Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2023-24

[Rooster1]

Turnovers are hurting Ohio State

Yep. They do that.

 

[VolBalls33]

Just reading box scores of every Texas Longhorn game baffles me. Collier and Holmes rarely seem to both play well in the same game and someone each game outside of those two seem to have a big game.

 

[kamoshika]

Hope our staff can slow this trend down soon...

Since the great player exodus of 2016, Mitchell and Kentucky have signed or currently hold verbal commitments from 13 high school players. Five of them have come from Tennessee.

Memphis sent fiery point guard Jaida Roper to UK in the summer of 2016, a time when negative recruiters were having a field day at Kentucky’s expense. Nashville center Dorie Harrison and Knoxville forward Keke McKinney each chose UK in the class of 2017, when Kentucky still faced fierce recruiting headwinds. The following year Cleveland, Tenn., sent Rhyne Howard, a player of transcendent ability, to Kentucky. Next up will be Hunt, a multi-skilled 6-foot-1 wing, who turned down Baylor and South Carolina, among others, to pick UK. It is hard to overstate how important these Tennessee players have been to the revamping of Mitchell’s program.

...The Kentucky coaching staff knows the state of Tennessee well, as every member has ties to the University of Tennessee...Those connections south of the state border have come in handy at a time when it has seemed easier to get high-level talent to leave Tennessee than it once was.

...As funny as it sounds to say, the biggest reason that the future again looks promising for Kentucky women’s basketball is that the state of Tennessee has ridden to its rescue in what was a time of need.
https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article237075394.html

 

[BUBear]

Karen Aston is horrible. She has a lot of talent and has no idea how to make it work together. This has to be her last year in Austin.

Look for Texas AD Chris Del Conte (former AD at TCU) to make make a run at Raegan Pebley once he fires Asston. Pebley does color for the Dallas Wings TV games and seems to know her stuff.

 

[NeedOrange]

lol since when did you become all knowing? SC finally has the talent to matchup with UConn and our bench scores at least 20 a game at home with a sell out crowd yes please doubt us.

SC scares me more than any game on the UConn schedule. Boston broke many hearts in CT when she chose SC. But then I was concerned when we played against A'ja and the 5'11 forward pretty much shut her down. I expect SC to come out hard but the second half of the game will decide the victory. I don't think this is the year SC finally breaks though and if they don't now it will be a long time before they do.

 

[Volfan2012]

This would be the put up or shut up game for South Carolina versus UConn. They claim and I agree that they haven't had the talent of UConn in past games not an excuse this game they look to have at least equal talent this time around and the home court. Look forward to the game expect it will come down to who executes on three or four possessions as is the case of most games where the talent is equal these days.

 

[superfly]

This would be the put up or shut up game for South Carolina versus UConn. They claim and I agree that they haven't had the talent of UConn in past games not an excuse this game they look to have at least equal talent this time around and the home court. Look forward to the game expect it will come down to who executes on three or four possessions as is the case of most games where the talent is equal these days.

It's still 3 freshmen starting so..no..it's not a put up or shut up game. I would agree that the talent level is closer than in the past but experience still goes to UCONN. I think it will be a close game and I expect we could very well win but it still has to be played. The end of the season runs will dictate the true strength of these two teams. The deep bench for us in the tournament should be the time for us to shine. Dawn is building a bench to wear other teams down and so far, so good. She rebuilt the team in 2017 when Coates went down and after everyone wrote us off...and they did...we won the national title. This is year one with those freshmen....

 

[Volfan2012]

It's still 3 freshmen starting so..no..it's not a put up or shut up game. I would agree that the talent level is closer than in the past but experience still goes to UCONN. I think it will be a close game and I expect we could very well win but it still has to be played. The end of the season runs will dictate the true strength of these two teams. The deep bench for us in the tournament should be the time for us to shine. Dawn is building a bench to wear other teams down and so far, so good. She rebuilt the team in 2017 when Coates went down and after everyone wrote us off...and they did...we won the national title. This is year one with those freshmen....

I don't know if you play them next year but it will be far more difficult to win at their place with Westbrook and probably the number one rated class coming in. So this is the game I think you have to get a win because this is as close as I've seen the two teams in talent and next year it shifts strongly in their direction again with most of the starters again returning and a very strong class some ready to make an immediate impact also there. So my feeling if SC want to win a game versus UConn this is it because it again gets extremely difficult next season.

