Welcome to Rocky Top Evina Westbrook

[Putbacks]

And in the article Warlick called Westbrook a "game changer" despite some posters' assertions on here that this class contained none.

When Hayes signs, a strong nucleus will be formed that should compete for championships once they arrive. Our players just have to spurn the crutches and stay healthy. Warlick needs to continue to grow her leadership and coaching skills and not be so "too-soon-made-glad".

Best of luck to these signees in finishing out their prep careers. Hope they use the season to practice winning championships!

 

[Linda Lee]

Wow! Welcome Ms. Westbrook! We look so forward to seeing you play.

Best wishes and have a great career!!

 

[madtownvol]

No way you get rid of Law. She was Westbrook lead recruiter. Then she appeals to the younger generation. She is the one that got DeShields to reel it in last season and she credits Law also. Law is recruiting some elite talent in the 2018 class also. Elzy is gone and that's great. I like our coaching staff. Catchings has stated she doesn't wants to be a coach. Parker will be playing for years to come. She is in her prime.

Yes 100%. Strange that some would be talking about a need for a staff change right in the midst of fantastic recruiting news. Sometimes our fan base is mystifying..

 

[Chris89128]

Yes 100%. Strange that some would be talking about a need for a staff change right in the midst of fantastic recruiting news. Sometimes our fan base is mystifying..

x1000

 

[DeerPark12]

Ur rite bout the change. I think that Holly need to remove Coach law and bring in Candace Parker or Tameka

Law is important on the recruiting trail, but her biggest contribution is relating to the players on campus on their level. The players love her and removing her from the staff would be a great detriment to the program.

Why law and not dean?

Well, Dean Lockwood is the smartest basketball mind on the staff. Pat hired him to replace Al Brown because he was the best at developing a game plan that she had ever encountered. He hasn't lost his touch at that. He gets the scout on all the big opponents and when the team actually followed the game plan the last few seasons, they have been very successful in those games.

 

[mlindsay]

Law is important on the recruiting trail, but her biggest contribution is relating to the players on campus on their level. The players love her and removing her from the staff would be a great detriment to the program.




Well, Dean Lockwood is the smartest basketball mind on the staff. Pat hired him to replace Al Brown because he was the best at developing a game plan that she had ever encountered. He hasn't lost his touch at that. He gets the scout on all the big opponents and when the team actually followed the game plan the last few seasons, they have been very successful in those games.

Didn't know that about Dean, so should we be looking for a "consultant" of sorts to help with the Post players because maybe his time focused on developing game plans truly takes away the time truly needed to possibly help develop some of the post players (just asking) kind of like SC did with Balcomb they brought her in essentially to install an offense for them and not necessarily to coach although thats what she did at Vandy

 

[DeerPark12]

Didn't know that about Dean, so should we be looking for a "consultant" of sorts to help with the Post players because maybe his time focused on developing game plans truly takes away the time truly needed to possibly help develop some of the post players (just asking) kind of like SC did with Balcomb they brought her in essentially to install an offense for them and not necessarily to coach although thats what she did at Vandy

It does not take away from that at all. I think if you spoke to some of our departed post players (Izzy Harrison is a great example), then your opinion on how he develops players would be different.

 

[volman128]

Dean didn't replace Al Brown. Nikki Caldwell did in 2002. When DeMoss left to go to UK in 2003, Greg Brown was hired for a year and after he left in 2004, Dean came on board.

I personally believe Dean is the best coach on the staff and we are lucky to have him. The weak link on the staff was let go last season, and that's all I'll say. Her replacement is on the edge of completing one of the best recruiting classes in the country this year, even if we sign no one else.

 

[mlindsay]

It does not take away from that at all. I think if you spoke to some of our departed post players (Izzy Harrison is a great example), then your opinion on how he develops players would be different.

Izzy really seems to be the only example though, as of late the others seem to digress under his teachings (thats my opinion) he might have a great skill set but how can he truly work with them if he is also implementing the game plan, especially when you play 3 games in a span of like 5 or 6 days? Thats all I'm asking? Somebody like a Kelly Cain who is already working out Post players and may be looking to get into the coaching ranks could be a great "consultant" extra set of eyes and a extra body that could help our post! She could also show Mercedes how to use that 6'6" frame she has

 

[Bernard]

