Tennessee Lady Vols having issues defending guard play.

#1
J

jwhite9

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#1
One thing that stands out to me this year for the Lady Vols basketball team is there inability to defend guards. Just look at the 3 games we loss and and the 1 game we struggled with against JMU. They had one guard to basically beat us which has affected our season so far.

JMU - Precious Hall 39 pts

Penn State - Teniya Page 29 pts

Virginia Tech - Chanette Hicks 24 pts (career high)

Baylor - Alexis Jones 30 pts

Our guards are being outplayed big time this season!
 
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#2
#2
jwhite9 said:
One thing that stands out to me this year for the Lady Vols basketball team is there inability to defend guards. Just look at the 3 games we loss and and the 1 game we struggled with against JMU. They had one guard to basically beat us which has affected our season so far.

JMU - Precious Hall 39 pts

Penn State - Teniya Page 29 pts

Virginia Tech - Chanette Hicks 24 pts (career high)

Baylor - Alexis Jones 30 pts

Our guards are being outplayed big time this season!
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Pretty sure that Precious and Alexis also had career highs.

For a team that prioritizes defense over offense, they sure suck at both. I can imagine that Holly's idea of coaching is, "On offense, read and react to their defense. On defense, don't let your opponent score. And, uh...rebound, and inside-out, and no quick shooting. I'll be in my office if you have any questions."
 
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#3
#3
Amb3096 said:
Pretty sure that Precious and Alexis also had career highs.

For a team that prioritizes defense over offense, they sure suck at both. I can imagine that Holly's idea of coaching is, "On offense, read and react to their defense. On defense, don't let your opponent score. And, uh...rebound, and inside-out, and no quick shooting. I'll be in my office if you have any questions."
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You are so correct couldn't have said it better!
 
#4
#4
Team had the same problem last year--even with a pretty good perimeter defender in Carter. We've only got one perimeter player--Jackson--with the quickness to defend, and I don't think she helped much today. As bad as the offense is--and it is terrible--UT's defense is worse. We gave up 48 points in the first half--pathetic. Game over. We had 1--count 'em--one steal for the game. There is no excuse for this program not to have FOUR athletic guards on the team.
 
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#5
#5
Actually, even though that Baylor guard killed us with 30 points---we gave up 48 points in the paint! How does that happen? I thought that was a misprint.
 
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#6
#6
armchair said:
Actually, even though that Baylor guard killed us with 30 points---we gave up 48 points in the paint! How does that happen? I thought that was a misprint.
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Alexis Jones had a lot of points right at the basket, and Nina Davis owned the 3Q with offensive rebounds and putbacks.
 
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#7
#7
Are you people just now noticing the poor guard play??? Good God I hope I never read another post about how poor Mercedes Russell if she would just get tough and get mean the Lady Vols would win. That was hogwash then and it's hogwash now. It's guards guards guards. The guard play is horrible and I'm glad people are finally noticing it.
 
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#8
#8
armchair said:
Team had the same problem last year--even with a pretty good perimeter defender in Carter. We've only got one perimeter player--Jackson--with the quickness to defend, and I don't think she helped much today. As bad as the offense is--and it is terrible--UT's defense is worse. We gave up 48 points in the first half--pathetic. Game over. We had 1--count 'em--one steal for the game. There is no excuse for this program not to have FOUR athletic guards on the team.
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Carter was never a good perimeter defender. She was great in playing the passing lanes and getting steals, but she (like every other guard on the team) could not stop dribble penetration. If they were playing a PG who had good handle and an aggressive game, they could take Carter to the hoop all day and every day.

Holly appears not to teach her players how to anticipate where their assignment wants to move and beat them there. They are always flat footed and reactive, not proactive. Cooper was especially guilty of this, and played defense with her hands instead of her feet.

If Holly is so obsessed with defense, it would help if she knew how to actually teach it.
 
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#9
#9
Amb3096 said:
Carter was never a good perimeter defender. She was great in playing the passing lanes and getting steals, but she (like every other guard on the team) could not stop dribble penetration.
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Truer words have never been spoken.
 
