Tennessee Lady Vol News

[glv98]

This team has elite athleticism. I believe right now this team couldn’t care less about preseason predictions/rankings. They are locked in. So many former ranked players. McD All-Americans, and players with collegiate accolades. Not a single team in the SEC this roster can’t matchup with any given night.

I think that's exactly the right way for them to approach the season. Stay locked in, commit to the build, work on us. No one, including the team itself, knows what to expect. Approach it as a fun new start where you know you're going to take some early lumps. Just keep it moving forward. I think the biggest thing I want to see is steady improvement.

 

[ttharp]

We have 2 5-star players and otherwise 4-star players except for I think 4 players that are lower than 4. Talent alone should have us in the top 25.

I think we have a case, but there’s too many unknowns. And based on how the past two seasons went, we need to earn our way back. Nobody will give TN the benefit of the doubt.

 

[VolBall09]

SEC teams included are So Car(1), Texas(4), LSU(7), OK (12), Ole Miss (20), KY (23), Ala (24).

IMO Ole Miss and KY are too high. Everything else looks about right.

Ole Miss is over lol. Wayyyyy too high.

Kentucky has a lot to prove. I have way more faith in our roster and new coach than theirs.

 

[glv98]

I think we have a case, but there’s too many unknowns. And based on how the past two seasons went, we need to earn our way back. Nobody will give TN the benefit from of the doubt.

IMO that's exactly it. We ran out of benefits of doubts a few years ago. Last year the preseason predictions pointed out that Kellie's LVs were "consistently underwhelming", which unfortunately was true. Kim's teams will have to win their way out of that perception.

Our preseason ranking doesn't mean much at all this year. It's kind of a nice change.

 

[ttharp]

IMO that's exactly it. We ran out of benefits of doubts a few years ago. Last year the preseason predictions pointed out that Kellie's LVs were "consistently underwhelming", which unfortunately was true. Kim's teams will have to win their way out of that perception.

Our preseason ranking doesn't mean much at all this year. It's kind of a nice change.

Agreed. I’m ok with us working/earning our way back in.

Also, NC State started last season unranked. They ended in the FF.

 

[Dak1219]

11th in SEC def feels low. I think that's worse case scenario. 5th - 7th feels more right to me.

11th in the SEC won't get this staff a second year. That would be ugly.

 

[Dak1219]

We have 2 5-star players and otherwise 4-star players except for I think 4 players that are lower than 4. Talent alone should have us in the top 25.

Cooper, whithorn, and holingshed all McDonald's all Americans and Spearman was ranked number 30ish. Boyd probably would have gotten up there had the knee not hobbled her.

 

[travis929]

Looks like Destinee is out there with everyone else, and without a brace on?

 

[Lucy]

I'm sure that used to be true for most, and is still true for many.

But every young dad I know today sees a much more hostile world out there, seeping into his home, and a society whose institutions no longer reinforce healthy values and ideals that were once held common. The young fathers I see only want more time to bond with and instill truths into their babies.

There's been quite a shift in parenting over the past generation.

To quote George Bush “that’s some really weird sh**”.
Hostile world, seeping, no longer reinforce values, instill truths into their babies. All is not doom my friend.

 

[ttharp]

So cool seeing this from Tess. She's about to eat this season.

 

[glv98]

[QUOTE/]11th in the SEC won't get this staff a second year. That would be ugly.[QUOTE/]

Disagree. I don't think there's any scenario, outside a moral or financial scandal, that gets the new staff fired after just one year. Little Jacket's ego alone wouldn't allow that, plus it really wouldn't be fair.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I don't know who votes in the various polls, but there are some predictable motivations:

Anyone who covers the sport will want to set up a good story that unfolds through the season. "Build 'em up, then tear 'em down" has been the efficiency pattern for centuries in the news business (illustration: "The Natural").

So the motive for sports reporters and talkers will be to set expectations so low that any success will be a story that attracts click$ and eyeball$ from beyond Big Orange Country. That sets up interest in the second half of the season, with everyone made curious to see how we do against top competition.

But other coaches will definitely want any system different from their own (especially rising from the Division III level) to fail--for the sake of job security if nothing else.

So if you enjoyed being the "bad boys" in baseball a couple of seasons back, this may be your chance to relish that role again. Coach Kim is right--no one will look forward to playing us, if the players can make it happen on the court.

 

[glv98]

But other coaches will definitely want any system different from their own (especially rising from the Division III level) to fail--for the sake of job security if nothing else.

