Jillian Hollingshead commits to Tennessee

Alicia is on the team now? I knew she could play the piano…but wow, she’s a hooper too? Impressive.

Oh my, this is going to be a major problem. Alicia will not be able to match-up against Beyonce in the post. Beyonce has better footwork and 20 pound size advantage. What was Kellie thinking? She needed size in the post and did not even try to sign Lizzo. This recruiting failure will be her undoing.
 
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This is so true...a strong bench is so important, because injuries can often derail a team...the LV bench is loaded with players that can step into the next spot...🧡🏀🧡
I hope it is true, but if Horston, or Key gets injured, we can't expect the leadership needed, to come from transfers new to the system. Poor recruiting, in the past, could derail this very talented team. Hopefully, the success in the transfer portal leads to 4 yr recruits coming in. We desperately need Darby, And Puckett, Wynn, and/or Miles stepping up huge this year. We have to have solid leaders in 2024 season.
 
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I hope it is true, but if Horston, or Key gets injured, we can't expect the leadership needed, to come from transfers new to the system. Poor recruiting, in the past, could derail this very talented team. Hopefully, the success in the transfer portal leads to 4 yr recruits coming in. We desperately need Darby, And Puckett, Wynn, and/or Miles stepping up huge this year. We have to have solid leaders in 2024 season.

playing devils advocate if Jordan or Key got injured we would have leadership in Walker who will be a three year player and played the pg position.

It's funny we all forget Marta and that she will be a junior this year at TN but a sophomore playing wise so that's another leader for the following year when the others you mentioned like puckett will be able to step up. Along with Jillian who will have a year playing here but who also will be a junior.
 
playing devils advocate if Jordan or Key got injured we would have leadership in Walker who will be a three year player and played the pg position.

It's funny we all forget Marta and that she will be a junior this year at TN but a sophomore playing wise so that's another leader for the following year when the others you mentioned like puckett will be able to step up. Along with Jillian who will have a year playing here but who also will be a junior.

And Jackson as well. This team is deep in a multitude of ways
 
playing devils advocate if Jordan or Key got injured we would have leadership in Walker who will be a three year player and played the pg position.

It's funny we all forget Marta and that she will be a junior this year at TN but a sophomore playing wise so that's another leader for the following year when the others you mentioned like puckett will be able to step up. Along with Jillian who will have a year playing here but who also will be a junior.

One other thing about Marta …. She started her freshman year ! And that was the COVID-19 year! So she actually has FOUR more years ?

She will be in her Junior year of classes this year and if she follows all Tennessee womens basketball graduates….. She will graduate after her second year of eligibility! Will she play two more years or go home to Spain ? 🤷‍♂️

But wouldn’t that be interesting if she played four years plus her COVID year ? Last year being a medical red shirt and four more to play ?
That would be six years of education? Just Saying
 
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"Fluidity and speed"? Who have you been watching? Two words that don't match her abilities.
She does not destroy the Lady Vol Block record without the speed and fluidy she has in the paint to recover and get into position to block shots. That is who everyone is watching. Shot blockers have to move and recover quickly to get into position. If tamari was slow, she would not have led the nation in blocks. Candace had held the record due to her foot speed and ability to recover in the paint and defend along with her length. Thats right, She is in the same sentence as Candace Parker in the category of blocks and it is all about timing, quickness and the ability to recover to defend the rim. There are other posts that are Tamaris size or bigger that actually could not move well at all and that is why they did not lead the nation in blocks. 6-9 Nancy Mulkey for instance or 6-6 Elizabeth Kitly.
 
You're on turboisland here... no one agrees with your inaccurate observation.
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You're on turboisland here... no one agrees with your inaccurate observation.
I agree with turbo. At least halfway. TK IMO definitely lacks speed and fluidity on offense. Hopefully that improves markedly next season to make her a more complete player.

The blocks are great but the question is are a normal amount of blocks plus scoring skills more important than a jawdropping ability to block minus important offensive skills.

Fortunately, the recruiting this offseason kind of makes it moot. Having post depth means we can afford to play situational specialty players based on matchups. Still, I'd love to see TK, who has proven to be a wonderful, thoughtful teammate be the all around player we know she can be before she gets to the WNBA.
 
You're on turboisland here... no one agrees with your inaccurate observation.

Then no one's watching her mechanically. Her hip-knee-ankle ratio is much less dramatic than Russell's was and her quick-twitch movements are much faster, thus her in-paint ability to cover space.

No she won't win a down-court foot race with the guards and forwards, but her mechanics when moving short distance and her fluidity of mechanics when running are great for an extra-tall big.

