The Elephants in the room

#76
#76
Unlike last year, i just hope we beat the teams we are suppose to beat and that will be a step in the right direction. When is the schedule released for this year?
 
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#77
#77
IPleadInsanity said:
I don't know whats burning inside the program but there certainly is a lot of smoke. Never heard of a top player from a top program dumping their team to go overseas. Maybe its happened before but at least its very rare.
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Agent Orange?
 
#78
#78
Besti said:
Frankly, I was surprised Tennessee accepted DD after what she did to N. Carolina. She convinced a bunch of players to go with her to NC, and then bailed on them to come to Tennessee. Do you not feel DD was disloyal to NC and the players she abandoned? Leaving Tennessee should not have been a shock.

If Holly shares in the blame, it should be for taking DD in the first place. The risks were apparent.
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Those girls at UNC decided as individuals to commit to UNC. Sure, they discussed the possibility of playing together, but they each had full control of their destiny. Why should Diamond be held accountable for that? It's not like she forced them to sign at UNC at gunpoint.

I was surprised that Diamond announced she was staying, to be honest. Happy that it put Tennessee in a better spot for next season, but it was clearly a decision that was against her best interest. She was going to be a high WNBA pick in spite of her shortcomings as a player, next year's draft was projected to be deeper and Tennessee was by no means a lock for a deep tournament run.

There was nothing wrong with Holly bringing Diamond to Tennessee. Clearly, she saw the potential Diamond could bring to the team, and the fact that the team underperformed isn't an indictment of Diamond or Holly's decision to accept her.
 
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#79
#79
Amb3096 said:
Do you know how her entry to the WNBA would work? Does she have to enter the draft, or can she sign a contract directly with any team?
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She would have to still be drafted in order to enter I believe, she can't just sign with a team back in the days (when the league first started) they had open tryouts to fill roster spaces but that isn't the case anymore so like Coach Jumper said she'd have to wait it out and hope that the team she wants to play for pulls an LA or Phoenix (tanks) so she can go to them

Remember how LA was so poor even with a Lisa Leslie and a few other star players which landed them Candace Parker and how Taurasi sat out the beginning of the season but played in the Olympics and then returned and played 1 or 2 games and then somehow had a teeth ache and couldn't play anymore they only won 1 or 2 more games which gave them the pick to Griner which is one of the reasons the league decided to go to a lottery system
 
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#80
#80
Besti said:
Frankly, I was surprised Tennessee accepted DD after what she did to N. Carolina. She convinced a bunch of players to go with her to NC, and then bailed on them to come to Tennessee. Do you not feel DD was disloyal to NC and the players she abandoned? Leaving Tennessee should not have been a shock.

If Holly shares in the blame, it should be for taking DD in the first place. The risks were apparent.
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I also thought taking DD when she left NC was a mistake because I thought she was a prima donna who wouldn't play team ball. However, can you imagine the fan meltdown when it got out that the NFOY wanted to come to Tenn and CHW turned her down? I don't think we can "blame" Holly for her decision even with 20/20 hindsight.
 
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#81
#81
Looks like the administration is going to stick with Holly regardless of the affect on the program. She inherited a top 10 program, took 5 McDonalds all-americans and turned it into a top 30 program quick. Does not look like the slide in over either. How many games can 4 freshman win by themselves?
 
#82
#82
Uhh, 4 freshmen do not have to win games "by themselves." Russell and Nared are potential AA's, if Green is healthy she can have a major impact, and KD and MeMe can help the freshmen along.
 
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#83
#83
The upperclassmen will be on the same team barring unforeseen injuries. I'm optimistic that the team will gel early and talent will offset the lack of experience.
 
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#84
#84
Amb3096 said:
Those girls at UNC decided as individuals to commit to UNC. Sure, they discussed the possibility of playing together, but they each had full control of their destiny. Why should Diamond be held accountable for that? It's not like she forced them to sign at UNC at gunpoint.

I was surprised that Diamond announced she was staying, to be honest. Happy that it put Tennessee in a better spot for next season, but it was clearly a decision that was against her best interest. She was going to be a high WNBA pick in spite of her shortcomings as a player, next year's draft was projected to be deeper and Tennessee was by no means a lock for a deep tournament run.

There was nothing wrong with Holly bringing Diamond to Tennessee. Clearly, she saw the potential Diamond could bring to the team, and the fact that the team underperformed isn't an indictment of Diamond or Holly's decision to accept her.
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Here Here:salute:
 
#87
#87
mlindsay said:
And I agree with you and many of us have said this is a make or break year for her and she knows that which is why I believe she began cleaning house!
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I think last year was her year and she and the team failed miserably losing to teams they had no business losing to. Now this year is the year she better win or the AD will take notice or should take notice.
 