So if you enjoyed being the "bad boys" in baseball a couple of seasons back, this may be your chance to relish that role again. Coach Kim is right--no one will look forward to playing us, if the players can make it happen on the court.

I could be wrong, as usual, but I think some of us are way overestimating the degree to which the LVs new style of play will shock, surprise, threaten or outrage anyone. All these coaches have seen it, played against it, some have tried it, and if any considered it a threat to their job they'd use it. To some degree, Auburn has played this way on defense and Arky on offense for yrs.

Athleticism is increasing across the game so I think opponents will be better able to play both in and against a faster paced style. It's going to be a fun style to watch (most of the time) but I still think it will be talent that rules the day.

I don't remember a season when I was this unsure of what the LVs actual talent is. I've never been this unfamilar w the roster, still matching names to faces. So ready to see it in action.

 

[Mafiaboss]

It’s called payola. It happens with just about every major ranking service in all fields.

 

[travis929]

I don't remember a season when I was this unsure of what the LVs actual talent is. I've never been this unfamilar w the roster, still matching names to faces. So ready to see it in action.

I'm so curious to see what the rotation(s) will be. I feel like we aren't getting a ton of specifics yet about who's standing out in practice. If I had to guess right now, I'd say our starters are Hollingshead, Puckett, Cooper, Spear, and Spencer, with a second rotation of Spearman, Latham, Whitehorn, T. Darby, and Wells OR Boyd. I'd imagine anyone in that second rotation could end up playing starter minutes on the season or any given night. Not sure about Hollingshead vs. Spearman, but gave Jill the nod since she's a senior. I'd love to see Wynn do well this year, but there are only so many minutes to go around.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

From everything I’ve watched and heard from practice, I would say chances are very high that Latham (odds are strong) and Whitehorn or Cooper will be starters. Depth in the rotation after the starters look to be who doesn’t start between Whitehorn or Coop, Jillian, Spearman, Boyd, Darby, Wynn, or Strickland. Starting PG will be either Spencer, Cooper, or Boyd. Coop is doing a lot of ball handling in every practice clip.
People don’t realize that Boyd was entrenched in the Top 20 before committing to Tennessee early. There are clips of her on the court in AAU against a lot of the posters on this forum most coveted 2023 and 2024 Top 20 prospects. Boyd was the best player on the court in a fair amount of those matchups. Facts are facts.
Wells is going to take awhile to be able to play regular minutes. Similar to Jazmine Franklin a few years ago.

 

[lfvol]

11th in the SEC won't get this staff a second year. That would be ugly.

I don’t know about that but 11th would be a terrible outcome.

And to the post regarding KY at 8, it would not surprise me if they were better than that. Their guard from VaTech is very good and I read good things about Silva the big we chased, at least longer term.

 

[glv98]

It’s called payola. It happens with just about every major ranking service in all fields.

Huh? Payola usually means paying someone in media to do something that benefits you. Being over ranked is definitely not beneficial; ask Kellie Harper if you can find her. Being over ranked and being better on paper than in reality for the last two years cost Kellie her job. If you know someone who would really pay someone to help them be disappointing please refer them to me, I'd like to sell them a bridge.

 

[glv98]

I don’t know about that but 11th would be a terrible outcome.

And to the post regarding KY at 8, it would not surprise me if they were better than that. Their guard from VaTech is very good and I read good things about Silva the big we chased, at least loner term.

11 would def be disappointing bc it would mean finishing behind teams like Miss St, Vandy, etc. I think/hope we're in the 5-8 gaggle w Bama, Ky, Ole Miss, maybe Auburn. IMO, 5-8 means we didn't lose ground fm the last few yrs (although the finish is lower bc the league is harder) Lower than 8 would def be a set back.

But I still don't think they pull the plug after one yr, esp if they can land another top recruit or two.

 

[glv98]

I'm so curious to see what the rotation(s) will be. I feel like we aren't getting a ton of specifics yet about who's standing out in practice. If I had to guess right now, I'd say our starters are Hollingshead, Puckett, Cooper, Spear, and Spencer, with a second rotation of Spearman, Latham, Whitehorn, T. Darby, and Wells OR Boyd. I'd imagine anyone in that second rotation could end up playing starter minutes on the season or any given night. Not sure about Hollingshead vs. Spearman, but gave Jill the nod since she's a senior. I'd love to see Wynn do well this year, but there are only so many minutes to go around.

