Non-Lady Vol Basketball News 2023-24

I say this every season, but this year I actually believe Indiana can make it out of the gutter. Young squad with alot of talent and discipline. I'll need to see how Rhyne does but I think NaLyssa Smith will get ROY.

I think it will be Howard because she is more of a three level scorer.
 
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Just my opinion on Rivers:

She needs some "freedom" in her next system to really highlight her slashing ability to the rim. Her role at SC wasn't one which gave her a bunch of creative room for her game, and she needs to go to the rim often when she first starts a game in order to get some offense that way first, which settles her down on her mid-range shooting. When she has to start and or stay as mostly a mid range shooter, she cannot find her stroke easily. But I have always thought that if she had more leeway and is free to create her slashes to the rim and get some offense started that way her shot follows soon thereafter. She is the type that will gain confidence and rhythm in her offense if she is given a little patience and more green light.

She already has elite defensive and passing skills so she is not far off from being a starter type on most really good type teams. I think her offense improves with her new school, by a lot. Something like 10-12 ppg as a sophomore and more after that. Athletically she is probably top 5% of WCB players.

By all accounts she is a wonderful person/teammate and I could not imagine any team taking a pass on her potential.
 
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Just my opinion on Rivers:

She needs some "freedom" in her next system to really highlight her slashing ability to the rim. Her role at SC wasn't one which gave her a bunch of creative room for her game, and she needs to go to the rim often when she first starts a game in order to get some offense that way first, which settles her down on her mid-range shooting. When she has to start and or stay as mostly a mid range shooter, she cannot find her stroke easily. But I have always thought that if she had more leeway and is free to create her slashes to the rim and get some offense started that way her shot follows soon thereafter. She is the type that will gain confidence and rhythm in her offense if she is given a little patience and more green light.

She already has elite defensive and passing skills so she is not far off from being a starter type on most really good type teams. I think her offense improves with her new school, by a lot. Something like 10-12 ppg as a sophomore and more after that. Athletically she is probably top 5% of WCB players.

By all accounts she is a wonderful person/teammate and I could not imagine any team taking a pass on her potential.
Games I saw her play in, she was missing layups or having charges drawn on her when she was slashing. Her offense that involved her attempting to directly move the basketball in her hand to the basket was an abject failure. I have a hard time seeing how that was anything that had to do with the coaching or team system. She would plow into defenders that were set, would routinely miss layups that someone at her level should be making, and her jump shots were often mistaken for assists to Victaria Saxton or Aliyah Boston as they were closer to their hands then the basket. If she improved on any of those, then she would have scored more efficiently and would have played more minutes.

I'm sure she's a swell kid, but it seems like she had full control of her destiny and frankly did not play well enough last season to deserve any more minutes than she got. I think she will be a fantastic player as an upperclassman (and maybe even next season), but she just...wasn't good as a scorer this past season.
 
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Rivers has the slashing game skill, she just never got it going much like the rest of her offense, but she is best when she can get to the rim early, and she will show that is a big part of her game when she gets her confidence back. Her jumper was off all season and as you said she didn’t adjust fast to the speed of the college defenders from an offensive angle, but she showed in HS that she has the skill set. Just needs the right mindset now.

Its possible she is just one of those type players that never gets comfortable at this level but I think it’s too early to say that, I expect she will have a very nice career Once she gets settled in her mind. Most programs cannot afford to let a young player spend a bunch of quality minutes “getting comfortable” but the team that does this and gives her a little offensive freedom will bring out her best. I firmly believe that the coach who sticks with her until she gets over the hump will be rewarded, because she could be something if she puts it together.
 
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I firmly believe that the coach who sticks with her until she gets over the hump will be rewarded, because she could be something if she puts it together.

I agree 100%. And if she were to get really, really seriously into improving her game, once she fully matures into a woman's body and brain she very well could end up being unstoppable. Who knows how long that will take, but once the light bulb goes on, if she's on the right team? Yikes. I wouldn't want to have to be the one assigned to guard her.

But again, it may take time for the whole package to come together. She just needs to understand that even the greatest natural athletes in the world won't reach their potential unless they are also the ones who put in the most work.

