We've got National Title Talent

[armchair]

Let's be plain about this: Next year's team SHOULD be a SERIOUS challenger for the National Title. Look at the talent we have! We have two of the most athletic wingers in the country, who can do it all (in theory). We've got a center who, while there are some issues, is big and skilled. We will have a power forward in Greene whom I don't know much about but is said to be good. At guard we have Cooper back--talented. We have a big and very athletic perimeter defender in Jackson, and a guard who can shoot the three in Middleton. IN addition, we have the number 1 recruiting class in the country. Who will have more basic talent than us? I'm not sure even UConn will. We are LOADED--and experienced.

And yet we are cautious. Some say we should be in the top three in the SEC. Top 3? That's a joke. We should be undefeated in the SEC! Who comes even close to matching our talent, especially with SC losing two players to the WNBA? Nobody.

We're cautious because we grossly underachieve, because we don't have a coach who can take the talent and run with it. We beat three of the final four teams this past year--two at their place. That showed what our upside was last year--our MAJOR but UNREALIZED upside. That last year's team lost 13 games and was a 5 seed in the SEC tournament was a SCANDAL. We underachieve individually and we underachieve as a team, because Warlick doesn't have it--can't produce a consistently motivated, tight, cohesive unit.

Well, there can be no more excuses. Short of finding another pair of super-athletic bigs like Parker and Anosike--a once a decade recruiting jackpot--next year's team is as good as it will get in terms of talent, athleticism, experience. Fans talk about the future with the recruiting class coming in. Yea, they will help a bit next year--and a lot more in the years ahead--but next year nearly all of our regulars will be returnees. Greene will be new, Wesbrook is sure to play, maybe one or two other freshmen in limited roles, but we have a very talented group coming back. It's a matter of achieving individual and team /potential/--something we've not been good at. Next year is put up or shut time for this staff.

 

[alaVOL]

If Holly is still coaching, we won't win the SEC nor get past elite 8.

 

[State of the Vols]

We had national title talent last year as well......

 

[gule]

no reason they couldn't full court press for 40 minutes now.

 

[Darth_Vol]

We had national title talent last year as well......

and the year before that, and the year before that....

 

[Volfan2012]

Finding players to fill two positions will determine how far we go Diamond had 1.19 points per shot attempt, Nared 1.31, Russell 1.45, so were very solid at those three positions. After that not much coming back on the current roster. Middleton 1.06 which is ok on the barely acceptable level, Jackson 0.88 which should not give you any minutes on the court, Dunbar 0.77 horrible as well. Cooper is back 0.98 as a freshman so remains to be seen if she can get up to the 1.2 range. If we can get two more starting players that can average 1.2 per shot attempt we'll win a lot of games. After the big three we had nothing last season offensively.

Defense also is hugely important and as efficient as Russell was on offense she was not a very good defender she will have to get a lot better by next season. Nared was also a brilliant offensive player but could get better on defense. Diamond was our best all around player but only third in offensive efficiency.
I don't know what to expect out of Green as Holly didn't seem to know much about if she would be ready to play or not. First said she was way behind then said she should be ready by fall.
Get two more players that can be efficient at about 1.2 and we'll be very tough to beat unless the opponent scores over 80 on us.

 

[LA Vol]

Here's the thing about next year: players that don't give full effort can sit. There's talent behind them. Talent behind talent was a critical component lacking last year. We'll see who wants to play and who's willing to put in the work to earn that privilege. Will it win us an NC? Who knows. But it'll make us more competitive and very dangerous.

 

[Amb3096]

Here's the thing about next year: players that don't give full effort can sit. There's talent behind them. Talent behind talent was a critical component lacking last year. We'll see who wants to play and who's willing to put in the work to earn that privilege. Will it win us an NC? Who knows. But it'll make us more competitive and very dangerous.

But MR never sat unless she was in foul trouble, and Qui spent most of the season with pine splinters on her butt from sitting on the bench all day.

I don't see Holly being so bold as to pull a Vic on her team, and honestly, I do think that the Big Three is the ride-or-die for this team.

 

[BMvol27]

Holly could have Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Brittney Griner, and Cheryl Miller all in their prime and I wouldn't expect a top 3 finish in the SEC.

 

[Amb3096]

Holly could have Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Brittney Griner, and Cheryl Miller all in their prime and I wouldn't expect a top 3 finish in the SEC.

