SEC Play Expectations???

#52
#52
j'adorevol89 said:
I feel she is being misused also... I actually like Russell when she plays with confidence she doesn't know just how good she is, I think her junior year will be her breakout year... She is playing her first full healthy year she's still going to have her trials and tribulations.. But I like her alot she needs to learn to keep the ball high and maintain aggression I love that free throw line and elbow shot of her it's always a bonus when your post can nail that shot... Ruth Riley and Lisa Leslie were very consistent at hitting that shot... I love this team at full force when they are able to piece together an entire game they are going to be deadly..
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Usually it takes good post players two years of college, to come into their own. Plus, Mercedes is playing the non traditional five, which allows her the freedom to roam on offense, not be tied down in the paint, like Izzy. But her back to basket moves should hopefully improve as the season progress. If she don't have a big time game against Coates and Turner, it could be a long nite.

I expect her to be the best center in the game next year, and I would like to see her to see her playing like one of the top five centers in the game this year, but my expectations might be one year off.

She needs a hook shot or baby hook shot. I did like her reverse pivot against the double team and the pass to an open player, that is progress, she didn't turn it over.

As the wins increase, our expectation increase. Now a win against Notre Dame, will def raise my expectations. We have to beat SC at least once and or Notre Damn to be in conversation for a one or two seed.
 
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#54
#54
IMHO Vicki Baugh had C Parker like ability up to and until that 1st knee injury. She was special.
 
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#55
#55
What our posts have been slow to learn under Dean is that you have to be quick and decisive in the paint--explosive, if you want to be a scorer. You can't hold the ball and dawdle, and you should have an awareness of where exactly your defender is, which can help determine which way you would turn to shoot. Dean hasn't really taught Graves how to be a back-to-the-basket scorer. It's really pretty basic: If you have sufficient size, and she does, it's mostly about having a quick release. Graves is a lot like Johnson--neither really learned how to be a scorer in the true sense of the word.
 
#56
#56
gule said:
IMHO Vicki Baugh had C Parker like ability up to and until that 1st knee injury. She was special.
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I felt the same way about Vicky, if not for the knee injuries should would have probably been the best Center that Tennessee had. She showed flashes but when she hurt her knee she was never the same
 
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#57
#57
armchair said:
What our posts have been slow to learn under Dean is that you have to be quick and decisive in the paint--explosive, if you want to be a scorer. You can't hold the ball and dawdle, and you should have an awareness of where exactly your defender is, which can help determine which way you would turn to shoot. Dean hasn't really taught Graves how to be a back-to-the-basket scorer. It's really pretty basic: If you have sufficient size, and she does, it's mostly about having a quick release. Graves is a lot like Johnson--neither really learned how to be a scorer in the true sense of the word.
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My question is how do we know he isn't teaching them and they simply just revert to what they are comfortable doing. Graves could easily be a double double player every game but her demeanor doesn't allow her to be, she only shows that fire when others around her are requesting her to do so. She will benefit as we go further in the season because Diamond like her and is always looking to get her the ball but she has to also demand/want the ball. There are times she has a smaller defender on her and she doesn't ask for the ball she just seems to go with the flow. If she had more of a Glory Johnson attitude (she resembles Glory a lot, she is a better offensive player than Glory was but just was a beast on the glass and defensive end of the floor) we would be even more scary. As for Russell she is more so of a finesse player with a face up game rather than a back to the basket game (Graves has the back to the basket game) which is why Graves should be on the block and Russell should be at the hi-post. But Russell also suffers from a cool demeanor, everything is even kill and sometimes you have to have a little dog in you (which is what I see in MeMe, Te'a, Diamond, Jasmine, Nared and Middleton) we need that aggressive nature from our post more than our guards especially when Russell has about a 4 inch height advantage on everyone she plays. When there is a smaller post on her she needs to sink her hips lower and yell "give me the damn ball" and go to work. That is what we got out of Candace Parker, Holdsclaw, Catchings, Anosike, Tyesha Fluker, Shyra Ely, Michelle Snow, Kelly Cain, Glory Johnson, Vicky Baugh when they had a defender that was inferior to them they demanded the ball and if they didn't get it that time after they got in the huddle Pat made sure they got it the next time on the floor. The guards also knew how to throw the ball in the post which is what I don't think our guards are being taught and its hard to believe with both Holly and Law being former Point Guards. We have Final Four talent (we just don't have the coach but I feel she is very serviceable and can get it done if she plays to the players strengths and not force her method of play on them) but we have to put the work in and the players (everyone) have to want it!
 
#58
#58
6 games into the SEC season (more or less) USC is already in excellent position at 6-0 while all other teams have at least 2 losses already. Tennessee ended up sharing the regular-season title with USC last season thanks to UK upsetting the Gamecocks in their final regular-season game to give the Gamecocks their sole SEC loss, while the Gamecocks had given the Lady Vols theirs in the 3rd-to-last regular-season game.

Coming into this season, I had UT, UK, and perhaps Texas A&M as the biggest threats to USC winning at least a share of their 3rd-consecutive regular-season title. Miss. State and Florida are the darkhorses, but they seem too shaky to me against the better opponents. Missouri was an early candidate but has wilted as soon as the OOC season concluded. Arkansas has really come on strong of late, but USC opened SEC play against them and surprisingly routed them. It's the only time both teams play in regular-season play.

The Lady Vols and UK face off on Monday, and USC will travel to Starkville to take on Miss. State. The Gamecocks have also already beaten A&M and UK once each this season, but will face both again later on. So still some tough challenges ahead for the Gamecocks, but last season they almost needed to go undefeated to even earn a share of the regular-season championship. This season it won't need to be so daunting....
 
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