Lady Vols coach wants a stronger finishing touch

#3
#3
I'm a lil more patient than others, but this year her third year. I expect Final Fours going forward. She knows what it takes.
 
#4
#4
Good to see she understands her team has been mentally weak. Normally her statements don't get to the crux of the matter well enough or she is noncommittal.

I think her first couple of teams have been mentally stronger than Pat's last few, but they have still been weak mentally and have suffered from less talent and a poor mix of skills. I worry we may still have a poor mix going forward with too many wings and not enough posts. We will see how that works out soon enough.

But I can't remember the last player we had here who would up her game against good competition. The six-pack played down to everyone. Our current team is mouthy and easily distracted by their emotions. Hit them in the mouth and they fold --- just like the MD coaches said they would. And a ton of them don't show up every night... especially against better teams. I have said it over and over again, but they are frontrunners. When they are ahead or think they are playing a team they should beat they are fine. When they are challenged they play below their abilities.

I thought with Reynolds performance in the SEC tournament maybe we had found a way to turn the corner, but she was a non-factor along with everyone else in the tournament. No one had any confidence. All they feel is the pressure rather than glorying in the competition and relishing the challenge. Teams with that attitude are never champions.

Larry Bird was not the best three point shooter to ever live, though he was a good one. But he was great when his team needed one to win. We need players who can rise to the occasion. And I think this is related to why Simmons got so much slack and was allowed to shoot so much. Everyone else was too afraid to do it. We didn't have a player who could elevate her game, but at least we had one that was willing to try.
 
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#5
#5
What Holly needs to understand to get to a final four is that toughness is only one part of it. You must have superb execution players must know what to do in every situation. You can't force passes inside or make lazy passes on the perimeter. There are times when the open perimeter player must take the shot. I want to see this next team execute better plus have players not afraid to take the open shot.
 
#6
#6
And I want a stronger coach. Not one that tells me how great a player Simmons is, game after game. The same Simmons that throws up brick after brick all the while CHW watches and claps. She must have the Coach Fulmer syndrome. Simmons should have been benched not encouraged to carry a team that she was ill equipped to handle.
 
#8
#8
Execution on the defensive end, and most of the time its mental. She knows what she's talking about, 38 years along side one of the greats. We are still mental midgets, once we get a competitive team of mental giants, we'll turn the corner.

I never won a game or championship, because of being stronger or faster, I won cos I had a will to win, and losing is not an option, you lock in. Mental toughness is all of it cos we know they have talent, confidence.

Omg, sorry Ariel mention in the same breath as Izzy, an All American is crazy. I would love to see her play with Izzy.
 
#9
#9
They're in the same class aren't they (Ariel and Izzy)?

Admittedly, I'm excited to see Cooper and Diamond begin their UT careers at the same time.
 
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