Game Thread: (5/6) Lady Vols 84 - (19/20) Kentucky 58

[VolBall09]

Our defense was great in this game, which is interesting as this was the highest FG% we have allowed. Kentucky hit shots pretty well but they only got the shots we wanted them to have. They have talented players but we forced them to take way more time to get their shots than they generally like.

After the first quarter we made Howard work in the half court and slowed the game down. They wanted to get her a touch on basically every play and we forced them into a lot of late shots because they either couldn’t get her the ball or she got it with limited time to make a play.

At this point it’s a pattern. I truly believe part of Kellie’s defensive strategy is letting teams’ best player get theirs. But making it so difficult nobody else can get going. Howard had 26 but it was a 26 point loss because players like Benton (12ppg) had 0 and Edwards (16ppg) had 7, well below her average. They were so focused on getting Howard her usual but it took so much more effort everyone else was left in the dust.

There just aren’t a lot of opportunities against our defense when we are playing together.

 

[VolBall09]

Another observation after watching this morning. We were in wayyyy better shape than Kentucky. When you look at our players compared to theirs when they lined up for FTs we are in better shape across the board. Their players were all sucking air while the Lady Vols were laughing and joking.

Physically we look to be in excellent basketball shape. Everyone in our main lineup is looking lean and strong. Keyen is the only one who is maybe a tad out of shape but I suspect she is only just starting to practice at full speed coming back from her injury. By March I think she’ll be in even better shape than she is now.

Huge props to our strength and conditioning staff and the athletic trainers. The team is looking good and they have managed the injury issues really well. Love seeing the players use technology to help. Notice Horston, Dye and Burrell all using heating/cooling wraps when out of the game. Dye and Horston on their backs and Burrell on her knee. Really showing that a great program takes great care of its players.

 

[PineyBluff Vol]

Which could be why is a success.

I am in my 41st year coaching basketball and I never played the game (on a team). Not in HS, not in college. never been on a BB team.

But I studied the NBA with my Dad and learned to see the game from their perspective. SO when I stepped onto a court, I had no preconceived idea of success...I only taught what I had seen and became a student of the game myself. I only had Kevin McHales footwork, Larry Bird's shot form, Gary Payton'sw floater,,etc to teach my players. I felt if they could do it so could my girls. And I was right.

Jon, being a guard and working with posts,, he brings a sense of,, what it looks like from outside the paint.

 

[allen phillips]

Hehe

I thought it was only me that caught that. They would have climbed a tree before they would have said anything complimentary about the team. Next time I hope we really pound them.

 

[stllvf]

the irony of the post game comments for Kentucky was having Massengale in the center. If you, intelligent boarder, had a question for her specifically what might it have been?

 

[VolBall09]

the irony of the post game comments for Kentucky was having Massengale in the center. If you, intelligent boarder, had a question for her specifically what might it have been?

How did it feel to lose by 30 here?

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

Dirt_Ball's post-game analysis:

1) Keyen Gren missed two FT's. Focus is hard for some........
2) Horston didn't have a double double and had four turnovers.
3) Ky shot 44% FG%. So much for elite defense.
4) We let them get 23 defensive rebounds. So much for elite rebounding........
5) Rhyne lit us up for 24 (cout em) points!!!!!!!! Back to the defensive drawing board for Kellie......Coaching is hard......
6) In 19 valuable minutes of PT, Darby missed five shots and got one rebound. Still wondering what dirt she has on Kellie that gets her that starting role.........
7) Not one Tennessee player got more than 14 points. Putrid offense. Worst in program history!!!!!!
8) 17-1 is no big deal. Even Holly did that once, and then that season collapsed on her. It's delusional to think that won't happen with this coach, too.
9) Still no signature wins this season against top five teams. Coaching in P-5 conferences are hard for some.........

Other than that, the rest of the game went OK. Go Lady Vols!!

Signed:

Dirt_Ball

It’s almost like he’s here in spirit

 

[LadyVols_WBK]

I believe Wynn's problem is her face shield. LOL! Seriously though, I predict that Wynn will be a All SEC first string guard in her sophomore or junior year.

She is not afraid to get the ball and get in the paint the other freshmen were hesitant

 

[BowlBrother85]

Peck: "The problem for Kentucky is turnovers. 16 turnovers, it's too many turnovers." Lol, Carolyn, that's another day at the office for Tennessee. Ain't no thang.

Yep... Were turnovers really the problem for Kentucky yesterday? They finished with 19... but Tennessee had 18. That's actually not bad for us.

 

[chuckiepoo]

It’s almost like he’s here in spirit

Oh, Darth popped in to make a snide recruiting remark. The only thing they’ve got left…

 

[BruisedOrange]

Yep... Were turnovers really the problem for Kentucky yesterday? They finished with 19... but Tennessee had 18. That's actually not bad for us.

Good point.
Looking at the game stats, if turnovers were KY's problem, they would have had to have had 0 turnovers and averaged 1 point per possession to have beaten Tennessee yesterday.

I guess it was Peck's way of conceding there was no way KY could have reversed 19 of our 29 defensive rebounds to create more KY possessions.

