Tennessee UConn Rivalry Renewed (UPDATED)

[BowlBrother85]

Have you been watching the same lady vols that I have been watching? Can you name one single game in the last 2 years in which we outplayed a top 3 team? When was the last time we beat a number 1 ranked team? Better yet, lets get some easy questions......how many final fours have we made this decade? We have been to less final fours than Uconn has undefeated seasons. They will not be going back north with a loss. We will get embarrassed and it will hurt recruiting. We simply do not have the coaching or the schemes to pull off that big of an upset.

I can answer this one. On February 26, 2017, Tennessee beat #3 ranked Mississippi State in Starkville 82-64. Mississippi State beat UConn in the Final Four that season and then lost to South Carolina in the National Championship Game. Jaime Nared had 30 points and 9 rebounds in that blowout road win over Mississippi State.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Have you been watching the same lady vols that I have been watching? Can you name one single game in the last 2 years in which we outplayed a top 3 team? When was the last time we beat a number 1 ranked team? Better yet, lets get some easy questions......how many final fours have we made this decade? We have been to less final fours than Uconn has undefeated seasons. They will not be going back north with a loss. We will get embarrassed and it will hurt recruiting. We simply do not have the coaching or the schemes to pull off that big of an upset.

Beating unbeatables has not been UT's problem...It is beating the ones we're supposed to beat that give us the most trouble. That is a mental thing, not a skill-level thing. On paper we match anybody, the dogs included...Getting UP for big games is easy, it is "the challenge" to make them play every game at this pace and effort level.

Maybe playing a team that exemplifies this trait, will open the door to a little self-teaching.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Hey I've been reading these posts and would like to make a few comments. My name on this site is NeedOrange. I choose that because as a life long UConn supporter, I recognize that WBB needs a strong Tennessee. I really want Tennessee to be great again. I want to say to all those who talk about getting creamed by UConn. I don't think you are worthy to support the University of Tennessee Lady Vol's. If you said those word to Pat Summit, though she is too much a lady to give you the smacking you deserve, you would get the cold stare so hard you would feel like you were shot. I sincerely hope UConn and UT always play as NO.s 1 and 2 and that UConn doesn't always win. Because that's what made the series great. My apologies to most of you I have offended.

This was a great post and very classy. I agree that women's college basketball benefits tremendously from having the schools with both a great history and great fan support to be among the elite teams. There aren't very many schools who get better fan support than Tennessee. Only UConn has won more championships. The most intense women's games I have ever seen were played by Tennessee and UConn from '95-'01.

 

[Franklin Pierce]

If Pat Summitt were still alive these future games with Ucon would not be happening.

 

[BowlBrother85]

If Pat Summitt were still alive these future games with Ucon would not be happening.

Well, she's not. Life goes on. There is nothing wrong with playing these games.

 

[vol66]

Glad to see this is happening.

 

[1reVOLver]

For all those who say that this will help recruiting, please ask yourselves if playing UConn has attracted top talent to Tulsa, Tulane, and South Florida.

 

[BowlBrother85]

For all those who say that this will help recruiting, please ask yourselves if playing UConn has attracted top talent to Tulsa, Tulane, and South Florida.

Would they be attracting top talent anyway? Those games aren't featured as premier prime time events on ESPN either, as Tennessee vs UConn definitely will be. It may or may not help recruiting (not everything has to be done with an eye on recruiting, does it?) but it should still be played. Women's basketball needs more high profile match ups between programs who get good fan support.

 

[Amb3096]

Have you been watching the same lady vols that I have been watching? Can you name one single game in the last 2 years in which we outplayed a top 3 team? When was the last time we beat a number 1 ranked team? Better yet, lets get some easy questions......how many final fours have we made this decade? We have been to less final fours than Uconn has undefeated seasons. They will not be going back north with a loss. We will get embarrassed and it will hurt recruiting. We simply do not have the coaching or the schemes to pull off that big of an upset.

They beat ND, SC and Miss St a few seasons ago...

The difference is that they had 2 players that, at their best, were huge difference makers (Mercedes and Diamond), plus a third wheel (Nared) who was close behind. They won't have that this year, and really need to recruit that player who can take over the game against the best teams, not just Arkansas and Vandy.