I agree 100 percent with you, Senior Member mlindsay, I've been coaching high school girls basketball the past 24 years!! What game plan is Coach Lockwood working on!!! If he is in charge of making the bigs better, what happened to developing a mid range face up game to what Graves brought to the table ( She got cut from Minn, because of that) and developing Moores game, which never happenned??? He had them both for 4yrs!! That says it all!! Russell is 6ft 6 and still brings the ball down to her waist and doesn't fight for low post position, its called coaching them up, and that player becoming mentally tough under your guidance. Our low post game is ?????? If he is working on the game plan, the other teams are going to be playing zone most of the time. I haven't seen TN overload the zone defense yet!! Russell should be at the high post of the zone offense, when she receives a pass she should be looking for cutters to the basket, when they collapse on her, or kicking it out for an open 3. Basketball 101. We need coaches, who know how to get the max out of the persons abilities, and who have played that position, to teach it.

 

[Amb3096]

I agree 100 percent with you, Senior Member mlindsay, I've been coaching high school girls basketball the past 24 years!! What game plan is Coach Lockwood working on!!! If he is in charge of making the bigs better, what happened to developing a mid range face up game to what Graves brought to the table ( She got cut from Minn, because of that) and developing Moores game, which never happenned??? He had them both for 4yrs!! That says it all!! Russell is 6ft 6 and still brings the ball down to her waist and doesn't fight for low post position, its called coaching them up, and that player becoming mentally tough under your guidance. Our low post game is ?????? If he is working on the game plan, the other teams are going to be playing zone most of the time. I haven't seen TN overload the zone defense yet!! Russell should be at the high post of the zone offense, when she receives a pass she should be looking for cutters to the basket, when they collapse on her, or kicking it out for an open 3. Basketball 101. We need coaches, who know how to get the max out of the persons abilities, and who have played that position, to teach it.

Bashaara DID develop a mid-range game her last two years, and it was a beautiful shot.

She got cut from Minny because she was projected to play SF, not PF. Even though she had a nice jumper at the high post, she was not a natural perimeter player, wasn't a particularly good ball handler, nor foot speed to be a perimeter defender...which isn't really her fault or I guess Dean's. She came to Tennessee to play PF and was pretty darn good at it, but she didn't have the size to play that position in the WNBA, and didn't have the skills to play SF.

 

[DeerPark12]

Izzy really seems to be the only example though, as of late the others seem to digress under his teachings (thats my opinion) he might have a great skill set but how can he truly work with them if he is also implementing the game plan, especially when you play 3 games in a span of like 5 or 6 days? Thats all I'm asking? Somebody like a Kelly Cain who is already working out Post players and may be looking to get into the coaching ranks could be a great "consultant" extra set of eyes and a extra body that could help our post! She could also show Mercedes how to use that 6'6" frame she has

He doesn't do the game plan/scout for every game. The coaches have always split them, as every staff in the country does. He has always had the scout for the biggest games, dating back to his first year with Pat.

 

[VOL720]

He also did good with Glory Johnson, Kelly Cain and Alyssa Brewer. Brewer was very good her JR season. She was the MVP of the SEC Tournament. Johnson developed into a very good post player. Cain was very good until her knee pain became relentless and she could barely walk after games.

 

[tennparker3]

Moore was probably our lowest rated/heralded recruit we've ever brought in. She is playing professionally overseas right now and had some great moments as a Lady Vol.

Bash is playing professionally overseas and had a solid career at Tennessee. It was her much improved face up game that allowed her to continue to be a scoring threat for us. She lost a lot of her ability to be effective at the rim with 3 years of hip issues. She lost elevation and lift and considering how undersized she was at the 4 her effectiveness was not as great as it looked like it was going to be during her freshman year.

Mercedes is a completely different player already IMO. She is demanding the ball and has a handful of pro-level moves she has shown off, including a few and-1 hook shots that are unstoppable from a 6'6/6'7 player.

I'm very happy to have Dean and the players love and respect him. That's a good thing.

 

[mlindsay]

Bashaara DID develop a mid-range game her last two years, and it was a beautiful shot.

She got cut from Minny because she was projected to play SF, not PF. Even though she had a nice jumper at the high post, she was not a natural perimeter player, wasn't a particularly good ball handler, nor foot speed to be a perimeter defender...which isn't really her fault or I guess Dean's. She came to Tennessee to play PF and was pretty darn good at it, but she didn't have the size to play that position in the WNBA, and didn't have the skills to play SF.

