Tennessee Lady Vol News

[VolBall09]

I didn’t doubt their schedule because they were Champions and was returning an All American in Reese, so the schedule had no defect on them since they were contenders regardless. We can have the cupcake schedule but we better beat some good teams or it will be like Vanderbilt last year.

Zero like Vandy. That roster was garbage and everyone knew it. They played more than a cupcake schedule and still barely beat most of those teams.

Not going to be the case here. Promise.

 

[ttharp]

I didn’t doubt their schedule because they were Champions and was returning an All American in Reese, so the schedule had no defect on them since they were contenders regardless. We can have the cupcake schedule but we better beat some good teams or it will be like Vanderbilt last year.

I would still attribute their championship run to their cupcake OOC schedule. They were able to gain confidence and get used to Kim Mulkey’s system.

Had KM scheduled a gauntlet that year, there’s no way they get a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They entered the 22-23 season ranked 16th in the country, so they were not considered contenders on paper.

 

[chuckiepoo]

I would still attribute their championship run to their cupcake OOC schedule. They were able to gain confidence and get used to Kim Mulkey’s system.

Had KM scheduled a gauntlet that year, there’s no way they get a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They entered the 22-23 season ranked 16th in the country, so they were not considered contenders on paper.

I would say they were dark horses based on Kimmie’s prior NCs

 

[ttharp]

I would say they were dark horses based on Kimmie’s prior NCs

Heard. You can’t count her out for sure.

But putting that team (made up of a lot of transfers) through the ringer early on would’ve gotten them lower than a 3 seed.

 

[Mafiaboss]

I would still attribute their championship run to their cupcake OOC schedule. They were able to gain confidence and get used to Kim Mulkey’s system.

Had KM scheduled a gauntlet that year, there’s no way they get a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They entered the 22-23 season ranked 16th in the country, so they were not considered contenders on paper.

Our schedule and results stuck us in low seed in NCAA tournament. We weren’t going to win it all, but we may have made another round with a better seed.

 

[VolBall09]

I would say they were dark horses based on Kimmie’s prior NCs

Kim is a winner, plain and simple. Doesn’t matter where she is, what level, player or coach. She WINS.

 

[VolBall09]

I would still attribute their championship run to their cupcake OOC schedule. They were able to gain confidence and get used to Kim Mulkey’s system.

Had KM scheduled a gauntlet that year, there’s no way they get a 3 seed in the NCAA tournament. They entered the 22-23 season ranked 16th in the country, so they were not considered contenders on paper.

That’s really how Kim schedules all the time and for that reason exactly. She needs time to make sure they understand her system, needs games she can bench stars without losing and needs games to get them confident and in a flow.

If it clicks they are off to the races.

 

[ttharp]

We weren’t going to win it all, but we may have made another round with a better seed.

The opposite is also true. We could’ve been seeded even lower and ended up with a tough first round matchup. Last year we were a six seed. Had we dropped to a seven seed, Maryland would’ve been our first round game.

A coaching matchup of KJH vs Brenda Freese on a neutral court is a first round exit.

The committee did us a solid in 2023 and 2024.

Cheers to new beginnings.

 

[Mafiaboss]

The opposite is also true. We could’ve been seeded even lower and ended up with a tough first round matchup. Last year we were a six seed. Had we dropped to a seven seed, Maryland would’ve been our first round game.

A coaching matchup of KJH vs Brenda Freese on a neutral court is a first round exit.

The committee did us a solid in 2023 and 2024.

Cheers to new beginnings.

I see your point. But as it was, that low seed did us no favors. Under Pat, that tough front-loaded schedule accomplished her goal. But then, no one is Pat but Pat.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Kim is a winner, plain and simple. Doesn’t matter where she is, what level, player or coach. She WINS.

…and she’s a hottie…err

…dresses like a hottie…Errrr

…has an assistant on the bench that dresses in tight leather skirts!

 

[Volfan2012]

I Could see it if we beat UConn but if we lose to Iowa and UConn it will look like Vanderbilt just beating on cupcakes. I know people in here will overreact if we have a bunch of wins against cupcakes but I’ll need to see us beat top teams to know how good we are.

The point is it didn't hurt LSU. They got a top ten Net ranking out of that schedule last year going into SEC play. If we can beat some of those teams by 25 to 30 we will be way up in the Net. Doesn't care who you play if you beat them bad enough.

