Anyone Hear Sue Bird's Comments?

[hokievol12]

She said the lady vol team looked "out of sorts" and Holly was showing signs of pressure, that you could tell by "her out of sorts substitutions" and lacking team chemistry. She even stated that the team "body language" late in the game was as though they had "already lost". Watch the replay and listen. She also said the difference between "good" teams and "great" teams was in turnovers, can't continue making unforced turnovers and win consistently. This program is imploding and some game commentators aren't afraid to say it.

 

[ACvol3]

Holly is terrible.. Everyone wants it to work so bad with her because of her past with pat and UT, but she's just not a good coach. We will never win a natty with her. We should be able to have our pick of the litter with women's basketball coaches, but we are settling.

 

[gule]

Carter, Reynolds and Russell are the weak links on the mental side of play. They just fall apart every time.

 

[Special Ed]

We're settlers, son:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASyhJ0lRIU0

"We have to live with lower customer satisfaction."

 

[vol-un-tear]

Bird was on point and doesn't have a dog in the fight. She speaks the truth. No team chemistry and no leaders. Starts with the coach! I hate seeing this.

 

[teacherdean]

She said the lady vol team looked "out of sorts" and Holly was showing signs of pressure, that you could tell by "her out of sorts substitutions" and lacking team chemistry. She even stated that the team "body language" late in the game was as though they had "already lost". Watch the replay and listen. She also said the difference between "good" teams and "great" teams was in turnovers, can't continue making unforced turnovers and win consistently. This program is imploding and some game commentators aren't afraid to say it.

I like when a coach says during an interview, "I know that I should have put Courtney back in, I just didn't." This lady is a cancer to the Lady Vols.

Sue Bird is right, along with Carolyn Peck, and many other commentators. This program is going backwards. How fans can support this no coaching, no recruiting coach, who will in all likelihood get another year to drag this team into the gutter, is beyond all comprehension of a sane person. Holly could not coach a group of elementary school kids.

 

[cwbytruckers]

I don't understand why when we were up 7 and they started pressing that she didn't get Cooper and Deshields in the game. They could at least dribble up court.

 

[allenfan1]

I don't understand why when we were up 7 and they started pressing that she didn't get Cooper and Deshields in the game. They could at least dribble up court.

What I don't understand after a year of people zoning against us, why we are not able to attack it better. I watched on a number of times down court today, and the shot clock was under 9 seconds when the ball finally made it past the 3 point circle. Everyone just dribbles and passes outside of it. Why on earth was Middleton in when the game was on the line (up by 11) when she can't hit, and is probably the second worst defender on the team. One thing you can say about Coach (well forget the coach part) Holly is she is consistent, but in a bad way.

 

[IPleadInsanity]

Holly is terrible.. Everyone wants it to work so bad with her because of her past with pat and UT, but she's just not a good coach. We will never win a natty with her. We should be able to have our pick of the litter with women's basketball coaches, but we are settling.

The program is in a state of denial. We have gone from national championship expectations to "well we will win the SEC" to "we are competitive" to "these early losses will season a very talented team come tournament time". Reality will set by the end of the season.

 

[Nute Gunray]

Holly is terrible.. Everyone wants it to work so bad with her because of her past with pat and UT, but she's just not a good coach. We will never win a natty with her. We should be able to have our pick of the litter with women's basketball coaches, but we are settling.

Please, please Holly, will you step down for the good of the WCBB program at UT? This team's performance is a reflection of your coaching or lack of coaching ability. I want to shed tears when I see the foremost program in WCBB going down the tube because a former player and coaching assistant refuses to admit that she is not a good head coach. She won 80 percent of her games in the last 3 years due to talented and mature players but not her coaching skills. She has more talented but less mature players this year. These players need mature head coaching. They are not receiving it from Holly.

 

[livefaith]

Something really got my attention out there today. UT looked like giants in the size department compared to ATM. Looked like a D1 vs D2 game. Just with different results.

