for so long that expectations have fallen--that's what is scary.

Even with our depth issue--which is partly a result of lousy recruiting for two years--we should EASILY be a top 10 team right now. Name 10 teams that have more talent than we do. You couldn't! UConn, South Carolina, Baylor--maybe. Maryland? Don't know. Stanford is ranked 10th in the country and we just beat them at home--not a hugely talented team at all. We just played the No. 4 team--certainly not more talented. We simply aren't coached well enough and don't play well enough consistently.

 

[madtownvol]

Last year, they lost to Syracuse because Jordan was hurt and Te'a couldn't step up. This year, their guard play is weak because Te'a is hurt and Jordan isn't a natural PG.

It seems whichever player is hurt has become the Miracle Pill for this team's woes. I'm surprised there hasn't been more (and there's been some) "If Kortney was healthy..." posts.

Well, there are reasonable attributions and those which have no plausibility. Jordan has been doing a decent job at PG but the team has no plan B when she is out; and in the MSU game, the LVs lost control of the game during her absence and then had to play a catch up game. With another capable PG, Te'a it is not unreasonable to suspect that the LVs might have fared better in that stretch. But that does not change what happened or the bigger point that the staff needs to find a better Plan B. For example, despite her TO tendencies, letting Diamond run the point more when Jordan is out would at least give the team some attacking impetus.

 

[madtownvol]

---No, Warlick wasn't asked about her failure to use her timeouts, which was all the more stupid in the second half because our starters played the ENTIRE second half, the only sub coming in the last minute of the game. That alone shows how thick-headed our coach is.

She was asked if she considered putting Reynolds back in the game in the second quarter when we started floundering and Miss. State rallied to take a 7-point lead--big momentum shift. Warlick said she considered it but thought Middleton could handle the job. A smart coach would have done it as players all the time have to learn to play minutes without fouling. It is axiomatic in coaching that, when your opponent has momentum, you try to stop it--either with timeouts or substitutions. And what does Warlick do? Usually, nothing! My bet is that Warlick didn't consider putting Reynolds back in.

As for Middleton, the girl has some skills--but she lately seems to be playing very nervously, lacking confidence. You have to be mentally tough, kid. She's not. She's a good shooter, excellent form--but she plays tight. You can see it. You can't play that way--you might as well come out. The coaches need to toughen her up--as we need her--but that is not a speciality of our coaches.

Excellent analysis, MadTown. More simply, the problem in this was game was the problem that has bedeviled this program for a decade--poor offensive execution. It's a poor scheme, IMO--too much reliance on 1v1, and beyond that there was the usual poor decision-making, too few assists and too many turnovers, and the usual poor shooting. If one just looks at a team's assist/turnover ratio, you will have a very good idea of how they performed offensively, which in turn can suggest a win or a loss (depending on the competition). UT's assist/turnover ratio has been BAD, by and large, for a decade--maybe longer, because our coaches do not know how to install a good system and teach good fundamental offensive basketball. We have our stretches when we play well offensively and are fundamental, and we have have our games when we do so--but more often than not, the offensive execution is not there.

Fans say, oh, wait until we next year, next year, when we have a better PG or we have better guards. We have had highly recruited guards. Massengale was a very highly recruited PG; Middleton was. Nearly all of the players on our team are top-rated prospects. Problem is, they don't get coached up enough. Fans say, "Oh, we played fairly well against the no. 4 ranked team--emphasis on that number 4 as it makes them feel better about the loss.

Really? Who's starting five as more talent--us or Miss. State? Every player on our starting five was highly recruited. Is that the case with Miss. State? Who here thinks that Miss. State's has more talent than we do? Vivians is very good and athletic--but she had a terrible shooting game. She's like DD. Their center is pretty decent--big, made a couple of nice shots in the 2nd quarter, but all things considered I think Russell is a bit better. I don't think Miss. State has anyone with Nared's size/skill set. Their PG is small but productive. Nobody else for them stood out. And then we fill out our lineup/roster with Reynolds (big, athletic guard), Jackson (big and even more athletic), Middleton and Nunn. If I had to big one of the lineups to coach just on skill sets and potential, I'd pick ours. But of course Miss. State's lineup performs consistently and ours doesn't. Their coaching is BETTER. You think the substitute Miss. State guard who made three big threes has more TALENT than Middleton? She doesn't--she probably has less talent. But she produces in a big spot and our substitute guard doesn't. If you compare the lineups, Nared should have been an advantage spot for us. But of course she wasn't: She had a very bad offensive game, for a variety of reasons: She forced play--made bad decisions; lost her composure, shot poorly. DD? She was 5-15. We had 17 turnovers and they had 10. They had more assists.

