Why did we schedule @ Ohio State for an opener

#1
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volbound1700

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#1
Start the season with an ugly loss to a Blob team and we just lost to another Blob10 team yesterday to go 1-2 and embarrass the SEC and our program losing stupid non-conference games in Big10.

The last two games have pretty much eliminated us from a 1 seed possibility even if we win out.

To me, we should have started out with a Tennessee Tech or UT Martin.

Dang this team needs to step it up. Tennessee Basketball (Men and Women) are sucking it up right now across the board.

Some people on here saying these games don't matter. Wrong. Yes they do. When deciding NCAA seeds, etc., they look heavily at these early non-conference matchups.
 
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#5
#5
volbound1700 said:
Start the season with an ugly loss to a Blob team and we just lost to another Blob10 team yesterday to go 1-2 and embarrass the SEC and our program losing stupid non-conference games in Big10.

The last two games have pretty much eliminated us from a 1 seed possibility even if we win out.

To me, we should have started out with a Tennessee Tech or UT Martin.

Dang this team needs to step it up. Tennessee Basketball (Men and Women) are sucking it up right now across the board.

Some people on here saying these games don't matter. Wrong. Yes they do. When deciding NCAA seeds, etc., they look heavily at these early non-conference matchups.
Click to expand...

Take a breath my friend.

If the LVs were by some miracle to win out the rest of the season--with Stanford, UConn, and defending champ South Carolina, and the rest of the SEC schedule on tap--they would be a number 1 seed, regardless of these opening losses.
 
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#9
#9
My guess is the Ohio State game was a late addition -- one that Kellie could not pass up accepting as it gave her very first loyal high school recruit, Jordan Horston, a true senior home game. I don't think she can be faulted for throwing Horston and her family that bone and, by gosh, Jordan played her heart out! Tennessee lost, but I was at least happy Jordan played well in that pressure-cooker of a situation.

The Indiana game may have originally been Kellie's one intended "see where we are" game -- and then OSU became the late second.

It is what it is. As much as the early losses hurt, I'd still rather find these things out sooner rather than later when there's not much time to work out solutions.
 
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#10
#10
So...Tennessee will probably make it into the playoffs. Exciting times on Rocky Top.
 
#11
#11
volbound1700 said:
Start the season with an ugly loss to a Blob team and we just lost to another Blob10 team yesterday to go 1-2 and embarrass the SEC and our program losing stupid non-conference games in Big10.

The last two games have pretty much eliminated us from a 1 seed possibility even if we win out.

To me, we should have started out with a Tennessee Tech or UT Martin.

Dang this team needs to step it up. Tennessee Basketball (Men and Women) are sucking it up right now across the board.

Some people on here saying these games don't matter. Wrong. Yes they do. When deciding NCAA seeds, etc., they look heavily at these early non-conference matchups.
Click to expand...

Eat enough cupcakes and you turn into a blob, right?
 
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#12
#12
volbound1700 said:
Start the season with an ugly loss to a Blob team and we just lost to another Blob10 team yesterday to go 1-2 and embarrass the SEC and our program losing stupid non-conference games in Big10.

The last two games have pretty much eliminated us from a 1 seed possibility even if we win out.

To me, we should have started out with a Tennessee Tech or UT Martin.

Dang this team needs to step it up. Tennessee Basketball (Men and Women) are sucking it up right now across the board.

Some people on here saying these games don't matter. Wrong. Yes they do. When deciding NCAA seeds, etc., they look heavily at these early non-conference matchups.
Click to expand...


Interesting tidbit............

Summitt never opened the season on the road against a ranked opponent in her coaching career.
 
#13
#13
volbound1700 said:
Start the season with an ugly loss to a Blob team and we just lost to another Blob10 team yesterday to go 1-2 and embarrass the SEC and our program losing stupid non-conference games in Big10.

The last two games have pretty much eliminated us from a 1 seed possibility even if we win out.

To me, we should have started out with a Tennessee Tech or UT Martin.

Dang this team needs to step it up. Tennessee Basketball (Men and Women) are sucking it up right now across the board.

Some people on here saying these games don't matter. Wrong. Yes they do. When deciding NCAA seeds, etc., they look heavily at these early non-conference matchups.
Click to expand...
The reason was Jordan Horston is from Columbus, Ohio and this is the only time they wanted to play us so it was scheduled. The Indiana game was the rematch from two years ago when we beat them on their home court and now they have beat us on ours. I have no problem with the games if we start seeing a process of elimination and from this we get the best 10 players that we have in a rotation of starter and backup. Our 30 minute players seem to be Powell, Jackson, Horston, Key, and Franklin. The five backups seem to be Darby, Hollingshead, Puckett, Pissott, and take your pick Walkeer and Miles. The other players need to do something in practice or when they get a chance to play to get any viable minutes. I don't know if Horston would've made the difference against Indiana I like to believe she would. Other than the third quarter where we lost 30 to 13 we won the Ohio State game, So were looking for full game consistency and I hope we find it soon. Figuring out how to take care of the ball defend and rebound is all it is going to take. I know this is the same problems we've had in stretches of other seasons before. Time for the coaches to get it together and get these players doing what is necessary to win. Decisions win or lose games and that is why were losing right now.
 