I always wondered what she could have done this year with UConn's roster? I overwhelmingly believe that she would have failed to make the NCAAT because she wouldn't know how to deal with UConn not having post players.

 

[PointGuard]

This coming season is where Holly performs to keep or lose her job. IMO. I don'it think there should be high expectations for frosh who have yet to attend one team practice. If they've got the raw talent and the right attitude next season should be better. But if these recruits need skills development and are 'me first' personalities I don't see Holly and Co, working any magic. The beat top 25 teams but then lose to the bottom of the barrel performance of last season, puts the inconsistency bulls eye right in the middle of Holly's forehead. Fans can only live in hope at this point. Unless of course, unexpectedly, there is a head coaching change. While I want to see that it is unlikely to happen until the end of next season earliest

 

[LA Vol]

Great news, guys!!! AD Currie wants to hear your complaints about UT sports and is opening an email portal for you to let him have it all day, every day. No more idle kvetching on fan forums and social media-- you can let him know directly who to hire and fire, when he should do it and how. He and Bev really want your feedback, so don't miss the opportunity to spread the negativity where it will be appreciated!

 

[Rickster]

Great news, guys!!! AD Currie wants to hear your complaints about UT sports and is opening an email portal for you to let him have it all day, every day. No more idle kvetching on fan forums and social media-- you can let him know directly who to hire and fire, when he should do it and how. He and Bev really want your feedback, so don't miss the opportunity to spread the negativity where it will be appreciated!

Great!!! Now they have a dedicated line-in directly to the man himself so there will be no need to continue to use this forum as negavol central.

 

[MDVolFan14]

The problem will be yet again....... A lot of talent that is not coached. CHW and her staff, unless they make a complete 180 from what they have been, need to go.

This program needed a Pat to replace Pat. Not the good cop to her bad cop. I don't know if Chris Dailey at UConn would be a very good HC if Geno stepped away.

But they have a program with unwritten standards that is their culture so she wouldn't be as good as Geno but she wouldn't be as bad as CHW either. Dailey has a specific thing that she focuses on and Geno was even quoted as saying that there is not anybody in the country as good a Dailey at what she does. She's not an HC and that statement speaks to that she is great at being an assistant, IMO.

She could would again fall somewhere in between because of that UConn culture that the girls that go there immediately buy in to and that the alums watch over closely.

So in order for this program to move forward successfully it has to change the culture back to what it was when Pat stared everybody down from the sideline or someone to set a new culture that is successful.

Let's not forget that as bad as this team has played at times over the course of this past season and seasons before, they are still talented enough to have won the games that they did. Image how bad it would look if CHW and her staff had half the talent she's been able to get?

 

[LasVegasBill23]

Diamond Mercedes and Nared are back and that is great. But what makes Cooper and 4 freshmen better than what we have had.... Graves, Stricklen, Massengale, Burdick, etc....

.......to the point where we are all chirping "Final 4" in terms of expectations.... we are not playing together as Ms State and South Carolina are.... and certainly i know we beat these teams.... but many nights we just didn't show up with our cast of characters....

Realistically are we favorites to make the Final 4?

 

[xanamanax]

Holly could have Candace Parker, Chamique Holdsclaw, Tamika Catchings, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Brittney Griner, and Cheryl Miller all in their prime and I wouldn't expect a top 3 finish in the SEC.

Fail. Holly's already won SEC championships with less talented rosters than that.

 

[teacherdean]

We can talk about negativity and direct lines into the AD for complaints, however, we cannot overcome the fact that we have underachieved. Last year's team had as much talent as most of the teams in the top 15, however, where were we ranked? It has to be either the players or the coaches. The fact is there is a problem somewhere. To ignore it and stick your head in a hole and say everything is great is only lying to yourself.

By miracle, next year's team may be a final four team, or it may not be any better than this year's team. If the latter happens, no matter how much you love or hate Holly's coaching style there will be the need for a change. A lot of things will be dependent upon coaching and the players' ability to carry out a viable plan on the floor.

 

[Rickster]

If a coaching change occurs it will be because the AD decided to make the change and not because a vocal minority kept calling for her head. Being a team supporter or team detractor will not factor in that decision so you can either keep being a negative face of the fan base or start giving the team a break during the offseason.

 

[armchair]

Diamond Mercedes and Nared are back and that is great. But what makes Cooper and 4 freshmen better than what we have had.... Graves, Stricklen, Massengale, Burdick, etc....