#88
#88
maxvolfan said:
I think last year was her year and she and the team failed miserably losing to teams they had no business losing to. Now this year is the year she better win or the AD will take notice or should take notice.
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Exactly right. Currie will fire Holly, I have no doubt, if they under perform this year. And he should.
 
#89
#89
T_Vol376 said:
She doesn't need the money. She left in the most gutless, lowdown way possible. I'm embarrassed I was such a fangurl. She has proven she has not one shred of integrity or loyalty. May "God's favorite daughter" reap what she has sown. (She has "God's favorite daughter" on her Twitter account which should have been my first clue.)
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DD is the Lady Vols' own Lane Kiffin. Out for self-promotion and no worries about the effects of her actions.
 
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#90
#90
T_Vol376 said:
She doesn't need the money. She left in the most gutless, lowdown way possible. I'm embarrassed I was such a fangurl. She has proven she has not one shred of integrity or loyalty. May "God's favorite daughter" reap what she has sown. (She has "God's favorite daughter" on her Twitter account which should have been my first clue.)
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DD announced she was leaving the team via short text message to the coach... that's it.


Smh.
 
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#94
#94
T_Vol376 said:
Holly has nothing to do with certain individuals' lack of character and integrity. But whatever....
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Are the issues that DD and Cooper had, their own responsibility, first and foremost? Absolutely. But it is also a coach's job to manage the players AND their personalities. That is a HUGE part of being a coach. Not every player is an angel; personalities vary a lot. People have to be managed, and managed well, and managed strongly. If DD and Cooper were playing for PS in her prime or Geno now, would the same problems have arisen? I'm guessing no. Those two would have read DD and Cooper the riot act from the start--adjust your attitude or get out. I doubt that was HW's approach--she seems more "can't we all get along?" type. She does not have a strong personality. I think she tries to be strong and tough, but players are very good at reading coaches. It's just all of a piece with the many problems the program has had in recent years--some bad luck, some bad coaching. Let's not forget the Elzy situation--another relationship that went bad. We had a year when we got ZERO recruits--that is UNHEARD OF in this business. And none of this even includes the various problems with UT as a basketball team. It just hasn't worked out with HW, and I don't think it's going to work out.
 
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#96
#96
mlindsay said:
She would have to still be drafted in order to enter I believe, she can't just sign with a team back in the days (when the league first started) they had open tryouts to fill roster spaces but that isn't the case anymore so like Coach Jumper said she'd have to wait it out and hope that the team she wants to play for pulls an LA or Phoenix (tanks) so she can go to them

Remember how LA was so poor even with a Lisa Leslie and a few other star players which landed them Candace Parker and how Taurasi sat out the beginning of the season but played in the Olympics and then returned and played 1 or 2 games and then somehow had a teeth ache and couldn't play anymore they only won 1 or 2 more games which gave them the pick to Griner which is one of the reasons the league decided to go to a lottery system
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LA never tanked. Lisa Leslie missed the 2007 season with a pregnancy and the team other than her was terrible. That's how they were able to get Candace Parker. And the league already had the lottery system before Phoenix tanked in 2012. They had the second worst record and won.
 
#98
#98
armchair said:
Are the issues that DD and Cooper had, their own responsibility, first and foremost? Absolutely. But it is also a coach's job to manage the players AND their personalities. That is a HUGE part of being a coach. Not every player is an angel; personalities vary a lot. People have to be managed, and managed well, and managed strongly. If DD and Cooper were playing for PS in her prime or Geno now, would the same problems have arisen? I'm guessing no. Those two would have read DD and Cooper the riot act from the start--adjust your attitude or get out. I doubt that was HW's approach--she seems more "can't we all get along?" type. She does not have a strong personality. I think she tries to be strong and tough, but players are very good at reading coaches. It's just all of a piece with the many problems the program has had in recent years--some bad luck, some bad coaching. Let's not forget the Elzy situation--another relationship that went bad. We had a year when we got ZERO recruits--that is UNHEARD OF in this business. And none of this even includes the various problems with UT as a basketball team. It just hasn't worked out with HW, and I don't think it's going to work out.
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Well, they're gone, aren't they? I'm not going to argue. You feel the way you do and I don't feel the same. I don't understand what good you think your rhetoric does. You are all over this site spreading your negativity.
 
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#100
#100
IPleadInsanity said:
The coach knew her character when she recruited her.
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I hear you, but I don't know if HW/coaches knew to this extent.

Later complications proved to be more than just a "me-first" attitude that she'd shown at UNC.

DD claimed that she'd made a mistake by reneging on her informal TN commitment after Pat got sick. TN is where she'd always wanted to be; she was home.

Then injuries. Then Te'a. Then losses. Then repercussions. Then blame. Then intentions. Then fighting. Then responsibility.

It's just that there was a chance to build a positive legacy for herself at TN after two terrible years, and DD bailed.

Maybe it was for the best.
 
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