 

[djtee]

https://www.courant.com/sports/coll...0200102-2dbtrkzw6ngzhlgxisfbc77jve-story.html Now 0-14 what a disaster why even hire her.

 

[SCspur]

SC scares me more than any game on the UConn schedule. Boston broke many hearts in CT when she chose SC. But then I was concerned when we played against A'ja and the 5'11 forward pretty much shut her down. I expect SC to come out hard but the second half of the game will decide the victory. I don't think this is the year SC finally breaks though and if they don't now it will be a long time before they do.

Well for starters Aliyah isn’t A’ja. Two totally different players and let’s also mention that UConn doesn’t have a player defensively like Gabby Williams or Napheesa Collier were that season. It was also UConn's team defense that slowed Aja down. In the WNBA you can’t pack the lane so there isn’t any zone defenses and neither can guard Aja one on one as seen this summer.

It also comes down to matchups and I think SC has very favorable matchups against UConn. UConn's main 4 Walker, Dangerfield, ONO, and Williams vs SC’s leading 4 Herbert Harrigan, Harris, Boston, and Cooke will probably cancel each other out. I think it will come down to Henderson, Beal, Grissett, Saxton and Amihere vs Griffin, Irwin, and Makurat and that advantage definitely lies with SC. We’ll see I guess...

 

[NeedOrange]

Well for starters Aliyah isn’t A’ja. Two totally different players and let’s also mention that UConn doesn’t have a player defensively like Gabby Williams or Napheesa Collier were that season. It was also UConn's team defense that slowed Aja down. In the WNBA you can’t pack the lane so there isn’t any zone defenses and neither can guard Aja one on one as seen this summer.

It also comes down to matchups and I think SC has very favorable matchups against UConn. UConn's main 4 Walker, Dangerfield, ONO, and Williams vs SC’s leading 4 Herbert Harrigan, Harris, Boston, and Cooke will probably cancel each other out. I think it will come down to Henderson, Beal, Grissett, Saxton and Amihere vs Griffin, Irwin, and Makurat and that advantage definitely lies with SC. We’ll see I guess...

We'll see. I'm a SC resident (30 years) and my son-in-law is a die hard gamecock for life. So I am well versed in what the gamecocks have and I want all gamecock teams to be great. I think both Geno and Dawn will say this game matters more as a test of what both teams have to work on than as a victory. For that reason, I want both teams to play great. The only victories that count are the final 11 ( conference and ncaa tourneys) . So I'm ok with a SC victory after all you guys are a more friendly rivalry than a couple of other schools. I just don't want to hear about it from mi amigos. But you can crow to me on here if you guys win.

 

[mike099]

The SC vs Arkansas game should be a good one. Arkansas have good guards but not sure if they can handle the posts of SC.

i expect UConn to beat Baylor at home, but a lot depends on how effective Cox can be.

 

[VolBall09]

The SC vs Arkansas game should be a good one. Arkansas have good guards but not sure if they can handle the posts of SC.

i expect UConn to beat Baylor at home, but a lot depends on how effective Cox can be.

I agree on the SC/Arkansas game. SC is going to pound them on the glass no matter what, but if the Hogs get hot from deep? Those second chance points may not matter much. 3 is still more than 2 and they can hang them on you. Plus Dungee gets to the line like a pro. She has great strength and body control and she finishes plays through a lot of contact. Whoever draws her number will be in foul trouble. She isn’t afraid to attack 6’5” in the paint either, she has some meat on her.

They have 4 players that are capable of hitting 5+ 3s on any given night. And if you get out on them, they just back up. So far it seems one will go off each game, if they ever get hot all at once they’ll be unstoppable. That’s a team built for tournament time, I think they may go deep in the NCAA tourney even if they don’t finish as well as predicted in the SEC.

I think Neigjbors’ philosophy will be “we can’t guard you inside, so we’ll just beat you outside. Trade 2s for 3s and hope you hit enough. Because physically, they are just outmatched.

 

[VolBall09]

i expect UConn to beat Baylor at home, but a lot depends on how effective Cox can be.

I give Baylor the W in a close one. I think NyLyssa Smith is due for a breakout performance and this should be a great matchup for her.

 

[brassie]

Mike Anthony: Morgan Valley, who won at UConn and beyond, has quite a project with winless Hartford Now 0-14 what a disaster why even hire her.

I give Baylor the W in a close one. I think NyLyssa Smith is due for a breakout performance and this should be a great matchup for her.

