Samara Spencer to Tennessee!

[glv98]

Bro, your prior comment almost, I mean almost, baited me into posting something really snarky, like "CKC only said the LVs are going to get a lot of shots up; she never said that they would make them." Man, I am so glad that my better judgment has prevailed and you won't see such snarkiness coming from me, no sirrreee.

But, while Spencer's shooting numbers have been moving in the wrong direction (which is odd) she is an experienced SEC PG who can run an offense at pace. So, CKC is not having to force fit the Wynn circle into the PG square.

The fact that Tess is a proven shooter, who has been getting better at hitting threes transitions, might mean that she gets more time (and has a bigger role) than expected next year.

LOL you snarky? Actually it seems the 'system' plans for not making alot of shots, thus the all out press for extra possesions. Which is why I said this system seems to outsmart itself; why go to all that trouble when you could simply take and make good shots?

I think this moves Wynn (and Strickland) down the bench bc it probably takes Cooper/Boyd out of the pg spot and firmly in the 2/3 spot where Kaiya's mins would be.

As far as Tess, there will be situations for her, not sure how many. I think Sara's the one that gets the sniper mins, along w Jewel.

 

[Dadof2Vols]

 

[spojo13]

I like this pickup from a defense and experienced scoring standpoint. She would have led our teams in steals last year, which shows a willingness to play defense even if her shots weren’t falling at a higher rate. I do hope her shooting percentages can increase to her earlier levels. Maybe playing less minutes on tired legs will help? Like was mentioned before from glv, it is good to have a PG who is experienced in running a fast paced system to play for CKC’s first year.

 

[butchna]

Amphibians getting pregnant all over this thread! Jurassic Park Chaos Theory reference. "Bluehair NegaLADYVolism...finds a way!"

 

[LV renaissance]

finally Winner and I agree on an entire post
yay

Boom ! They been expecting Coach Caldwell to fail since Day 1 and she exposing the fanatics effortlessly. And I’m trying to see where this myth of all the guards being the same came from..

Talaysia Cooper is not similar to Spencer, Wynn, or Boyd.

The only similarities between Cooper and Boyd are defense and ball handling.

Spencer plays a different game than any of the guards.

You can never have too many guards that can DRIBBLE now give me a break with the nonsense.

But as far as skillset, they do not play anywhere near the same style of basketball.

I'm with Jumper. This is your best post ever. I was going to make a similar post, but I wanted to do some research on it before doing so. You beat me to the post, and now I can just chill on the research.

 

[knoxvol52]

Yes indeed. The fanatics at this point grasping for straws… if adding a 3-year elite SEC starting PG (2022 Freshman of the Yr) is “meh” then just let these people seek help for their own misery.
Everybody else is through the roof with excitement!
And like Jewel Spear said that’s 3!

Tell these NegaVols about it. Wonderful acquisition .

 

[Freak]

 

[barrylee]

Reading this thread proves that wherever you go on here there are always 2 or 3 “ realists” who insist on throwing shade whenever possible!

I very seldom come over here until recently but it’s easy to spot the trolls in short order..

 

[House|RockyTop]

I'm sure they've signed the best players who agreed to come here and now will just have to do the "more with less" thing that the LVs haven't been able to conquer the last few yrs. And in a much, much tougher league.

No, that’s your opinion. This is not about doing more with less. Coach Caldwell and her staff in three weeks have signed three former starters from P5 teams. Spencer led Arkansas to wins over Florida State and Alabama.

Alyssa Latham led Syracuse in a big win over Notre Dame. Lazaria Spearman posted a double/double against Miss State and North Carolina. Just pointing to some of their games in the spotlight.

They were the best players on the floor.
That narrative about lack of talent is done. It’s dead.

They will come in to compete with the returning core to build a deep and athletic team.

For instance, Samara Spencer is arguably more talented and certainly more accomplished than every player that LSU has signed out of the portal.
Spearman and Alyssa match up with Smith, Wolfenberger, and Morrow.

Players like Sara Puckett, Talaysia Cooper, Kaiya Wynn, Jillian Hollingshead and all the returnees will thrive in the system.

Tennessee has the talent to play with any team in the SEC.

 

[ttharp]

Tell these NegaVols about it. Wonderful acquisition .