 

[DonDiego]

So, I assume they lost. Super Bowl kinda dwarfed it. Someone posted on another thread the other day something I thought was pretty spot on: Holly's teams look like a bunch of pick-up game players, running around the court like their hair's on fire--no set plans, no plays, not much apparent coaching. Seems she recruits athleticism and then tells them to go after it. The better teams out there--UConn, ND, Stanford, etc, coach the girls up and actually have set patterns in place for offense--not just dribble, throw it up, or see if somebody else can throw it up. Anybody on this team ever actually practice shooting?

 

[Amb3096]

What I don't understand after a year of people zoning against us, why we are not able to attack it better. I watched on a number of times down court today, and the shot clock was under 9 seconds when the ball finally made it past the 3 point circle. Everyone just dribbles and passes outside of it. Why on earth was Middleton in when the game was on the line (up by 11) when she can't hit, and is probably the second worst defender on the team. One thing you can say about Coach (well forget the coach part) Holly is she is consistent, but in a bad way.

Middleton has the third highest FG% (behind Graves and Russell) and the highest of all the perimeter players.

She's also a better defender than Cooper or Reynolds.

 

[Amb3096]

Something really got my attention out there today. UT looked like giants in the size department compared to ATM. Looked like a D1 vs D2 game. Just with different results.

tAMu started a beefy 6'5 and string bean 6'7 frontcourt. Williams and that freshman that killed UT on the boards were both 6'0+. They have short guards, though.

 

[mlindsay]

Middleton has the third highest FG% (behind Graves and Russell) and the highest of all the perimeter players.

She's also a better defender than Cooper or Reynolds.

I'd give you a better defender than Reynolds, Cooper not so much, Cooper isn't allowed to truly play Defense because they call her for just breathing on a player, lets see how she looks her second year on Defense when the refs understand the way she plays

 

[Amb3096]

I'd give you a better defender than Reynolds, Cooper not so much, Cooper isn't allowed to truly play Defense because they call her for just breathing on a player, lets see how she looks her second year on Defense when the refs understand the way she plays

And that's why Middleton is a better defensive player. Because Cooper has not learned how to play defense without fouling.

When she learns how to do so, then she'll be better.

 

[bobkitten]

Middleton has slow feet. She may not foul much but it's because she isn't there TO foul. Cooper is accustomed to being the golden girl. Now she is in with a group of golden girls. It's a much bigger pond.

 

[bobkitten]

When I heard DD was coming to Knoxville, I was concerned. A player who jumps ship because they are unhappy frequently brings the unhappiness along with her.

In addition, naming DD as an all star player or whatever she was named BEFORE the season started was a terrific disservice to her and the Lady Vols. She had not played in over a year! Give me a break! And when she HAD played, it was not in the SEC. She had no idea how she would be tested.

I was also very concerned when I heard how much emphasis, repeatedly, was put on the Italy trip "bringing the team together." That was a "tell," that things were already rocky on Rocky Top.

To me, Holly's biggest general mistake is not telling each recruit: I know you are used to being the star of the show. I know you are used to lots of acclaim. HERE, you are just one of many stars. You get the acclaim you can earn HERE. Forget about your last team (high school or college). Here you are in the big league. Many teams have players who were considered very good before they came to college. Here, no one is going to bow and kiss your ring. To me, her not making that clear is much of the reason for the team's troubles.

 

[teacherdean]

The program is in a state of denial. We have gone from national championship expectations to "well we will win the SEC" to "we are competitive" to "these early losses will season a very talented team come tournament time". Reality will set by the end of the season.

"At this point, reality has set in, now we must all be realistic and stop denying the facts, this is barely a top 30 team and that is a stretch."If Pat's name was not associated with his program we would not be ranked in the top 25. There are a lot more people in the women's basketball program concerned about the plight of this once great program. Right now we are on life support heading to a total collapse.