 

[sisaq]

Have you been watching the same lady vols that I have been watching? Can you name one single game in the last 2 years in which we outplayed a top 3 team? When was the last time we beat a number 1 ranked team? Better yet, lets get some easy questions......how many final fours have we made this decade? We have been to less final fours than Uconn has undefeated seasons. They will not be going back north with a loss. We will get embarrassed and it will hurt recruiting. We simply do not have the coaching or the schemes to pull off that big of an upset.

Great talk & that's the perfect truth!

 

[Vfl2407]

And nobody here still knows the real reason WHY?

The real reason why has been discussed in women’s basketball circles for years since Pat made the decision.
Most people in the sport and on message boards do not really want to “go there”.
All I will say is that Geno negative recruited against Pat by saying the “culture” at UT is not one that religious girls, like Maya Moore, would appreciate.
Go where you want with that.
Pat confronted Geno and told him to cut that **** out.
He didn’t.
She stopped the series and told the administration at UT that as long as she was coach and Geno was at UConn that we would never play them again.
That’s as specific as I’m going to get because I don’t believe in perpetuating rumors or denying them. That’s not my place and it sure as hell wasnt Genos.
I hate that arrogant *******.
Holly knows all of this. This decision must have been above her pay grade.
Maybe ESPN offered UT some money and Fulmer pushed for it.
Holly doesn’t exactly have much equity built up to fight it.
But she and DeMoss both hate Geno’s guts, as do most female coaches.

 

[BowlBrother85]

Great talk & that's the perfect truth!

What? That post was off on a main point, not to mention expressing a completely defeatist attitude. Hasn't anyone here ever competed at something? The (quite frankly pathetic) consensus on this forum seems to be that just because someone is better (or has been better) means that you shouldn't even bother playing them and what has been true has to remain that way. The UConn fan was right. This is not how Summitt built the program. This is a loser's mentality and it's embarrassing to read on here. Good lord.

 

[Slydell]

The real reason why has been discussed in women’s basketball circles for years since Pat made the decision.
Most people in the sport and on message boards do not really want to “go there”.
All I will say is that Geno negative recruited against Pat by saying the “culture” at UT is not one that religious girls, like Maya Moore, would appreciate.
Go where you want with that.
Pat confronted Geno and told him to cut that **** out.
He didn’t.
She stopped the series and told the administration at UT that as long as she was coach and Geno was at UConn that we would never play them again.
That’s as specific as I’m going to get because I don’t believe in perpetuating rumors or denying them. That’s not my place and it sure as hell wasnt Genos.
I hate that arrogant *******.
Holly knows all of this. This decision must have been above her pay grade.
Maybe ESPN offered UT some money and Fulmer pushed for it.
Holly doesn’t exactly have much equity built up to fight it.
But she and DeMoss both hate Geno’s guts, as do most female coaches.

Well stated. A slap in the face to Pat and her legacy, IMO.

 

[BowlBrother85]

The real reason why has been discussed in women’s basketball circles for years since Pat made the decision.
Most people in the sport and on message boards do not really want to “go there”.
All I will say is that Geno negative recruited against Pat by saying the “culture” at UT is not one that religious girls, like Maya Moore, would appreciate.
Go where you want with that.
Pat confronted Geno and told him to cut that **** out.
He didn’t.
She stopped the series and told the administration at UT that as long as she was coach and Geno was at UConn that we would never play them again.
That’s as specific as I’m going to get because I don’t believe in perpetuating rumors or denying them. That’s not my place and it sure as hell wasnt Genos.
I hate that arrogant *******.
Holly knows all of this. This decision must have been above her pay grade.
Maybe ESPN offered UT some money and Fulmer pushed for it.
Holly doesn’t exactly have much equity built up to fight it.
But she and DeMoss both hate Geno’s guts, as do most female coaches.

That sounds like the internet scuttlebutt that Geno was saying Tennessee's culture was conducive to lesbians but why would he have done that? Two of his all time best players were gay - Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. There is not a women's college basketball program in the country that hasn't had a gay player... Geno needs them just as much as the next coach. Why would he risk alienating them by negatively recruiting against that "culture" ?

 

[Vfl2407]

That sounds like the internet scuttlebutt that Geno was saying Tennessee's culture was conducive to lesbians but why would he have done that? Two of his all time best players were gay - Diana Taurasi and Sue Bird. There is not a women's college basketball program in the country that hasn't had a gay player... Geno needs them just as much as the next coach. Why would he risk alienating them by negatively recruiting against that "culture" ?