 

[DarkPhoenix]

The point is it didn't hurt LSU. They got a top ten Net ranking out of that schedule last year going into SEC play. If we can beat some of those teams by 25 to 30 we will be way up in the Net. Doesn't care who you play if you beat them bad enough.

What if we don’t win by those large margins, what was Vanderbilt net ranking during non conference?

 

[th2421]

What if we don’t win by those large margins, what was Vanderbilt net ranking during non conference?

They hovered in the 50s/60s and peaked at #48 before ending up #56 at the end of the season.

 

[Volfan2012]

What if we don’t win by those large margins, what was Vanderbilt net ranking during non conference?

We have the talent to do it. Far more than last season just have to see if our new coach has the ability to get it done. Far more than what Vandy had last season. Certainly a different approach and one I like better cause the SEC is the most demanding conference in the country to win with the addition of Texas and Oklahoma. Really the non conference is not any different from last season just that were playing some lesser teams early before we jump into the fire. You have Florida State, UConn, and Iowa and the two in the Florida tourney will not be cupcakes so five tough non conference games about the same as last season.

 

[ttharp]

 

[brittannica]

View attachment 669058

Texas on the road will be fun.

 

[ttharp]

We have some tough back-to-back games during SEC play:

Oklahoma and LSU
Texas and South Carolina
UConn and LSU.

Whew!

 

[VolBall09]

We have some tough back-to-back games during SEC play:

Oklahoma and LSU
Texas and South Carolina
UConn and LSU.

Whew!

That’s just the new SEC. Pretty much how it’s gonna go from here on out.

 

[VolBalls33]

So each team plays 1 team twice and UT draws LSU, not in state Vandy?

 

[knoxvol52]

View attachment 669058

Bring it on, nobody is scared of the big bad SEC teams.

 

[VolBall09]

So each team plays 1 team twice and UT draws LSU, not in state Vandy?

I didn’t understand that either. Feel like some politicking on Vandys end went on there, you know Shae didn’t want to place us twice every year.

Instead they play Ole Miss twice. Really feel like they should have used the two game series as “rivalry games.”

FL/GA
Ole Miss/MSST
A&M/Texas
Auburn/Bama
UT/Vandy
OU/Arky
SC/LSU

 

[chuckiepoo]

I didn’t understand that either. Feel like some politicking on Vandys end went on there, you know Shae didn’t want to place us twice every year.

Instead they play Ole Miss twice. Really feel like they should have used the two game series as “rivalry games.”

FL/GA
Ole Miss/MSST
A&M/Texas
Auburn/Bama
UT/Vandy
OU/Arky
SC/LSU

Mizzou/UK ?

 

[VolBall09]

Mizzou/UK ?

I knew I was missing two but didn’t feel like looking lol.

So yes thanks

 

[LV renaissance]

I have been stoked for the new season and have been awaiting our schedule. I am so glad that we have an early schedule that is easy enough so we can work out the system and the rotations/platoons. I am disappointed that we only have 4 Sunday games the entire year, far less than any year I can remember. All things being equal, Sunday games draw far better crowds both in reported attendance and even more so in actual attendance (the weeknight crowds against non-ranked teams are sparse with many season ticket holders not attending though counted in the reported attendance). Moreover, I love capping off my weekend by going to a game with a big and supportive crowd. I am surprised from a marketing standpoint why this is the case, though we couldn't probably control the SEC schedule. In any case, I look forward to the season and hope we catch fire so that crowds will come on any day they play.

 

[glv98]

I have been stoked for the new season and have been awaiting our schedule. I am so glad that we have an early schedule that is easy enough so we can work out the system and the rotations/platoons. I am disappointed that we only have 4 Sunday games the entire year, far less than any year I can remember. All things being equal, Sunday games draw far better crowds both in reported attendance and even more so in actual attendance (the weeknight crowds against non-ranked teams are sparse with many season ticket holders not attending though counted in the reported attendance). Moreover, I love capping off my weekend by going to a game with a big and supportive crowd. I am surprised from a marketing standpoint why this is the case, though we couldn't probably control the SEC schedule. In any case, I look forward to the season and hope we catch fire so that crowds will come on any day they play.

Shocked at the lack of Sunday games! That costs at least a couple of thousand in actual attendance. They've never figured out a start time that works for weeknight games. Hard to get there by 6 or 6:30 but too late getting home if it's 7:30. Really curious how this came about, maybe just a quirk of the schedule.