 

[DonnieVol]

What Pat built in 30+ years, Holly has managed to tear down in just 3 years. This team will now fall out of the top 25. We have no recruits committed next year, not one! I not only blame Holly, but her assistant coaches as well. The entire group needs to go. Sad to see what has happened to the once feared Lady Vols.

 

[Volicity]

What I don't understand after a year of people zoning against us, why we are not able to attack it better. I watched on a number of times down court today, and the shot clock was under 9 seconds when the ball finally made it past the 3 point circle. Everyone just dribbles and passes outside of it. Why on earth was Middleton in when the game was on the line (up by 11) when she can't hit, and is probably the second worst defender on the team. One thing you can say about Coach (well forget the coach part) Holly is she is consistent, but in a bad way.

On one hand Middleton isn't a Div I player. She never was.......... On the other hand, Cooper and DeShields would rather turn the ball over (and they do) than pass to Middleton.......and Dunbar.

 

[Amb3096]

When I heard DD was coming to Knoxville, I was concerned. A player who jumps ship because they are unhappy frequently brings the unhappiness along with her.

In addition, naming DD as an all star player or whatever she was named BEFORE the season started was a terrific disservice to her and the Lady Vols. She had not played in over a year! Give me a break! And when she HAD played, it was not in the SEC. She had no idea how she would be tested.

She played in the ACC with Notre Dame and Duke when both were top 10 programs. That same year, her team beat SEC champ SC 2x.

There was no reason to think Diamond wouldn't have picked up right where she left off, unless her injuries are more serious than previously thought.

 

[Sandvol]

She played in the ACC with Notre Dame and Duke when both were top 10 programs. That same year, her team beat SEC champ SC 2x.

There was no reason to think Diamond wouldn't have picked up right where she left off, unless her injuries are more serious than previously thought.

Her and the team's problems are coaching. They have no defined roles. Everyone is a ball handler, shooter, dribbler, 3 pointer, but very few willing to do the "dirty" work: set screens, block out, get steals, take charges, make passes, etc. No communication either. No ones knows what anyone else is doing. When Middleton was out there though they seemed to understand what she was trying to do. When DD handles the ball she is like Meighan Simmons, no one knows what she is doing.

 

[Amb3096]

Her and the team's problems are coaching. They have no defined roles. Everyone is a ball handler, shooter, dribbler, 3 pointer, but very few willing to do the "dirty" work: set screens, block out, get steals, take charges, make passes, etc. No communication either. No ones knows what anyone else is doing. When Middleton was out there though they seemed to understand what she was trying to do. When DD handles the ball she is like Meighan Simmons, no one knows what she is doing.

Middleton has the best floor vision and seems to be the only guard who can consistently make a post entry pass. On the downside is her reluctance to shoot and related tendency to pass the ball to Diamond with 1 second on the shot clock.

The communication is clearly awful. I already mentioned Andraya passing a ball to Diamond when Diamond was looking the other way directing traffic. There were times where the players were bumping into each other and seemed to have no clue where they needed to be on the floor. It looked like a pickup game at times, and that's 100% on the coaching.

 

[mlindsay]

Her and the team's problems are coaching. They have no defined roles. Everyone is a ball handler, shooter, dribbler, 3 pointer, but very few willing to do the "dirty" work: set screens, block out, get steals, take charges, make passes, etc. No communication either. No ones knows what anyone else is doing. When Middleton was out there though they seemed to understand what she was trying to do. When DD handles the ball she is like Meighan Simmons, no one knows what she is doing.

Only ones I can truly say knows their role or are starting to learn their role are Nia Moore (knows that she is suppose to rebound, and block shots, looks to score if she is wide open) Dunbar (she jacks it up and doesn't care, she knows that's what we need from her and she delivers) and MeMe (always guarding her player defensively, rarely looks to score, gives her all) and none of them barely get in the game (Nia only really saw time yesterday because Blair played his 6'7" and 6'5" post players together for as much as he could that's smart coaching)