 

[Volfan2012]

If you wanted to play a game that gave you the best chance to win the game we played against Kentucky would be that game. 21 offensive rebounds and forced 19 turnovers for 40 possessions to 6 offensive rebounds for them and 18 turnovers by us for 24 possessions. This was a positive 16 for us and as a result we were able to put up 74 shots to their 57. Both team shot the same percentage, but the additional shots we got made this a blowout win because we were able to shoot the same percentage they did more shots more points.
The previous game against Vanderbilt was quite different as they had 17 offensive rebounds and forced us into 18 turnovers for 35 possessions. For us 11 offensive rebounds and only forcing 8 turnovers gave us 19 possessions. So Vandy was a plus 16 possessions. The reason we won is because they only shot 27 percent while we shoot 42 percent. 75 shots for them and 55 for us.
Vandy had the much better floor game to win, but their inability to shoot the ball was why we won that game. Kentucky shot as well as we did, but the 17 additional shots made for the huge difference for us. Two different ways to win a game. I like the way we won the Kentucky game much better. You don't ever want to give a team 20 more shots at the basket than you got especially when you only got 10 more free throws than they did.

 

[Volfan2012]

She is not afraid to get the ball and get in the paint the other freshmen were hesitant

Both Wynn and Karoline are going to be good players when they understand about when to take shots and when to pass out of trouble. Both force to many shots in traffic when they should be passing out of traffic. Keyen is really good at passing when teams come with the double team. Karoline tries to shoot even though double teamed and usually is forced into a jump ball. I really like Wynn think she could be a very similar type player to A Hayes. Karoline should be a lot like Green when she figures out how to play in this league.

 

[therealitytheory]

Rae's rainbow three's are a sight to behold.

 

[37620VOL]

My favorite part of this game was obviously ... Rae is BACK.

My lowkey favorite part of this game was true freshman Sara Puckett going full Bucketts on #1 draft pick Howard... not once, but twice. All she did in her 16 minutes was school Howard 2x, hit a 3, and grab 5 boards. Incredible freshman we have here, she plays with the basketball IQ of a senior.

My biggest complaint about Holly's teams was that they were very low basketball IQ. One on one we had more talent than anyone, but it didn't translate. Now, after only a couple years of Harper coaching, the only higher basketball IQ team I've seen was Stanford, and I believe we are gaining on them.

 

[VolBall09]

My favorite part of this game was obviously ... Rae is BACK.

My lowkey favorite part of this game was true freshman Sara Puckett going full Bucketts on #1 draft pick Howard... not once, but twice. All she did in her 16 minutes was school Howard 2x, hit a 3, and grab 5 boards. Incredible freshman we have here, she plays with the basketball IQ of a senior.

My biggest complaint about Holly's teams was that they were very low basketball IQ. One on one we had more talent than anyone, but it didn't translate. Now, after only a couple years of Harper coaching, the only higher basketball IQ team I've seen was Stanford, and I believe we are gaining on them.

Great post, totally agree! So much more fun to watch.

I believe that Stanford loss made us a ton better. I don’t believe their loss to SC had the same effect. They look the same or worse. Still really struggling with TOs to the point it is causing close games for them.

 

[Aladywhovolunteer]

Wynn's freshman game looks a lot like Burrell 's freshman game.

 

[Coach Jumper]

Wynn's freshman game looks a lot like Burrell 's freshman game.

bingo

 

[LVsinceJV]

 

[travis929]

With this win, the Lady Vols move up to #4 in the Massey Ratings and #6 in the NET rankings. Georgia (#21 Massey, #22 NET) will be our biggest road test since Virginia Tech (#25 Massey, #13 NET). Massey has us as the 66-63 favorite, though Her Hoop Stats gives less than a 1 point edge to Georgia.

 

[VolBall09]

With this win, the Lady Vols move up to #4 in the Massey Ratings and #6 in the NET rankings. Georgia (#21 Massey, #22 NET) will be our biggest road test since Virginia Tech (#25 Massey, #13 NET). Massey has us as the 66-63 favorite, though Her Hoop Stats gives less than a 1 point edge to Georgia.

I believe it will be a larger spread than that. Don’t think those statistical models are accounting for UGA making up their MIZZOU game today. They will play 3 games in 6 days.

Also not impressed with them the last two games. A loss to Kentucky and then only a 4 point win over Bama at home. Bama is really struggling so that was a shock for me. I know Staiti was out but she has played well since her return. As a team they just don’t seem to have the same energy they did last season.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Based on the graph, we’ve got the largest margin of victory also!

 

[xtpsrh08123]

Wynn's freshman game looks a lot like Burrell 's freshman game.

I see a lot of Ariel Atkins in Wynn's Game ...Another note all 3 transfers EW , MiMi and Jazz all had Draft potential that they shot in the foot by transferring. I dont think either player excelled at their new programs other than hurting their professional chances.

 

[VolBall09]

I see a lot of Ariel Atkins in Wynn's Game ...Another note all 3 transfers EW , MiMi and Jazz all had Draft potential that they shot in the foot by transferring. I dont think either player excelled at their new programs other than hurting their professional chances.

Debbie Antonelli was trying to talk up EW as a potential #1 pick in the draft about a month ago. I laughed myself off the couch. Her statement didn’t age well. The UCONN faithful now speak of her like she recently passed away. Hushed tones and half compliments. She had a MASSIVE opportunity to rise to the occasion and play outside of herself.

We all saw how it went, and it looked very familiar to those of us here at VolNation. I agonized over her play and watched her games over and over for two seasons. I see little difference, that has to chap Geno. When he talks about “stubborn players” I suspect she is the main culprit he is referring to.

 

[Coach Jumper]

I believe it will be a larger spread than that. Don’t think those statistical models are accounting for UGA making up their MIZZOU game today. They will play 3 games in 6 days.

Also not impressed with them the last two games. A loss to Kentucky and then only a 4 point win over Bama at home. Bama is really struggling so that was a shock for me. I know Staiti was out but she has played well since her return. As a team they just don’t seem to have the same energy they did last season.

When teams plat the Lady Vols,,,they get a seemingly boost in game, effort and energy...we can't sleep on anyone,,,this one will be close