SEC Tourney 2018
- Thread starter zaqhhh
- Start date
Undercovervol
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2015
- Messages
- 502
- Likes
- 604
Not holding my breath for any of these games. We could easily lose to Auburn. Likelihood of getting past SC with Wilson seems low but doable. We could beat State if we get there, but it would take good games from everyone. I'm hoping we reach the championship game. I still believe we are the second best team in SEC if we play to our potential for 40 minutes, but that hasn't happened in a while.
Fun fact. Since Holly has lost off all Pat's players starting in the 2015-2016 season (the 2014-2015 season had 3 Pat recruits - Massengale, Burdick, and Izzy Harrison), in the SEC regular season, the Lady Vols have finished: 7th (2016), 5th (2017), and 7th (2018). They have yet to crack the top 4.
The one silver lining to this bracket is that on this side we have beat everyone in it except Missouri. Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, and TAM who all beat us are on the other side of the bracket.
The one silver lining to this bracket is that on this side we have beat everyone in it except Missouri. Mississippi State, LSU, Alabama, and TAM who all beat us are on the other side of the bracket.
Undercovervol
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 19, 2015
- Messages
- 502
- Likes
- 604
Unfortunate seeding for the LVs. A 5 or 6 seed would have been a much easier path, IMO. Auburn's press and ability to create TOs gave the LVs problems last time. It'll be a hard game, and if they can get past Auburn, the LVs will have to turn around and play a rested SCAR the next day. It'll be tough to beat SCAR three times in six weeks, especially if Wilson plays. Hopefully, the NCAA tournament sets up better.
I'm a LV fan, but not avid follower. That being said, it's not fair to say her first years were watered down because she had Pat's players...she's 151-72 (.744) and followed the biggest legend of all and gone to three elite 8's and one sweet 16. Conference much more stacked than it was when she coached also. Heck, not REMOTELY saying she's close to Pat, but Pat's last 4 years ended in first round exit, sweet 16, and two elite 8's. They've got the talent...they just need to play up to potential.
It absolutely IS fair to water-down Holly's first 3 years with Pat's players. They were Pat's players using Pat's system and they made Holly look MUCH better than she actually is. Every time I hear something out of a Holly defender, they are trying to use those first 3 years when she had some of Pat's players. For better or worse, you find out what a coach is made of when they play with THEIR players and THEIR system. Pat's last 4 years in the SEC regular season was 5th in 2009, 1st in 2010, 1st in 2011, and 2nd in 2012. The lone 5th place was the year AFTER they won the NCAA championship and went undefeated 1st place in the SEC and she lost 6 Seniors but immediately rebounded the next year. That year is a forgivable anomaly.
Pat never finished worse than 5th in the SEC regular season. Holly, with her own players, has never finished BETTER than 5th. There is a clear trend here: downward. And, next year without Mercedes and Jamie I don't think will be better: especially the inside game when we have to rely on two players of which one doesn't play much and the other practically doesn't play at all. Plus the recruiting class doesn't look nearly as good as the Freshman this year did.
To me, 7th, 5th, and 7th is damn inexcusable with the talent those teams had.
EDIT: Oh, one more thing, Holly with her own players has NOT yet beaten unranked Alabama in 4 consecutive attempts. You don't need a Hall of Fame coach to beat them (Alabama) with the talent they (Lady Vols) have.
Last edited:
volroadwarrior
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2009
- Messages
- 8,110
- Likes
- 3,855
Holly is not Pat Summit. In fact, nobody is. Get over it!! My problem with the team is the lack of motivation at times. As good as Mercedes is, she stands around and watches smaller players rebound and get loose balls. When she gets a rebound, smaller players take it away or tie her up. The second half yesterday shows what she can when she puts forth an effort. Whether or not Pat could have motivated her is something we will never know, but Holly sure doesn't.
Chitownvol1129
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Messages
- 826
- Likes
- 1,327
bobkitten
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2016
- Messages
- 1,028
- Likes
- 958
orangeluvr
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Sep 10, 2010
- Messages
- 14,477
- Likes
- 6,211
I'm not counting players, like Carter and Graves, who were Freshman during Holly's first year (2012-2013) but MAY have technically been recruited by Pat during Pat's last season. I'm only counting PAT players as players who were recruited by Pat AND played for Pat while she was head coach. That last group of players were Massengale, Burdick, and Harrison and finished playing in the 2014-2015 season.
Pat was the head coach 2011-2012 and Holly was the head coach for the first time in the 2012-2013 season. Those are the facts. Holly had 3 of Pat's classes that season. In the 2013-2014 season, she had 2 of Pat's classes. In the 2014-2015 season, she had 1 of Pat's classes. Holly's first REAL season with NO players who played for Pat was 2015-2016. If anyone wants to laud Holly with praise, use that season and seasons after it as a baseline. Stop trying to ride off Pat's coattails by including the 2013-2015 seasons. If Holly is such as great coach, use the 2015-2016 season as the starting point and use those wins, losses, stats, and achievements to justify your feelings. I'll hang up and listen ...
If they lose to Auburn, they'll probably get bounced from the NCAA in the first or second round. If they make it to South Carolina and Wilson plays at full strength, that'll be a tough game to win. I'm not saying they can't or shouldn't win it, BUT the rest of South Carolina will be eager to finally beat them and will have had two games practice. If Wilson sits again, Lady Vols should win: they just beat them twice already. If they make it to the 3rd round, they have to find a way to beat Georgia, Missouri, Florida, or Ole Miss. If they want ANY shot to have some momentum and make an NCAA tournament run, they MUST get to the finals IMO if not win it all. Winning just 1 or 2 games and letting 2 or 4 other teams boost their resume just isn't going to fly.
I don't give them much shot past the Sweet 16 unless they can find a way to make it to the finals of this tournament. They just haven't looked good in their victories and even worse in losses. Every damn game, win or lose, seems like they turn the ball over 30 times or get down double digits. If you peak ONE time, this is the time to do it: during the tournaments.
I don't give them much shot past the Sweet 16 unless they can find a way to make it to the finals of this tournament. They just haven't looked good in their victories and even worse in losses. Every damn game, win or lose, seems like they turn the ball over 30 times or get down double digits. If you peak ONE time, this is the time to do it: during the tournaments.
Considering some fans were all whoa is me after the transfers and defections and we had to depend heavily on freshman I guess hosting the first two rounds and a sweet 16 isnt so bad if you look back at some of the depths of despair which some forecasted 😂
SC is still the #2 seed in UCONNs bracket I wonder if their losses and a/or a loss in the tourney knocks them off that line ? I dont know anyone that wants to be that #2 seed. But I dont know anyone who wants to play MSU either who overall seems better and more athletic than last year and plays better defense.
Volstylexx
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 27, 2006
- Messages
- 23,195
- Likes
- 41,792
VN Store