When she gets to the W, she will be taught a little more properly on how to use this God-given structure.

So I fat-fingered a 5 instead of a 6...sue me!
 
Last year she made one 3 point shot out of her 5 attempts. Striplin made 1 out of 7 attempts. Although both were Freshmen last year and outside shooting was probably not a priority.

All i know is what I read, not from observation. According to the readings, her high school coach says she can play positions 1-5, is an excellent ball handler and perimter player and shooter, as well as gifted at the post. And that was backed up by another observer. The fact that she transferred might mean that her development was limited at Ga, therefore the poor shooting numbers. OR, if the HS coach is speaking out of whack, we have a post who does not shoot threes. We'll have to wait to see.
 
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Keys could be 3rd team, she is super slow. Not impressed by her game at all. GBO!
Then, you really don't know Basketball, IMHO! Tamari is about 6'8" playing with ladies who are much shorter than her, so you're comparing her speed of movement to smaller players who are obviously more agile simply because of physics. It's a fact that BMI-Body Mass Index

Tamari has more speed, quickness and agility than most post players that she goes up against. The fact that we RARELY get dominated by opposing post players is a Direct result of Her Stellar play down low, especially on the defensive end.

Offensively, she is Constantly double and triple-teamed, with players grabbing, clutching, pushing and shoving her when she sets up down low and she Still averages in double figures. She wouldn't be the leading shot blocker in UT LADY VOLS history if she didn't have a measure of speed and agility. Next year, When the court should open up for her, considering the perimeter talent that will surround her, she should look much better Offensively when she can play one-on-one more.

You're entitled to your opinion, because everyone has one, as the saying goes. However, the facts show something different.
ALSKI 🧡🧡🧡
 
On Tamari. her height is a bit of mystery but I am betting she is nearing 6-7 but her wingspan is definitely more proportionate to someone closer to 7 ft. When you have a 7 foot wing span and good body control and timing (which she has developed), you don't have to be the fastest gun in the west.

It is absolutely true that teams figured out how to reduce her impact by finding match-ups that had her guarding out further from the paint area, which exposed her relative lack of lateral quickness. But, that is the strategy used against every big at levels. Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz gets the same treatment and faces similar match-up problems.

Next years' version of the LVs will have more players who have size on the perimeter and can help to protect TK from the the stretch the floor strategy. As far as "bigs" go, TK runs the floor well. Yes, she is slow compared to a 6 guard, speed demon guard but relative to most other post players, she is actually one of the more agile and quicker players around. You can find unicorns like Shakira Austin who have size and the quickness of a much smaller player but that is a very rare combo. TK post game still is a work in progress but she was much, much better this season than before and she even showed some promise of hitting some midrange. So, if she can make one push in terms of offensive development this off season, then this conversation will be rendered moot.
 
And Jackson as well. This team is deep in a multitude of ways
Jackson won't stay to play 2 years, and Walker shouldn't start. She is too short to make the post entry pass, and dribbles into trouble, and can't pass out of it. Marta hasn't played in a very long time, few hours playing, and most injured. Again, we aren't deep on leadership, Key can't play 35 mins without fouling out, she isn't vocal either. Still she is a 4th yr player, Horston is solid, and will be the glue. The year after, we need leaders. We have a great amount of talent, hopefully some non portal players take on leadership roles.
 
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Then, you really don't know Basketball, IMHO! Tamari is about 6'8" playing with ladies who are much shorter than her, so you're comparing her speed of movement to smaller players who are obviously more agile simply because of physics. It's a fact that BMI-Body Mass Index

Tamari has more speed, quickness and agility than most post players that she goes up against. The fact that we RARELY get dominated by opposing post players is a Direct result of Her Stellar play down low, especially on the defensive end.

Offensively, she is Constantly double and triple-teamed, with players grabbing, clutching, pushing and shoving her when she sets up down low and she Still averages in double figures. She wouldn't be the leading shot blocker in UT LADY VOLS history if she didn't have a measure of speed and agility. Next year, When the court should open up for her, considering the perimeter talent that will surround her, she should look much better Offensively when she can play one-on-one more.
Key has never averaged double figures in anything but minutes. However, you are correct, she is agile and has very good speed
You're entitled to your opinion, because everyone has one, as the saying goes. However, the facts show something different.
ALSKI 🧡🧡🧡
 
I wouldn't insult someone's basketball IQ when you distort and make up facts. TK. has never averaged double anything ( nor lead team in rebounding, Horston was prior to injury, and Davis the other 2 yrs), but minutes. TK isn't listed as 6-8 anywhere, that is pure fabrication as well. TK is however fast and agile. Her passing back out skills need improvement.
 
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