I wish I could see into the future, because I'd LOVE to know what kind of player she'll be in her fourth year as a pro. 😳
 
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I agree 100%. And if she were to get really, really seriously into improving her game, once she fully matures into a woman's body and brain she very well could end up being unstoppable. Who knows how long that will take, but once the light bulb goes off, if she's on the right team? Yikes. I wouldn't want to have to be the one assigned to guard her.

But again, it may take time for the whole package to come together. She just needs to understand that even the greatest natural athletes in the world won't reach their potential unless they are also the ones who put in the most work.

I wish I could see into the future, because I'd LOVE to know what kind of player she'll be in her fourth year as a pro. 😳
You are spot on.
 
From the NCSU Wolfpack site:

”Rivers didn’t play much in her freshman season at South Carolina but could step into a role early on with NC State, which was one of the finalists for her commitment. Outside of being previously recruited by NC State, Rivers’ step-sister is Nanna Rivers, a former captain of NC State’s women’s team.”
 
Some of you may not have seen her play in HS or have not watched her videos from HS…..she was the #3 player in the country for a reason, she has the skill set. Unfortunately she wasn’t ready for a prime time place as a freshman on a talented and experienced team and did not play as much as she would have liked. Everyone saw she needed to make an adjustment to college ball and was not ready from the get go lIke perhaps Bueckers and others were, but I think she figures it out wherever she goes. Wish her the best. She is worth watching as she grows mentally into her skill set, such ability.
 
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WNBA streaming lacks a lot to be desired. I pay and so far the only place I can watch the games is in the app, on my phone, or on my computer.

WNBA app isn’t available on Roku and the app on iPhone is terrible. Has the Aces/Mystics box score under the minny/Indy game, no box score under the other game. Glitches in the feed and like two camera angles.

Come on now.

And it will not let me airplay/link from my phone to my smart TV which I do frequently. Infuriating.
 
I thought that the final day for transfers in the portal would be completed on May 1 from the information i was seeing. Maddie Scherr of Oregon just committed to Kentucky a couple of days ago. Does this mean she sits for the upcoming season? Former Oregon women’s basketball guard Maddie Scherr commits to transfer to Kentucky

No she entered the portal prior to the deadline. They can commit anytime but had to be in there before the first few days in May. Rule said May 1 but apparently they gave them until the May 3rd because of the weekend or something.

Anyone who entered the portal after that who is not a grad transfer or did not experience a coaching change will sit out next season. So long as they were in there before the date they are good to play.

I’m also proud of Kyra. Still not convinced she’s a great coach, but she has done a good job beefing her roster back up after the exodus. I think she had several bad apples. So far it looks like she’s putting together what could be a decent team.
 
No she entered the portal prior to the deadline. They can commit anytime but had to be in there before the first few days in May. Rule said May 1 but apparently they gave them until the May 3rd because of the weekend or something.

Anyone who entered the portal after that who is not a grad transfer or did not experience a coaching change will sit out next season. So long as they were in there before the date they are good to play.

I’m also proud of Kyra. Still not convinced she’s a great coach, but she has done a good job beefing her roster back up after the exodus. I think she had several bad apples. So far it looks like she’s putting together what could be a decent team.
Thanks for clarifying that for me. Rivers still hasn't found a landing spot either has she? She will be a great pickup for whoever gets her committment.
 
Thanks for clarifying that for me. Rivers still hasn't found a landing spot either has she? She will be a great pickup for whoever gets her committment.

Not that I have heard. Everyone keeps saying NC State, but if that was such a done deal I don’t see why she wouldn’t have announced.

Morasha Wiggins is also a young player with a ton of upside. Whoever picks her up will have something to work with.
 
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Not that I have heard. Everyone keeps saying NC State, but if that was such a done deal I don’t see why she wouldn’t have announced.

Morasha Wiggins is also a young player with a ton of upside. Whoever picks her up will have something to work with.
Yep Wiggins is out of Michigan I do believe and we did recruit her pretty heavily if I remember correctly. However, like that popular T.V. Show the Voice, "Our Team is Full." :)
 

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