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#14
#14
I guess on the men’s side Duke, Kentucky, Kansas and Michigan State are all stupid for being in a 4 team tournament at the beginning of the season. I have a feeling those players, coaches and fans are glad for the early tough schedule. It shows them right away what they need to work on.

I really thought a cupcake would be scheduled instead of Ohio State but I am okay with it since it shows what they need to work on before they face UConn or Stanford. I want to beat those teams!
 
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#15
#15
Compete. It’s easy to beat up on lower tier kids and feel good about yourself. Smaller, lesser ranked kids but you won etc. Play the tougher schedule and find a way to win. Now OSU and IU have the win over us on their resume and was not afraid to play us.
 
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#16
#16
lvocd said:
My guess is the Ohio State game was a late addition -- one that Kellie could not pass up accepting as it gave her very first loyal high school recruit, Jordan Horston, a true senior home game. I don't think she can be faulted for throwing Horston and her family that bone and, by gosh, Jordan played her heart out! Tennessee lost, but I was at least happy Jordan played well in that pressure-cooker of a situation.

The Indiana game may have originally been Kellie's one intended "see where we are" game -- and then OSU became the late second.

It is what it is. As much as the early losses hurt, I'd still rather find these things out sooner rather than later when there's not much time to work out solutions.
Click to expand...

I believe Indiana was the home and home that started during the Covid season.

I agree with you, I’d rather find things out sooner rather than later. With a team as talented as the current Lady Vols team, it seems Kellie thinks they needed to be challenged to assist with them coming together as a team. I tend to agree with her and believe the team will continue to improve. The newcomers are learning by fire that you can’t take a night off when you have Tennessee across your chest because you are going to get everybody’s best.
 
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#17
#17
Its always better to find out your teams strengths, and most important your weaknesses, earlier than later. Now she has time to correct things before SEC play. Cupcake teams don't expose you like the good teams. Kelly learned a lot about her team from the 2 big 10 teams. Now she has to apply those lessons learned.
 
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#18
#18
It has always been a tradition that the Lady Vols will play one of the toughest schedules in the country. There is no better way to find out where your team is early in the season, and get them road tested, toughened, prepared for SEC play. Playing a weaker opponent may be good for confidence, execution, and figuring out rotation and schemes, but it's not particularly good for championship preparation-- it gives you a false sense of how good you really are or not. Only when you get thrown into the fire do you find out if you have true gold or not.
 
#19
#19
Volfan1000 said:
Interesting tidbit............

Summitt never opened the season on the road against a ranked opponent in her coaching career.
Click to expand...
although accurate, the 98-99 team in game 3 including the exhibition went on the road to #5 Purdue and lost.
 
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#22
#22
KJH reiterated in her presser after IU that she thinks the brutal early sched was right for this team. Was asked about the fine line btw toughening and breaking morale, she said she's aware and navigating that line as all coaches do.

I could be wrong and projecting this onto her, but to me KJH seems a little shellshocked. I don't think she saw this coming. You never know if a new team has game chemistry until they play games. To her everlasting credit she did not say "I don't know" nor throw the players under the bus. She also seems super intense and I'm sure every issue is being addressed.

Off the court, she needs to dial up that sense of resilency and determination they had last year.
 
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#23
#23
Special Ed said:
Kellie's ego may bigger than her talent as a coach.
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That’s not out of the question and an interesting take. I never viewed her as egotistical but something to monitor if things stay the same on the court and recruiting.

*as a coach you have to have a little, as a leader you have to have self reflection
 
#24
#24
luballer said:
I believe Indiana was the home and home that started during the Covid season.

I agree with you, I’d rather find things out sooner rather than later. With a team as talented as the current Lady Vols team, it seems Kellie thinks they needed to be challenged to assist with them coming together as a team. I tend to agree with her and believe the team will continue to improve. The newcomers are learning by fire that you can’t take a night off when you have Tennessee across your chest because you are going to get everybody’s best.
Click to expand...
And I totally agree with you. I could be wrong but I thought the LVs even looked better in the second half of the IU game.
To me Franklin, Hollinshead, Wynn and Miles made a case for more minutes. They all showed energy and wanted to compete.
 
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