The tree you are barking up needs to go in a slightly different direction.
But, I will not state any specifics.
Just expand your horizons or send me a private message.

 

[sisaq]

I can answer this one. On February 26, 2017, Tennessee beat #3 ranked Mississippi State in Starkville 82-64. Mississippi State beat UConn in the Final Four that season and then lost to South Carolina in the National Championship Game. Jaime Nared had 30 points and 9 rebounds in that blowout road win over Mississippi State.

As long as Holly is coaching, keep dreaming. Holly may win #2 rank team then loose it all to the division 3 teams.

 

[Rickster]

I believe we play a good schedule already without playing UConn. I was glad when the series was dropped given the hostility and animosity toward the Lady Vols displayed by Gino as they clawed their way to the top. I don't think they should be rewarded for the way they treated Pat. Some may have short memories but I clearly remember him going off on our program with a passion when he didn't get the attention he thought he deserved. That and the typical UConn fan refusing to acknowledge women's basketball existed before they showed uo on the national scene. I had the displeasure of living in that inbred state and I gladly took a pay cut to get outta there.

 

[PRG]

For all those who say that this will help recruiting, please ask yourselves if playing UConn has attracted top talent to Tulsa, Tulane, and South Florida.

Lady Vols Basketball should not be compared to the Tulane and Tulsa’s. Playing the Uconns and Notte Dames , Stanford , Baylor , Tennessee’s is what most programs are striving to become. Uconn is the ONE team that everybody is chasing for several years. It used to be Tennessee!
As far as helping recruiting.... Uconn can pick who they want and (most) will gladly accept the scholarship. NOT ALL ( so forget about the hate reviews) If the premier ball players do not get interest from Uconn it is sort of a rejection! Therefore, a player that thought they were shunned by Uconn would love to go to a team that plays them..... Especially if it is a good team and a chance to beat them! JMO

 

[Chitownvol1129]

You people who are already saying blow out...we get blown out all the time. First off, when have we been blown out lately other than Miss St? When as Geno ever played basketball? Holly was a damn good player, but neither will play! So you are hating on our team. Go get lives! Seriously, who needs trashy, ignorant fans like you?

 

[Chitownvol1129]

It makes us one of the two teams in wcbb, everybody will watch the circus. It could help us hugely in recruiting...if you hate Uconn go to Tennessee. If Geno starts is gay chatter, Holly is out, and players don't care...it will backfire. Holly might just slap his face if he starts crap

 

[LasVegasBill23]

I will gladly point out that the way Tennessee is recruiting shows that they are "relevant" to the people who matter. Although, that is such a subjective word; open to each individual interpretation.

Yes BB85, I would say quite boldly that it does not matter how well you recruit if you cannot coach them appropriately... this is why I have very limited hope.... Many many top 5 players have come through Knoxville in the Holly era and we have very little to show for it....

 

[NoBackBoard]

Oh, so the first game isn't until 2019? We might have a shot...hopefully Jeff Walz will have our girls ready to play...

Hard to believe Jeff Walz would have our girls ready to play when he’s never beaten Geno. You do realize he is 0-14 against Geno, right?

 

[NoBackBoard]

Have you been watching the same lady vols that I have been watching? Can you name one single game in the last 2 years in which we outplayed a top 3 team?

Sure, #11 Lady Vols beat #2 Texas 82-75 at TBA in December.

 

[sisaq]

I believe we play a good schedule already without playing UConn. I was glad when the series was dropped given the hostility and animosity toward the Lady Vols displayed by Gino as they clawed their way to the top. I don't think they should be rewarded for the way they treated Pat. Some may have short memories but I clearly remember him going off on our program with a passion when he didn't get the attention he thought he deserved. That and the typical UConn fan refusing to acknowledge women's basketball existed before they showed uo on the national scene. I had the displeasure of living in that inbred state and I gladly took a pay cut to get outta there.

Pat is not the kind that holds anger on anyone. If she was here, she still would've forgiven and renew it, but my point is with Holly it will be a disaster & disgrace. Holly may have beaten top teams but always loose to worst teams.

 

[sisaq]

I disagree. If true, I think this is good for recruiting. A TN vs UCONN rivalry is good for the game and it could attract players to TN to be the ones to "take them down".

Holly in the beginning begged Geno but he said no, now he sees it as an advantage on his side because Uconn never gets high crowd or sell big tickets.