I was just about to throw out the NegaVol label

If CKC’s coaching isn’t up to par, I will voice my grievances just like I did with Holly and Kellie. For now though, I’m riding the wave of excitement. From the portal, the staff she assembled, and player retention, she’s checking the boxes so far.

 

[ttharp]

It looks like people who actually know ball are a fan of this commitment.

Ticha Penicheiro - one of the greatest PGs in WNBA history- also commented on Samara’s post

 

[DarkPhoenix]

It looks like people who actually know ball are a fan of this commitment.

Ticha Penicheiro - one of the greatest PGs in WNBA history- also commented on Samara’s post

When people start hating that’s when they know we are contenders again, people will praise when they know we aren’t a threat.

 

[Hooper22]

LOL you snarky? Actually it seems the 'system' plans for not making alot of shots, thus the all out press for extra possesions. Which is why I said this system seems to outsmart itself; why go to all that trouble when you could simply take and make good shots?

I think this moves Wynn (and Strickland) down the bench bc it probably takes Cooper/Boyd out of the pg spot and firmly in the 2/3 spot where Kaiya's mins would be.

As far as Tess, there will be situations for her, not sure how many. I think Sara's the one that gets the sniper mins, along w Jewel.

I’d love to hear your true analysis on why this system will fail and the players we now have won’t be good enough. Please break this down for me.

 

[Mafiaboss]

I sang JP's praises bc she played her heart out at the very ceiling of her limited abilities. I never once said she was our ideal pg and said many times the lack of a consistent, elite pg was hurting us badly. I love JP but never mistook her for Raven Johnson.

But I don't fault the coaching staff for signing these players a bit. I'm impressed w the buy in they've gotten, both with existing players and with transfers. I'm sure they've signed the best players who agreed to come here and now will just have to do the "more with less" thing that the LVs haven't been able to conquer the last few yrs. And in a much, much tougher league.

I think we’ve signed the players we need.

 

[Hooper22]

I think we’ve signed the players we need.

Exactly. This roster is exactly what Coach Kim is looking for and needs to be successful, and once we add Ruby, we are golden. I’m excited to see how this upcoming season goes. Don’t let the negas ruin the vibe.

 

[VolBalls33]

Great pick up!! This season the team will certainly be more athletic.

 

[Mafiaboss]

Exactly. This roster is exactly what Coach Kim is looking for and needs to be successful, and once we add Ruby, we are golden. I’m excited to see how this upcoming season goes. Don’t let the negas ruin the vibe.

Thank you. I really don’t understand the negaVols.

 

[Majors]

IMO this moves poor Kaiya farther down the bench. We now have multiple players very similar to her except they're younger, therefore more likely to get the mins. Strickland is the other player lost in the shuffle IMO. I think Tess is a special case, think she accepted a greatly reduced role when she decided to stay.

IMO Strickland will thrive in this style of play as she won’t be lost in the shuffle. This change gives her a fresh start of all things equal. Agree with your Tess statement.

 

[krichunaka]

Well, getting an experienced PG to help out with Destiny was portal job #1 and Spencer does that. Now, CKC has more options in how to use Cooper and Wynn.

I am guessing this signing might also mean that Ruby W. is not happening

I'm banking on Destiny's senior maturity here, in that she fully understands that Coach Kim did the smart, and inevitable thing by recruiting Samara Spencer. It is now quite likely that Spencer is to be our starting point guard - she's a real player - especially since a completely healed Wells is not guaranteed.

Samara Spencer is an exciting commitment who stabilizes our point guard situation, which actually should be a huge plus toward the hoped for commitment of Ruby Whitehorn.

All that, plus I believe that Hooper22 is one of our most knowledgeable, and reliable sources.

 

[glv98]

I’d love to hear your true analysis on why this system will fail and the players we now have won’t be good enough. Please break this down for me.

Easy, because the better teams will beat the press easily for uncontested layups and also will not allow us to dictate tempo. IMO, that's why coaches with the athleticism and depth to play this way, like Dawn Staley, don't. Don't get me wrong, I thought we should have run more both years we had Rickea, esp the first yr when she was the first down the floor every time. But uptempo is one thing and planning to win by poor shooting but getting more rebounds and turning teams over doesn't make sense to me.