We did draw a ton of fouls, and that was a very good thing--but had that been an NCAA tournament game, say, we would not have gone to the foul line anywhere close to 35 times. That was an anomaly. We have played good defense lately--but we fail when it comes to OFFENSIVE EXECUTION. It's not good enough, hasn't been good enough for a decade. The reason UConn is a juggernaut, has been for many years, is that they not only play good defense and have talent--but their offensive execution is outstanding, FAR, far better than ours. It is why Geno was 4-0 against PS in national title games. More movement, better passing, better shot selection, smarter decisions, better shooting. And let's be clear about this: This lack of offensive execution is a COACHING failure--and has been a coaching failure for MORE than a decade. We had the same problem even when we won two national titles with Parker and Anosike--we just didn't notice it because those two were a defensive force, and because Parker was the best player in the country. (As soon as PS sat Parker, our offense reverted to being bad.)

The bottom line is that we continue to underachieve. Let's not sugarcoat this game: We didn't lose because Miss. State is some tremendous team--no. 4 in the country! Yea, they've got a good team--athletic and they play hard. Every team should play hard, and we certainly have as much more athleticism as Miss. State. The difference is very simple: Their coach is getting the most out of his group--topping out their potential--and our coach is not, has not, cannot. They overachieve, we underachieve. Let's be candid about it. There is absolutely no reason why we couldn't have won that game--but our players didn't perform--don't perform individually and don't perform well enough--consistently-- as a group.

Warlick just doesn't have it. She should be chewing ass in our practices and in games, and she doesn't--it's not her personality; and if she tries to chew ass, I'm sure our players recognize that it's not natural for her. That's my take on one of our issues. PS chewed ass. Geno chews ass. Warlick scratches her head after losses and wants to blame the players. The way you get better offensive execution is to demand it, practice it, and then practice it again and again. I spent quite a bit of time one season with Jim Calhoun, men's coach at UConn--3 national titles, Hall of Fame coach. Good guy but he was TOUGH. If his team was practicing at 70 percent, say, he chewed ass and they practiced and drilled until they got to 80 percent--and then the following week he chewed ass until they got to 90 percent. But he also knew how to motivate individual players, and different players require different approaches. It's all about maximizing potential.

Everybody, coaches and players, ARE working to get better. There has been talk, and media stories, about how the team is trying to get on the right track, and making progress. And there has been progress. But good grief: You'd think we were the basketball version of the Bad News Bears--a group of misfits--given all the happy talk about winning six straight, etc.--when in fact we got a lineup that most coaches would kill for. We've played so much mediocre basketball for so long that expectations have fallen--that's what is scary.

Even with our depth issue--which is partly a result of lousy recruiting for two years--we should EASILY be a top 10 team right now. Name 10 teams that have more talent than we do. You couldn't! UConn, South Carolina, Baylor--maybe. Maryland? Don't know. Stanford is ranked 10th in the country and we just beat them at home--not a hugely talented team at all. We just played the No. 4 team--certainly not more talented. We simply aren't coached well enough and don't play well enough consistently.

Per Middleton. you could argue that Holly and company are doing the right thing. The reality is that the LVs need a back-up for Jordan because foul trouble and injuries happen. So, leaving her on the floor in a clutch situation, could be seen as a case of losing the battle in hopes of winning the war. She gains experiences under pressure and also realizes that she has to do the job. Will it make a difference, who knows but I don't think that was a bad coaching decision. The hope under that kind of duress-- Nared and Jordan both out with 2 fouls--is that the LVs could stay close. And that goal was in their grasp with a makeable bucket here and there but alas shooting woes....


I agree with you about the inadequacies of the LVs offense but at the same time, what is a coach to do when her best player (and for whom there is no off the bench alternative) dribbles the ball off her foot with no one guarding her or makes a pass to a phantom player. And not just DD, under pressure, all the players make brain freeze plays or (metaphorically) shrink (M.R).

Holly dd the kick the team out of their locker room and I am sure uses all the old CPS disciplinary tricks. Maybe getting tougher is the answer but I think there is something else in the collective orientation of this team. They need that one player with the proverbial ice water in her veins that relishes the pressure. I think DD actually has that orientation but she to make the clutch shots. She got found that form at the end of last season and hopefully history repeats or else their tournament run will be short.

As for not substituting in the 2nd half, I would not have made a change either; the starting 5 had closed the gap and looked capable of winning the game. We saw that Middleton was not matching up; We know what would have happened with Dunbar; who do you pull for Nunn? Nared who was fresh from not playing the 1st half? Mercedes who started to reassert herself in the 2nd half.

Let's look at this way; let's say Holly had a made a substitution and the likely outcome being the same. Would fans not be hammering Holly for making a bonehead substitution just when the starting 5 was starting to gel?

 

[ruvol]

I never thought there would be a day for Lady Vols where we would be celebrating loss to a #4 team as 'respectable' one .. or loss to any team ..but oh well .. We are Tennessee Volunteers ..oops Tennessee Mediocres

That's where you are wrong, we are Lady Vols first.