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#10
#10
LVJeff said:
Are you people just now noticing the poor guard play??? Good God I hope I never read another post about how poor Mercedes Russell if she would just get tough and get mean the Lady Vols would win. That was hogwash then and it's hogwash now. It's guards guards guards. The guard play is horrible and I'm glad people are finally noticing it.
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Which is more of the reason why Holly has to go, she played and coached the guards for most of her career so if they are the weak spot of the team, that speaks volumes for her abilities as a coach
 
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#11
#11
mlindsay said:
...that speaks volumes for her abilities as a coach
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Along with her absolute certain losses against top teams, consistent losses to "meh" teams, and frequent use of "I...dunno" in response to questions about how to improve the team's performance.
 
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#12
#12
Actually the LV just plain have trouble defending anyone guards,forwards and centers .....did I leave anyone out .....if so it was not intentional.
 
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#13
#13
alexvol said:
Actually the LV just plain have trouble defending anyone guards,forwards and centers .....did I leave anyone out .....if so it was not intentional.
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Post defense was good today. Mercedes made life hard for the Baylor low post players. High post was a different story. Nina Davis did whatever she felt like.
 
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#14
#14
Anybody figure out yet the program is in the dumper with Holly? Are there any diehard LV fans left to root their gal through this momentary affliction/ I bet they are convinced she will right the ship and have them rolling by through the SEC and hot heading into the dance. If not, I'm sure she will next year with that great recruiting class!

lol. What a waste of a legend's legacy.
 
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#16
#16
Did Holly have a post game presser?

Just found it, it should be a good one.
 
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#17
#17
Don't intend to highjack this thread, but Holly's insistence on using man defense is compounding the problem with our guards. They switched to a zone late in the first half for one possession, and got a steal. The only steal of the game.

So why does she use man defense?
 
#19
#19
Holly does not know what is wrong, this is the main problem. Any coach working for me who said that at a presser would be fired as soon as it ended. She must be untouchable.
 
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#20
#20
If I were her, I would stop admitting that I did not know what was wrong and seek help to find out how to make them play better. In the end, this is not about her at all but rather the state of the program. I think she is extremely frustrated at this point and loves the university/program so it would not surprise me if she resigned if she truly feels she cannot fix things. She is handcuffed to a point with the players she has available so sitting people on the bench will be a tough thing to resort to and will probably guarantee more losses. I doubt she will remain a coach by her own will or by her bosses as long as she continues to say things like "I don't know."
 
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#22
#22
Having been in the shadow of "the coach" for so long, does anyone wonder if Holly really can preform as a head coach? She has been a follower for her whole coaching (I use the term loosely) career. I think to be the head coach is beyond her. All she learned from "the coach" is 15-20 year old way of playing. She has not changed anything. All systems must evolve to the way players have evolved and learned to play the game their whole lives. Holly just doesn't know how to make changes in what she wants to accomplish. As she says "I don't know".
 
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#23
#23
savannahfan said:
Having been in the shadow of "the coach" for so long, does anyone wonder if Holly really can preform as a head coach? She has been a follower for her whole coaching (I use the term loosely) career. I think to be the head coach is beyond her. All she learned from "the coach" is 15-20 year old way of playing. She has not changed anything. All systems must evolve to the way players have evolved and learned to play the game their whole lives. Holly just doesn't know how to make changes in what she wants to accomplish. As she says "I don't know".
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I said last year that she's nothing more than a second-rate Pat Summitt Tribute Act. I'm highly convinced that she can't do anything more than try to work what Pat was successful at, but without her charisma, leadership, and most importantly, results.

They need a coach that is their own person.
 
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#24
#24
everybody can't be Pat...very few are that blessed to be...hate it for Holly...she loves Tennessee so much, but I'm afraid she knows her time may be limited here...poor Holly...:cray:

PS. Stand back Holly and let the assistants do the coaching...on and off the court...also, no more pressers...at least until we start winning some games...:)

GO LADY VOLS!
 
#25
#25
Amb3096 said:
Post defense was good today. Mercedes made life hard for the Baylor low post players. High post was a different story. Nina Davis did whatever she felt like.
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Mercede is playing some good ball this year,she needs some help from the guards for sure,I have no idea what DD problems are,she needs to be benched for her play for a couple of games or just use her off the bench,she needs something to wake her up and start playing like she can

Nared and Russell are the only players that have played pretty consistent and putting the effort in this year,so far
 
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