UConn discussion (merged)

#151
#151
We'll FINALLY get to see whether it'll be a positive or negative outcome next season when we face the almighty UCONN! There's no way we don't meet each other in the championship game barring injuries next season. And I for one cannot wait!!!
 
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#152
#152
LadyVol1908 said:
We'll FINALLY get to see whether it'll be a positive or negative outcome next season when we face the almighty UCONN! There's no way we don't meet each other in the championship game barring injuries next season. And I for one cannot wait!!!
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Notre Dame and SC will still be very strong next year. I wouldn't put Tennessee in that category yet until we see how a healthy Mercedes plays and what improvement there is from the starting backcourt.

I would probably put Tennessee 4th in preseason (behind UConn, ND and SC).
 
#153
#153
Amb3096 said:
Notre Dame and SC will still be very strong next year. I wouldn't put Tennessee in that category yet until we see how a healthy Mercedes plays and what improvement there is from the starting backcourt.

I would probably put Tennessee 4th in preseason (behind UConn, ND and SC).
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I understand the "wait and see" kind of attitude. It is justified at this point.

On the flip side, we will be better at all five positions. We should be better than ND & USCe and closer than ever to UConn.
 
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#154
#154
Crazy Ivan said:
Yes. I remember Steve. Lived on the corner of Campbell and Crescent with the lake behind their house . Tookie and Jimbo Clement lived across Crescent a few houses up towards Prospect. My parents bought the house on Linda Vista in '67. I remember the green house abd the red house beside it.
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wow....you nailed it. I used to run around with Tookie & Jimbo for awhile. Small world these days right? Do you happen to remember a girl named Denise Allen that lived on North Royal which was about a mile from Jackson High?
 
#155
#155
Real Info said:
I understand the "wait and see" kind of attitude. It is justified at this point.

On the flip side, we will be better at all five positions. We should be better than ND & USCe and closer than ever to UConn.
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That's the thing...I'm not convinced that Tennessee will be better at all 5 positions.

Let's assume that for the starters, Russell replaces Harrison and Diamond replaces Burdick. In this case, it's a split. Russell doesn't have the versatility on offense that Izzy has, is not as strong of a rebounder. but has the potential to be a better defensive presence. Diamond will trump Cierra's production in everything except for rebounds. The team loses their two best rebounders, and the two players replacing them are not as strong in this area.

Massengale was the lone consistent three point threat, and she's gone now. Even if Carter's percentage was close to Ariel's, she's nowhere near the outside shooter. She was a catch and shoot player, and even with the vast majority of her threes being wide open, she missed more than she made. Ariel would at least use screens to free herself up while being defended heavily, and she still made more 3s than the rest of the guards combined. This will be their biggest deficiency: replacing Ariel's outside shooting.

Graves will probably be good for 11 pts and 7 rbs a game in line with her career averages. Then you have the two starting guards, who are not competent offensive pieces. That's a big red flag, unless they become better.

The probable starters will likely be Reynolds, Carter, Diamond, Jones and Graves. By the time they enter the thick of SEC season, I hope it's Cooper, Deshields, Jones, Graves, Russell. Unless they miraculously learn how to shoot or gain the confidence to shoot, Reynolds/Carter should be subs.

I'm not high on Jones at the wing, but I have a hard time thinking that she will come off the bench. Even though I suspect that Bashaara to start at center, I'm almost certain that Mercedes will sub in early and play at least 25 minutes at the low post.
 
#156
#156
Real Info said:
On the flip side, we will be better at all five positions. We should be better than ND & USCe and closer than ever to UConn.
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Unfortunately, we won't be better at the all important coaching position. More talent doesn't mean a whole lot when the coach has no clue how to use it....
 
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#158
#158
So, as we all expected, the Huskies will hang a 10th banner.
Their first championship was in 1995. They have 10 national titles in 20 years...No one can deny that is impressive. They are the new, undisputed, evil empire.
They have simply dominated WCBB in that time, except for Chamique Holdsclaw's years and Candace Parker's years at UT, with other exceptions being Britney Griner's championship and Skylar Diggin's teams' ability to knock them out in the Final Four.

In those 20 years, UT has won 5 titles, and the period since 2008 has been a notable slump for the Lady Vols.

But teams and programs go through slumps. Basketball is a game of runs. The ball has bounced UCONN's way for some time now. One thing that is certain is that UCONN's program will one day know, like the rest of WCBB, how it feels for the ball not to bounce their way.

This is not meant to bash UCONN or wish them ill will. On the contrary, their program deserves all the credit in the world. This is just to say that I believe that soon the Lady Vols will once again know how it feels for the ball to bounce their way.
Here's hoping for the Lady Vols' future (and really the rest of WCBB--I mean, Muffet McGraw deserves another title--) in the midst of another UCONN title. :rock:
 
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#159
#159
Had Pat not suffered her affliction, UT would still be right there in the thick of everything -- and probably would have gotten some different recruiting outcomes. It affected the end trajectory of her career and reshaped the nature of Lady Vol basketball since her retirement. That's just the nature of losing an icon, regrettably. There was never going to be a replacement for her. But it'll come around for that bunch too, rest assured. It'll come around for them in the end and it'll be just as rough. (But not so long as they have their coach and ESPN on their doorstep).
 