Agree completely. Spencer,Jewel, Sara, Coop/Ruby, Jill/Spearman with Latham hard to keep out of the lineup as well. That seems pretty strong to me although so much is unproven.

I think the biggest challenge to my patience as a fan will be the frequent subbing. It'll take awhile for me to get over just wanting to watch a lineup gel and cook. Also to get over wanting the best players to play 30+ mins.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

While referencing preseason polls from sportswriters that are going off of hype in many cases, refer to the SEC opponents that Tennessee has finished ahead of regularly, factor in the new coaching staff and the players added to the roster.
A healthy LV team is not finishing behind teams that they have routinely beaten year in and year out. Getting players with starter experience from the ACC and SEC was a great success in recruiting via the portal for CKC, Tubner, and Lazo.
These are players that along with the returnees have already played a role in beating teams like Alabama, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas, Notre Dame, NC State, North Carolina, LSU and Virginia Tech. I don’t understand why some people assume Tennessee is starting over from scratch.
Ruby Whitehorn, Samara Spencer, Sara Puckett, Alyssa Latham, Jewel Spear, and Lazaria Spearman all have had big career games against top teams.
Throw in x-factors like Jillian, Coop, Boyd, Wynn that fit this system there is no sound reasoning to expecting this team to not finish near the top of the conference if they stay healthy.

 

[ttharp]

I don't remember a season when I was this unsure of what the LVs actual talent is. I've never been this unfamilar w the roster, still matching names to faces. So ready to see it in action.

One thing we are sure of is the identity of the team won't revolve around 1 or 2 players. This time last year, we all agreed we were one injury (Rickea) away from a disaster of a season. If you're 1 or 2 injuries away from losing to teams like MTSU and not making the tournament, you don't have a lot talent, IMO. OR the coaching/player development is terrible. I thought both were true under the last coach.

While we don't have a top 10 recruit in LV orange, I'm glad the staff is focusing on getting the most out of the current roster. If CKC and staff can get the most out of Ruby, Coop, Zee, Jill and Kaniya - (all top 30) - this team will be solid. You also have Jewel Spear who wasn't in the top 30, but could be an all-conference player. Alyssa Latham was on the ACC-All Freshman team.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

A good measure for some posters to take would be to watch the film. I don’t think there’s much of any difference between Top 10-30 prospects in recruiting from the last three recruiting classes. A few Top 15-20 players this past season had strong freshman campaigns and it’ll be interesting to see how that translates this year.
I think to a degree it has distorted the fact that the transfer portal has changed the landscape of all college sports.
I believe it has led to some posters downplaying what CKC with her new staff including two ace recruiters with SEC experience as recruiting coordinators have accomplished and possibly having built a foundation that is capable of putting the LVs back atop of the SEC.
Player and mid-season team rankings are good and look good on paper. The talent Tennessee signed via the portal in addition to two more athletes coming off redshirt seasons is going to shock some folks.
I have experience in multiple sports. Talent is not hard to spot.
Tennessee has an abundant amount of talent on this year’s roster. Watch and see.

 

[StorrsCentral]

If CKC wants to play the running game, there are two things that must be in place. Conditioning and chemistry. If she uses those things to determine the starters and rotation, the starters may be different players that you may think. I don't think she can maintain that running game this year without the right players. It will probably have to be a hybrid offence, with a combination of running and half court. This new system doesn't happen overnight, and the offence may seem familiar a lot of the time. The key is the point guard, that person will decide when to run and when not to. The player has to have good court vision, a great passer, and intelligent enough to make the proper decision before they cross mid court. Be patient, it will not always look pretty, but it will pay dividends later on in the season.

 

[volbeast33]

I could be wrong, as usual, but I think some of us are way overestimating the degree to which the LVs new style of play will shock, surprise, threaten or outrage anyone. All these coaches have seen it, played against it, some have tried it, and if any considered it a threat to their job they'd use it. To some degree, Auburn has played this way on defense and Arky on offense for yrs.

Athleticism is increasing across the game so I think opponents will be better able to play both in and against a faster paced style. It's going to be a fun style to watch (most of the time) but I still think it will be talent that rules the day.

I don't remember a season when I was this unsure of what the LVs actual talent is. I've never been this unfamilar w the roster, still matching names to faces. So ready to see it in action.

Arkansas doesn’t run a similar style offense to us. Rick Pitino won with full court press and threes. It didn’t cause coaches to change their own personal style of coaching.