Six Positives from the Auburn game

[madtownvol]

1. The LVs actually did win the game and the streak is 11 in a row.

2. Carter going 3 for 5 behind the line and playing outstanding defense.

3. Jordan Reynolds had one of her best all round games and is making a nice habit of dribbling the full court and scoring at the first half buzzer.

4. Burdick continuing to hit clutch mid range jumpers.

5. Harrison responding with a stronger 2nd half and not falling into a Vandy-esque funk.

6. 2nd half adjustments. Part of CPS's legend was her ability to make 2nd half adjustments and to deliver the half time talks that would turn the team around. [The often unstated implication is that the LVs had a lot of subpar first halves]. While it would be great for the LVs to control a game from the opening buzzer, that is not happening but they are responding in the 2nd half. So, some credit should go to Holly and staff for reading these games correctly and making the necessary tactical (and motivational) adjustments.

 

[miatenn5]

I agree with all of these points. I think some people forgot that what you said in point 6 is so true. It seems the last couple of years we have had some slow starts even with Pat as coach, but can turn it up in second half. Is that ideal not, but sometimes a win is a win.

 

[volfanIND]

#6 is right on!

The women's game is evolving and player skill levels is at an all time high, and we are going to start seeing more dominate players in women's basketball in other uniforms than Tenn and Uconn.

It's going to have to make coach's really coach. Before you can put the best players on the court and go, now teams are starting to become a little more even.

Example, Duke (mens) just lost at home to Miami. It was a great game by the Miami coach, he won that game with his game plan. We are going to start to see this more and more in the women's game.

Last year in the SEC Tourny, Holly did a fantastic job of making the right adjustments, and she did it again last night. Just like a player, coaching gets improved by each game and experience.
Side note, Scrolina had a hard time handling Mizzo last night.

 

[miatenn5]

If I am recalling correctly I don't think there was one blow out game in the SEC last night. In this league you just are not going to see the blow outs us as fans had gotten accustomed to in previous years. Which I feel both ways about this as a fan of the Lady Vols I wish all of our games could be blow outs but it is so good for the league and women's basketball for people who just want to see a great game of basketball. I think you are more likely to pick up fans that way.

 

[armchair]

Warlick herself said the team "underachieved"--and of course that is true, for the second game in a row. Auburn had a couple of decent wide-bodies, who gave us some problems because Izzy doesn't have the size to defend them--but they might be the worst team in the SEC. Your first five points are valid--Carter is playing well; she's an excellent defender but what she is doing now is hitting outside shots. To say that we need to her to make outside shots is an understatement: We've got one inside scorer in Harrison, and there will be games when she is either shut down by bigger players or just as a bad night like last night (terrible in the first half)--and so our guards and Burdick HAVE to score. Reynolds is also playing solid--and Burdick is playing particularly well, again because she is making her shots. She's been good.

Second half adjustments? I doubt there was much adjustment tactically; we just played a little better after a woeful first half.

The problem with flat performances like this is that UT has too many of them--and too many stretches in games where we are not good. As Warlick says, that kind of play catches up to you--in the NCAA tournament. You can't get in a habit of playing terribly in the first half against meh teams and then turning it up in the second. When UConn plays weak opponents, they just put the pedal down from the opening tip and the game is OVER by halftime. We have 4/6 point leads at halftime because we stumble around--and then the freshman don't play because we can't build a big enough lead. Looking forward to the ND game. Man, I am miffed that we don't have Russell this year--we need what she could have given us.

 

[Voluble2]

One change we made in the second half was in how we went about breaking their press.

 

[LadyVol1908]

One change we made in the second half was in how we went about breaking their press.

Yea I caught that as well, we attacked it more and got some easy points off layups....I was so glad Holly made that adjustment... If I could see it from home i was sure hoping Holly could see it from the sidelines lol

 

[madtownvol]

Armchair,

Along with the change Voluble 2 mentioned, there were also some changes in how they ran the post offense. Izzy started up high and then flashed into the post position so that Auburn did not have time to set the double team. She had a couple of quick and fairly easy buckets in the 2nd half as a result.

 

[Volfan2012]

I doubt we can hold Notre Dame under seventy so where do we get our points. I expect this game will be all about shooting percentage. I think we'll match them on the boards and have about the same turnovers. So getting to the foul line and shooting percentage will determine the winner. If we can keep the shot totals even it is our best chance to win. Last year we got up 66 shots they got 68. They shot 51 percent we shot 40. Turnovers and rebounds they were plus five.
This year we need to hold them to 40 percent shooting and win the the turnover rebounding battle. If that happens and we hold them to 40 percent we can win by shooting 40 percent ourselves.