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#161
#161
:shakehead::shakehead::shakehead::shakehead:::shakehead::shakehead: :popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:
 
#163
#163
Our team can be as good as theirs next season we need another strong post player and several players on the team to improve their offensive games.
 
#165
#165
This thread is all about whether or not Tennessee should schedule UConn. We are forgetting that it takes two to tango. Why would UConn want to play Tennessee? The Vols haven't been a contender for years. It seems like forever since Tennessee was at the final four. UConn already has rivalries with Stanford, Notre Dame, and now South Carolina. They are adding Texas and other P5 powers to their schedule. Why would they want to play Tennessee? Maybe when, and if, Tennessee returns to the glory days of Pat Summitt, but not now. I don't think they are interested.
 
#166
#166
Undercovervol said:
So, as we all expected, the Huskies will hang a 10th banner.
Their first championship was in 1995. They have 10 national titles in 20 years...No one can deny that is impressive. They are the new, undisputed, evil empire.
They have simply dominated WCBB in that time, except for Chamique Holdsclaw's years and Candace Parker's years at UT, with other exceptions being Britney Griner's championship and Skylar Diggin's teams' ability to knock them out in the Final Four.

In those 20 years, UT has won 5 titles, and the period since 2008 has been a notable slump for the Lady Vols.

But teams and programs go through slumps. Basketball is a game of runs. The ball has bounced UCONN's way for some time now. One thing that is certain is that UCONN's program will one day know, like the rest of WCBB, how it feels for the ball not to bounce their way.

This is not meant to bash UCONN or wish them ill will. On the contrary, their program deserves all the credit in the world. This is just to say that I believe that soon the Lady Vols will once again know how it feels for the ball to bounce their way.
Here's hoping for the Lady Vols' future (and really the rest of WCBB--I mean, Muffet McGraw deserves another title--) in the midst of another UCONN title. :rock:
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U.T. is still great! It is just that other teams have closed the gap on us. UConn, N.D. South Carolina, Maryland are all good programs.
This was an off year and we still made it to the Elite 8. Had Harrison not been injured, we would have gone further in the tourney.
We have new team members coming in, so we will be fine.
 
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#167
#167
The Lady Vol's are only two behind, can catch up in only two years, we can do it go Lady Vol's.
 
#168
#168
"But teams and programs go through slumps. Basketball is a game of runs. The ball has bounced UCONN's way for some time now. One thing that is certain is that UCONN's program will one day know, like the rest of WCBB, how it feels for the ball not to bounce their way."

Auriemma said that during the post game presser. I don't think that is going to happen until he retires but it will happen.
 
#170
#170
Slydell said:
Tennessee's law is a little different. I think any laws, or thoughts in the same vein, are bull ****. All states, including TN and Indiana, need to back up and rethink what they are legislating.
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Yeah...maybe others should listen to your "sage" advice. That "trampling on the rights of others" thing works both ways hoss...
 
#172
#172
Evil Empire or not UCONN is the new universe of Women's College Basketball. You may not like Geno but he is the unchallenged powerbroker of WCBB. The man knows how to coach and get the best out of his players. Add to this that ESPN has made him a rock star. They have given us Geno's life story from birth to present. Before his last two games Geno was given at least a two hour exposure. How much do we know about the other final four coaches? How much time did ESPN spend on the other final four coaches or talking to their former players? In fact how much do we know about Holly? But we all know Geno because he has been made into a living legend. Right now there are very few challengers, it is Geno, the other top 4 (he is at least 10 to 20 points better than), the next five of whom we are members (he is 20 to 40 points better than this group) and the rest (he can beat these teams by 45 to infinity,if not worse). I don't necessarily like Geno but it is what it is, and right now he is by far the best.

When Geno is recruiting against you, you are in a hole that might be difficult to climb out. He has his own cable network show and people seek out his opinion on the health of WCBB. He is the Lou Saban of WCBB. People who dislike WCBB know who Geno is.

How can Holly get into the conversation? It will be difficult because I doubt she will every get the exposure that is given to Geno or any of the top five coaches in WCBB. I might be wrong but I do not see her ever becoming the face of WCBB. She has to coach up what she has and be on the same level of the top five teams. It is not just having the talent it is also coaching the talent. It is your public persona. She has to improve her interviewing skills to appear to be knowledgeable and on the cutting edge of coaching. The last thing is very difficult, she has to step out of the shadows of a legend. This is not necessarily Holly's fault but the program needs to be considered by the general public as a top teer program, run by a top teer coach, with the ability to give the top teams a run for their money.
 
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#174
#174
Come on people. The Lady Vols don't even look the same as UConn. UConn is as ruthless and as amoral as a CIA assassin. Plus, they play with a collective mindset that would make the Borg proud.

This idea that we are close to being competitive with that team is ludicrous.
 
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#175
#175
They have three players that can take their game to another level when they need a stop or need to score points. Stewart has another year seems like she has been there forever. They only lose two players but I think the team we can put on the court next season is better than any team they faced this season so hopefully that is proven right and we battle them for the title.
 
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