Valley is a journeyman assistant coach. A mediocre player (lots of injuries) apparently she's also a mediocre coach. We'll see what she can do with her own players, but I don't expect much. Add to that the fact that Hartford is a loser WCBB school and you end up with 0-14.

 

[superfly]

I don't know if you play them next year but it will be far more difficult to win at their place with Westbrook and probably the number one rated class coming in. So this is the game I think you have to get a win because this is as close as I've seen the two teams in talent and next year it shifts strongly in their direction again with most of the starters again returning and a very strong class some ready to make an immediate impact also there. So my feeling if SC want to win a game versus UConn this is it because it again gets extremely difficult next season.

I don't disagree...but...the NCAA tournament is the put up or shut up games. The regular seasons bring a game to game "good feel"...the national championship gives you years of it. The top end talent is now getting spread out in a way that UCONN won't dominate, though they may win a few. Notre Dame is an example of how far you can fall in one year. Geno's time is coming to an end and UCONN will go down then. It's going to happen.

 

[Volfan2012]

I don't disagree...but...the NCAA tournament is the put up or shut up games. The regular seasons bring a game to game "good feel"...the national championship gives you years of it. The top end talent is now getting spread out in a way that UCONN won't dominate, though they may win a few. Notre Dame is an example of how far you can fall in one year. Geno's time is coming to an end and UCONN will go down then. It's going to happen.

Totally agree Stanford is already loaded and a couple more coming next season. SC and several others could easily win this years NCAA. Nobody wins a title easy anymore a lot of teams could win it. Totally agree I would gladly lose a regular season game to anyone to win the NCAA tourney because that is forever and the ultimate.

 

[gule]

UC 84 usce 53

 

[JustaChicken]

UC 84 usce 53

I think you just predicted the final score of the Uconn vs lady vols game.

 

[gule]

no way we get to 53

 

[lvocd]

The top end talent is now getting spread out in a way that UCONN won't dominate, though they may win a few. Notre Dame is an example of how far you can fall in one year. Geno's time is coming to an end and UCONN will go down then. It's going to happen.

He sure seems to land the #1 player nearly every year, and if you always have the best player in the country, you’re always going to be among the favorites to win the
national championship. Dawn’s team *may* win it all again this season, but if they have to beat Connecticut in the tourney to do it, I fear the doubt she may inadvertently plant in her players’ heads through her easy-to-read body language might be just what gives Connecticut the edge.

 

[Rooster1]

He sure seems to land the #1 player nearly every year, and if you always have the best player in the country, you’re always going to be among the favorites to win the
national championship. Dawn’s team *may* win it all again this season, but if they have to beat Connecticut in the tourney to do it, I fear the doubt she may inadvertently plant in her players’ heads through her easy-to-read body language might be just what gives Connecticut the edge.

Geno still coaches better movement off the ball than anyone in the game....he does not need better "talent", his development and coaching still far exceeds most if not all programs. Having said that, this is a rare year where he really needs no injuries because this UCONN team is thinner than most he has had for a long while. In addition, once the tourney starts, his best player(s) will need to stay away from foul trouble. I think the smart opposing teams will try to attack his top 2 players offensively to see if they can put them in foul trouble, because if that happens, UCONN cannot win deep in the tourney, too many teams with more depth and similar talent this year.

 

[superfly]

UC 84 usce 53

You mad because Dawn has pretty much controlled the SEC women's side ? You really seem to have a bitter taste about her. It doesn't make you look anything but petty...you should stop doing that. My sister is a Tennessee grad and we talk about the teams all the time. I always pull for the Vols in anything except when they play us. You are the kind of fan that makes it hard to do....

 

[superfly]

He sure seems to land the #1 player nearly every year, and if you always have the best player in the country, you’re always going to be among the favorites to win the
national championship. Dawn’s team *may* win it all again this season, but if they have to beat Connecticut in the tourney to do it, I fear the doubt she may inadvertently plant in her players’ heads through her easy-to-read body language might be just what gives Connecticut the edge.

These players seem to pretty much stay in a zone of their own. This is a totally different group than what Dawn has had in the past. They push themselves and she has said as much many times.

 

[gule]

You mad because Dawn has pretty much controlled the SEC women's side ? You really seem to have a bitter taste about her. It doesn't make you look anything but petty...you should stop doing that. My sister is a Tennessee grad and we talk about the teams all the time. I always pull for the Vols in anything except when they play us. You are the kind of fan that makes it hard to do....

Maybe if the game chicks would ever actually play a close game against UC I’ll quit digging them.