Seven players + foul trouble

[Volfan2012]

If you benched a couple of players, the Lady Vols would have to play the entire game with only 5 players.

Clearly I mentioned players that are presently injured coming back to get in the starting lineup and rotation.

 

[Volfan2012]

The buck ultimately stops with Holly;that is the nature of being the HC at a premier (or formerly premier) program. Why this team can't hit open shots remains a mystery. How Graves can suddenly be a near non-factor after looking like an AA at the start of the season is a frustrating puzzle but she has been an enigmatic player in the past. DeShields and Russell virtually disappearing in the 3 and 4th quarters is also an inexplicable turn of events.

You can easily envision how the LVs hitting a decent % changes the entire dynamic of a game. But, they aren't hitting shots and most damning of all, they are not controlling the boards. A low shooting % backed up by lots of offensive rebounds and suffocating defense can still win a lot of games; it would certainly be enough to beat the VTs of this world. But that is not happening.

Seven players limited Holly's options and that is a reality. But, she had most of her core players all available with the exception of Jones and presumably Nared. At the start of the season, if you said, okay, would a healthy Russell, Graves, Carter, Reynolds, Cooper, and high ranked recruits Cooper and Jackson be enough to bear VT on the Summitt, I would have bet the house on a LV win (I would also be homeless right now).

There is no denying the coaching staff is not doing enough with the talent they have. I am not a gloom and doomer; there is still time for the LVs to turn their season around; a few good wins and the perception of a crisis and being rudderless ship can be allayed. But, some bad losses on the upcoming road trip and the wheels could come off. The pressure (should be) on Holly and staff to get some positive results and quality team performances.

I keep remembering that we had some games like this last season as well scoring 48 against Maryland and missing multiple easy shots around the rim and from the perimeter. There seems to be some huge problems with offensive preparation and with these girls putting in the time on their own to get better.
I know the first three seasons under Holly all she talked about was defense and how they spent all their time working on defense.
I can say the time they have put in on defense has worked we have held multiple opponents under sixty points which I consider great defense.
Still 43 does not best 57 and 48 does not best 58.

Scoring is something the Lady Vols have been lacking quite often under Holly and how the talent on this team can score less than 70 in a game is still the all time mystery.

 

[LVJeff]

I keep remembering that we had some games like this last season as well scoring 48 against Maryland and missing multiple easy shots around the rim and from the perimeter. There seems to be some huge problems with offensive preparation and with these girls putting in the time on their own to get better.
I know the first three seasons under Holly all she talked about was defense and how they spent all their time working on defense.
I can say the time they have put in on defense has worked we have held multiple opponents under sixty points which I consider great defense.
Still 43 does not best 57 and 48 does not best 58.

Scoring is something the Lady Vols have been lacking quite often under Holly and how the talent on this team can score less than 70 in a game is still the all time mystery.

Actually the LV's half court defense has glaring deficiencies. They have to use the press to cover up for this. If they can't force the opponent into turnovers, they have trouble preventing the opponent from getting off a good shot. They allow opposing players to go off on the three point line, or a single player to go off on them, they can't stop dribble penetration, nor do they provide weak side help adequately.

 

[LVJeff]

To add to my post above about defense, it has been decades since I played basketball, but I was taught that in a man-to-man defense, you don't switch unless you have to - it leads to mismatches the offense will exploit. If you do switch, you must switch back as soon as possible, and you have to have good communication so everybody knows when to switch and when to switch back. The LV's switch constantly and seem to be out of place often as a result. Carter in particular always seems to be running like mad to pick somebody up.

I was also taught to not go underneath a screen, to fight through it or trail if you have to but don't go underneath especially if your man is a good jump shooter. The LV's go under screens all the time.

Has the philosophy changed or perhaps is different for females than for male players?

 

[Orange Maniac]

The Lady Vols have been going under screens for a few years now even if the ball handler misses the screen 3 or 4 feet. This drives me crazy. Never go under a screen on a good outside shooter. There are some fundamental flaws on defense for a staff that preaches defense.

 

[alexvol]

The buck ultimately stops with Holly;that is the nature of being the HC at a premier (or formerly premier) program. Why this team can't hit open shots remains a mystery. How Graves can suddenly be a near non-factor after looking like an AA at the start of the season is a frustrating puzzle but she has been an enigmatic player in the past. DeShields and Russell virtually disappearing in the 3 and 4th quarters is also an inexplicable turn of events.

You can easily envision how the LVs hitting a decent % changes the entire dynamic of a game. But, they aren't hitting shots and most damning of all, they are not controlling the boards. A low shooting % backed up by lots of offensive rebounds and suffocating defense can still win a lot of games; it would certainly be enough to beat the VTs of this world. But that is not happening.

Seven players limited Holly's options and that is a reality. But, she had most of her core players all available with the exception of Jones and presumably Nared. At the start of the season, if you said, okay, would a healthy Russell, Graves, Carter, Reynolds, Cooper, and high ranked recruits Cooper and Jackson be enough to bear VT on the Summitt, I would have bet the house on a LV win (I would also be homeless right now).

There is no denying the coaching staff is not doing enough with the talent they have. I am not a gloom and doomer; there is still time for the LVs to turn their season around; a few good wins and the perception of a crisis and being rudderless ship can be allayed. But, some bad losses on the upcoming road trip and the wheels could come off. The pressure (should be) on Holly and staff to get some positive results and quality team performances.

Reasonable post...just hope Holly has it in her to make the turnaround happen and I am pulling for her and have fingers and legs crossed.