Fortunately, for all the talk, IMO an overarching philosophy of a more pressing D and a little faster O is what we're likely to see, not a full out run and gun. In all the footage I've been able to find of Marshall, they played routine half court offense most of the time. Which is why only having one true post (Jill is a 4, we fought that battle all season last yr) and having only a couple of proven 3 pt shooters worries me.

I think the team she's assembling has plenty of potential to be a scrappy, pesky team which is a good start to the build. But not a championship contender on the one yr plan.

 

[VolBall09]

Easy, because the better teams will beat the press easily for uncontested layups and also will not allow us to dictate tempo. IMO, that's why coaches with the athleticism and depth to play this way, like Dawn Staley, don't. Don't get me wrong, I thought we should have run more both years we had Rickea, esp the first yr when she was the first down the floor every time. But uptempo is one thing and planning to win by poor shooting but getting more rebounds and turning teams over doesn't make sense to me.

Fortunately, for all the talk, IMO an overarching philosophy of a more pressing D and a little faster O is what we're likely to see, not a full out run and gun. In all the footage I've been able to find of Marshall, they played routine half court offense most of the time. Which is why only having one true post (Jill is a 4, we fought that battle all season last yr) and having only a couple of proven 3 pt shooters worries me.

I think the team she's assembling has plenty of potential to be a scrappy, pesky team which is a good start to the build. But not a championship contender on the one yr plan.

You def never played basketball. It shows all the time. You haven’t taken any time to actually educate yourself on what her teams do. It’s not so much a press as a turnover machine. The defense is relentless, 40 minutes, full court, not a press. That works at any level when you execute it properly and some coaches can get that done.

Kim appears to be a very effective and concise communicator, she’ll be getting her point across and getting results. Bet.

 

[glv98]

That works at any level when you execute it properly and some coaches can get that done.

Makes me wonder why more coaches don't do it then, esp ones with the absolute horses like Dawn.

 

[madtownvol]

I'm banking on Destiny's senior maturity here, in that she fully understands that Coach Kim did the smart, and inevitable thing by recruiting Samara Spencer. It is now quite likely that Spencer is to be our starting point guard - she's a real player - especially since a completely healed Wells is not guaranteed.

Samara Spencer is an exciting commitment who stabilizes our point guard situation, which actually should be a huge plus toward the hoped for commitment of Ruby Whitehorn.

All that, plus I believe that Hooper22 is one of our most knowledgeable, and reliable sources.

ACL injuries really, really suck. Destinee will likely be working her way back in the first half of the season, which means limited minutes and probably some times where he knee gets acts up, The latest repair techniques have really improved outcomes but we are still not into miracle territory. Long way of saying, I am sure DW understands her limitations and the team needs She will still have lots of opportunities to be a difference maker.

CKC is not done yet but her portal class is looking great. My big worry had been be how she would do in her first and vital portal window, given she was not an established power 5 coach but she has handled it like an experienced pro.

 

[Hooper22]

You def never played basketball. It shows all the time. You haven’t taken any time to actually educate yourself on what her teams do. It’s not so much a press as a turnover machine. The defense is relentless, 40 minutes, full court, not a press. That works at any level when you execute it properly and some coaches can get that done.

Kim appears to be a very effective and concise communicator, she’ll be getting her point across and getting results. Bet.

Thank you. GLV truly makes me question if they want to see us succeed. I’ll leave it at that.

 

[Hooper22]

Easy, because the better teams will beat the press easily for uncontested layups and also will not allow us to dictate tempo. IMO, that's why coaches with the athleticism and depth to play this way, like Dawn Staley, don't. Don't get me wrong, I thought we should have run more both years we had Rickea, esp the first yr when she was the first down the floor every time. But uptempo is one thing and planning to win by poor shooting but getting more rebounds and turning teams over doesn't make sense to me.

Fortunately, for all the talk, IMO an overarching philosophy of a more pressing D and a little faster O is what we're likely to see, not a full out run and gun. In all the footage I've been able to find of Marshall, they played routine half court offense most of the time. Which is why only having one true post (Jill is a 4, we fought that battle all season last yr) and having only a couple of proven 3 pt shooters worries me.

I think the team she's assembling has plenty of potential to be a scrappy, pesky team which is a good start to the build. But not a championship contender on the one yr plan.

O.K.