Lady Vols Hoop Report 12/31

[Pat4life]

Tennessee has won four of the last five games versus the Wildcats and holds a 53-11 advantage in the series all time.

This is the final contest of a five-game home stand for the Lady Vols, who are currently riding a four-game winning streak.

Head Coach Holly Warlick Transcript

(On the importance of a strong start in SEC play)
"I think the SEC, especially this year, is an incredible conference right now. I don't know who you would want to start with. We might as well just get after it early, and we will. Kentucky is solid. They're playing well and playing hard. I don't expect anything different when they come to town."

(On getting Diamond DeShields back)
"You don't want a kid to sit out, but I think it can be positive when a kid gets to sit out and watch the flow of the game and see how we are playing defensively and offensively. I can't help but think that will help her. She doesn't have to do it all by herself, as an example of the last two games. I think she will get into the flow of the game a lot better. We are going to feed off how she played against Stanford. She got on the boards and moved the ball. We are going to continue to try and build on that."

(On who has stepped up this season)
"It's been a combination. Alexa Middleton is playing with a lot of confidence right now. I tell her to keep doing what she does. She doesn't have to make things up or create things. She has been doing a great job. The other is Meme Jackson. I have been challenging her to get on the boards more, and I think the more game time has been great for her. It's not just those two. Mercedes Russell and Jaime Nared have been solid, but Alexa and Meme have really stepped up and have elevated us as a team. They have picked up some slack to where Diamond and Mercedes don't have to feel like they have to do everything. Those two have really helped us win the games that we have won."



Lady Vol Hoops Report (12/31/16) - University of Tennessee Official Athletic Site

 

[bobkitten]

DD had an entire YEAR to "site out and watch the flow of the game an see how we are playing defensively and offensively."

Sure didn't seem to help at all last year. Now, TWO games should have a huge positive effect?

" Those two have really helped us win the games that we have won."

Not to mention Reynolds, which she does not.

 

[xanamanax]

DD had an entire YEAR to "site out and watch the flow of the game an see how we are playing defensively and offensively."

Sure didn't seem to help at all last year. Now, TWO games should have a huge positive effect?

" Those two have really helped us win the games that we have won."

Not to mention Reynolds, which she does not.

The year DD sat out, she was watching a group of players she would never play a game with so seeing how that particular team played was not going to help her with the next year's team. Being able to just watch for two whole games should have given her a fresh perspective on how these teammates play in a game. It could be helpful.

 

[bobkitten]

You may be right, but she did watch players she would end up playing with--Draya, Amidd, Reynolds, KD, and Russell, to mention a few, and I believe last year there were others as well that she watched during her year of sitting out,but I would need to go back and look at rosters, as the old mind is going.

I believe she also watched Nared that year. So that is 6 of last year's team she watched for a year sitting on the bench.

It's like summer school: You can't seriously expect some kid to make a year's growth in reading in 2 weeks, when they did not make a year's growth in an entire 36 weeks! But, of course, it is possible, just not likely.

 

[Ladyvolfan4ever]

You may be right, but she did watch players she would end up playing with--Draya, Amidd, Reynolds, KD, and Russell, to mention a few, and I believe last year there were others as well that she watched during her year of sitting out,but I would need to go back and look at rosters, as the old mind is going.

I believe she also watched Nared that year. So that is 6 of last year's team she watched for a year sitting on the bench.

It's like summer school: You can't seriously expect some kid to make a year's growth in reading in 2 weeks, when they did not make a year's growth in an entire 36 weeks! But, of course, it is possible, just not likely.

Last year wasn't the year Diamond sat out. It was 2014-2015.