.......to the point where we are all chirping "Final 4" in terms of expectations.... we are not playing together as Ms State and South Carolina are.... and certainly i know we beat these teams.... but many nights we just didn't show up with our cast of characters....

Realistically are we favorites to make the Final 4?

that we will be in the Final Four or win the National Title. In fact, I don't expect us to because of our coaching. We have the talent to win it all--but to fulfill its potential, the team will need to be coached up a lot better than we've seen so far. The best programs have confidence and swagger; they have leadership. We've lost that in recent years.

 

[LadyVol1908]

that we will be in the Final Four or win the National Title. In fact, I don't expect us to because of our coaching. We have the talent to win it all--but to fulfill its potential, the team will need to be coached up a lot better than we've seen so far. The best programs have confidence and swagger; they have leadership. We've lost that in recent years.

So why do we have the #1 recruiting class coming in and from what I'm hearing, on the way to a #1 recruiting class for 2018, if these kids don't believe they can be coached to win a Championship! I'm just so confused. Haven't these kids watched the same exact head coach we have in recent years????

Please don't say it's the "UT Tradition"....hell according to you all, that's been lost since Pat retired.

Regardless what you all say, thus years team wasn't talented. Last year we were talented....the injury bug hit us at an inopportune time. Same as the year before that, and the year before that. Holly has taken injury decimated teams as far as they could go.

At some point in the tournament, it comes down to matchups and effort. You can't coach effort and you can't help who you're matched up against. The years we were put out, we had a bad matchup, where if we would have had our complete roster, Holly would have been to a FF already.

Regardless what many has to say, Holly has improved over the years as a head coach. It's not at the pace everyone would like but it's quite obvious.

 

[TNRazor]

In Holly's 1st year she overachieved, but since then she's underachieved. If you go back and look at the high school rankings, then there's not another team in the country who will have as much talent as the Lady Vols. Anything short of an SEC championship and a Final Four and she should be fired.

 

[T.J.]

I always wondered what she could have done this year with UConn's roster? I overwhelmingly believe that she would have failed to make the NCAAT because she wouldn't know how to deal with UConn not having post players.

UConn has a post player I believe she's a 6'5 transfer. She played in the Final Four in limited minutes off the bench.

So either scenario Holly would had started her instead of one of the 5 UConn starters. Pick one it doesn't matter that's how awful Holly is as a coach. That presser from yesterday was just a reminder. :thud:

Great thread armchair. Next season will be Holly's last if she doesn't take the Lady Vols to the Final Four. She stated she's not worried about her job? Next season can't get here soon enough.

opcorn:

 

[T.J.]

In Holly's 1st year she overachieved, but since then she's underachieved. If you go back and look at the high school rankings, then there's not another team in the country who will have as much talent as the Lady Vols. Anything short of an SEC championship and a Final Four and she should be fired.

Holly lost her first game as Head Coach to Chattanooga. I remember it well. Folks around here was talking about how Pat lost her first game, too. :loco:

She didn't have that team prepared. Fast forward 5 years later.

Fire Holly. k:

 

[LasVegasBill23]

that we will be in the Final Four or win the National Title. In fact, I don't expect us to because of our coaching. We have the talent to win it all--but to fulfill its potential, the team will need to be coached up a lot better than we've seen so far. The best programs have confidence and swagger; they have leadership. We've lost that in recent years.

Armchair... Couldn't agree with you more.... you always have good points to ponder.

 

[LA Vol]

We can talk about negativity and direct lines into the AD for complaints, however, we cannot overcome the fact that we have underachieved. Last year's team had as much talent as most of the teams in the top 15, however, where were we ranked? It has to be either the players or the coaches. The fact is there is a problem somewhere. To ignore it and stick your head in a hole and say everything is great is only lying to yourself.

By miracle, next year's team may be a final four team, or it may not be any better than this year's team. If the latter happens, no matter how much you love or hate Holly's coaching style there will be the need for a change. A lot of things will be dependent upon coaching and the players' ability to carry out a viable plan on the floor.

Absolutely, and most are in agreement. The LVs underachieved this year and nobody's saying that everything is great. There are problems, too many of them, and it has been frustrating to watch the inconsistent play. Some losses were inexcusable. The postseason was a new low. Problems need to be addressed; changes need to be made.

But Holly is back next year. Currie has publicly supported her and said he's looking forward to seeing what she does with the #1 class coming in. So any changes will have to include Holly and/or compensate for her weaknesses. "Fire Holly!" isn't a solution right now and that's what's needed-- a solution.