There were/are several undersize post in the league that has or is getting it done, its a matter of heart and determination imo and sometimes Bash just goes/went with the flow too often instead of being demanding Crystal Langhore, Sophia Malcomn Young, Erlana Larkins, Tina Thompson, Tari Phillips and etc are a few undersized post that have manage to find longevity in the league

 

[gule]

my dead grandma could coach better than DEAN.

 

[Smallvol#1]

It does not take away from that at all. I think if you spoke to some of our departed post players (Izzy Harrison is a great example), then your opinion on how he develops players would be different.

Didn't Candace say Dean had helped her more than any other coach?

 

[Smallvol#1]

There were/are several undersize post in the league that has or is getting it done, its a matter of heart and determination imo and sometimes Bash just goes/went with the flow too often instead of being demanding Crystal Langhore, Sophia Malcomn Young, Erlana Larkins, Tina Thompson, Tari Phillips and etc are a few undersized post that have manage to find longevity in the league

Mlindsay, don't be too harsh on Bash. She was playing through a lot of injuries and pain for years. It took a lot of heart and determination to do what she did.

 

[mlindsay]

Mlindsay, don't be too harsh on Bash. She was playing through a lot of injuries and pain for years. It took a lot of heart and determination to do what she did.

Trust me I am not being harsh on her, I think she could've inserted herself more and I think thats what hurt her in Minny a little bit. If you look at their roster everybody on their roster plays with a certain fire and I don't think Bash had that fire. There were plenty times (especially last year as the eldest statesman) that I felt she should've got in her teammates faces (it isn't always the coaches job to do so) and demanded more of them and I don't think she did that so maybe heart and determination were too strong of words but she plays extremely hard and is willing to bang but she isn't as forceful as she could've been in my opinion. Her play demanded attention and her teammates I think could've benefited more from her being more aggressive than passive in a sense. I also truly hate that she went to Minny because I felt that she would've stayed in the league had she landed in a spot like Indy, San Antonio, or Seattle (all places that have had success with undersize post).

 

[sccshortstop]

my dead grandma could coach better than DEAN.

That is a grave statement but bring her up!

 

[Smallvol#1]

Trust me I am not being harsh on her, I think she could've inserted herself more and I think thats what hurt her in Minny a little bit. If you look at their roster everybody on their roster plays with a certain fire and I don't think Bash had that fire. There were plenty times (especially last year as the eldest statesman) that I felt she should've got in her teammates faces (it isn't always the coaches job to do so) and demanded more of them and I don't think she did that so maybe heart and determination were too strong of words but she plays extremely hard and is willing to bang but she isn't as forceful as she could've been in my opinion. Her play demanded attention and her teammates I think could've benefited more from her being more aggressive than passive in a sense. I also truly hate that she went to Minny because I felt that she would've stayed in the league had she landed in a spot like Indy, San Antonio, or Seattle (all places that have had success with undersize post).

She gave her all, but, yes, she was not a Nikki as far as demanding others play as hard as she did.

 

[Amb3096]

There were/are several undersize post in the league that has or is getting it done, its a matter of heart and determination imo and sometimes Bash just goes/went with the flow too often instead of being demanding Crystal Langhore, Sophia Malcomn Young, Erlana Larkins, Tina Thompson, Tari Phillips and etc are a few undersized post that have manage to find longevity in the league

It's not just that Bashaara was on the short side of being a post player. She also didn't gave great length (like Young's long arms), girth (Larkins, Phillips) and leaping ability (Young). I don't think she was as skilled as Langhorne nor as versatile as Thompson. She was your classic solid college basketball player whose game did not transition well to the pros. I don't think it's a reflection on poor coaching or lack of effort on her part. Some players just aren't good enough to make a WNBA roster, and I think she is one of them.

 

[Only1COJ]

Russell out supporting Westbrook last night!

Please come back for another year MR!

 

[LadyVol1908]

Russell out supporting Westbrook last night!

Please come back for another year MR!

.....LOVE this pic!

I think her and DD will be back another year. I hope they realize we have some MAJOR talent coming in next year. Even though they're going to be freshman, they're going to be a special group. Holly has gotten us to the game RIGHT before the FF on a consistent basis with mediocre guard play over the years.....we get those guards + Cooper + Green + KK.....they have to realize next year could be that year for us!

 

[mlindsay]

Russell out supporting Westbrook last night!

Please come back for another year MR!

Westbrook is listed at 6'0 and Russell is towering over her, Has Russell grown? It's no way she is 6'6" or Westbrook is more like 5'10" just curious. I know some players who are tall don't like to list their actual height based on the position they play (this happens a lot in the mens game)