 

[Amb3096]

Well, there are reasonable attributions and those which have no plausibility. Jordan has been doing a decent job at PG but the team has no plan B when she is out; and in the MSU game, the LVs lost control of the game during her absence and then had to play a catch up game. With another capable PG, Te'a it is not unreasonable to suspect that the LVs might have fared better in that stretch. But that does not change what happened or the bigger point that the staff needs to find a better Plan B. For example, despite her TO tendencies, letting Diamond run the point more when Jordan is out would at least give the team some attacking impetus.

As we saw in the 2nd half with Jordan playing the full 20 min, the best Tennessee could do was trade baskets with MS. The lead Tennessee had in the first half had more to do with MS than anything Jordan brought to the table. Once they got settled, it didn't make a difference who Tennessee was fielding.

The bigger problem is the lack of production from the two backcourt players. Let's say Te'a played alongside Jordan. Vivians would have a field day against her. If Te'a replaced Jordan, there's nothing to say that she wouldn't have turned the ball over more or even been able to score.

In a game like this where MeMe was dedicated to harassing Vivians, then Jordan should have been prepared to score more. It is a coaching failure to not exploit her size difference on Williams by posting her up instead of forcing to Russell where she had a big girl staring eye to eye with her, or just letting Diamond or Jaime freestyle it.

Te'a becomes nothing more than a convenient excuse to mask the coaching staffs inability to exploit mismatches

 

[LVJeff]

...As losses go, this game was a much better effort than in their other defeats. I know, I know a loss is a loss; there are no moral victories but there are demoralizing losses and losses which can make a team realize, you know, if we just clean up these mistakes we can play with just about anyone. This loss is more in that latter category. ....

The LV's may very well win any rematch with MSU. But for me, this loss was maybe not demoralizing, but it was more serious than "let's clean up a few things and we'll be alright". When you lose by 10 points at home to a team you've lost the last two games to, the chances for a win in a rematch on the road seem less likely to me.

MSU has a coach smart enough to know how to maximize his own team's strengths and expose the LV's weaknesses. To wit: Reynolds, Jackson, and Middleton totaled 6 points, 3 assists, 7 turnovers. Dillingham and Williams for MSU totaled 23 points, 5 assists, and 1 turnover. This is a harbinger of more losses assuming it doesn't significantly improve. Maybe it will, but right now I don't think so. Check back with me after the next game.

 

[gule]

Holly should be stalking the pickup games on campus to see if there is a shooter or two instead of practicing her head scratching and her "I don't knows".

we need more bodies, dammit!

Kortney, get your act together and quit letting Holly sit you on that bench.

 

[Amb3096]

As for not substituting in the 2nd half, I would not have made a change either; the starting 5 had closed the gap and looked capable of winning the game. We saw that Middleton was not matching up; We know what would have happened with Dunbar; who do you pull for Nunn? Nared who was fresh from not playing the 1st half? Mercedes who started to reassert herself in the 2nd half.

Let's look at this way; let's say Holly had a made a substitution and the likely outcome being the same. Would fans not be hammering Holly for making a bonehead substitution just when the starting 5 was starting to gel?

When Dillingham fouled out and Richardson went to the bench with 4 fouls, the easy sub would have been to bring in Qui for Jackson. McCowan was toe to toe with Mercedes all game long. That brings the post balance back to Tennessee since Qui would have obvious advantages in offense and defense vs. the undersized Chapel compared to Nared. Diamond wasn't in foul trouble, so she guards Vivans. Nared is assigned to Shaefer. That also gives you and additional player looking to score, since Qui scored more than Jackson playing 1/4 of the minutes.

 

[gule]

I wonder why dean blockwood, know not Jolaw, etc didn't think of that?

 

[madtownvol]

When Dillingham fouled out and Richardson went to the bench with 4 fouls, the easy sub would have been to bring in Qui for Jackson. McCowan was toe to toe with Mercedes all game long. That brings the post balance back to Tennessee since Qui would have obvious advantages in offense and defense vs. the undersized Chapel compared to Nared. Diamond wasn't in foul trouble, so she guards Vivans. Nared is assigned to Shaefer. That also gives you and additional player looking to score, since Qui scored more than Jackson playing 1/4 of the minutes.

Jackson for Nunn just shows how limited Holly's option really were. You could just as easily argue that Nunn would have only further crowded the paint which MSU packing. Yes, Nunn hit 4 FTs in the first half (and good on her for that) but she is not a scoring threat in the post. In contrast, the LVs needed perimeter defense and at least the threat of some outside shooting. So that would be Meme. And if Holly had made this move and the LVs lost, what are the odds you would be condemning Holly for the making a bonehead substitution.

The LVs lost so in hindsight, it is easy to place Holly in a damned if you and damned if you don't position.

In the moment of the game, I think her player decisions were solid.