Tennessee Lady Vol News

[Orange007]

i'm guess most of the starting line up changes over and over throughout the season. CKC has said she uses a lot of stats to determine starters. with this much talent, the intra-team practices will be tougher than 90% of their competition. a great problem to have!

 

[jsiggy]

i'm guess most of the starting line up changes over and over throughout the season. CKC has said she uses a lot of stats to determine starters. with this much talent, the intra-team practices will be tougher than 90% of their competition. a great problem to have!

Agreed

 

[Rons1989]

I'm curious what y'all think about this? I have some thoughts:

- I know it doesn't matter who starts in Kim's system, but Zee will definitely be starting.
- Jaida Civil will be in the rotation.
- I don't think Coop starts at the PG spot.
- I do agree with their *early* preseason floor/ceiling projection. I haven't see the team in action, so I'm going E8 ceiling until I do.

Theres no way we dont see Zee/Barker first also i love Prawl but im going Boyd or the Mia here i dont want Coop at pg..either way LOADED

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

It’s not a knock on either player but a testament to the depth on this roster there’s actually a fair chance you won’t see Lazaria Spearman and Janiah Barker starting if Jersey Wolfbarger and Alyssa Latham hit their peak. Jersey Wolfbarger has started some games at Arkansas and LSU. Her numbers were about the same as Spearman numbers when she played at Miami before the big jump last season at Tennessee. Same for Latham her numbers as a true freshman starting at Syracuse were really solid before her sophomore season at Tennessee. I think Latham has a high ceiling just has to find her rhythm in the system. Between these four players in the post we will likely see each of them earning starts during the course of the season.

Theres no way we dont see Zee/Barker first also i love Prawl but im going Boyd or the Mia here i dont want Coop at pg..either way LOADED

 

[BruisedOrange]

As CKC has said before, who starts is not important to our game plan, as the starters will be replaced by another 5 players a few minutes later.

For CKC, starting is a reward or acknowledgement for how well they practiced in the days preceeding the game. It's more about recognition than game plan.

Many traditional basketball cliches and expectations do not apply to this system.

What WILL be important is how this team starts. Last season we were often very slow getting engaged with the game, doing our thing, and pressuring opponents. Both coaches and players seemed mystified by that pattern. Can't have it this year--not with this season's schedule! If we can put together three good quarters that pressure and tire our opponenet, the fourth quarter will be ours.

 

[Coach Jumper]

It’s not a knock on either player but a testament to the depth on this roster there’s actually a fair chance you won’t see Lazaria Spearman and Janiah Barker starting if Jersey Wolfbarger and Alyssa Latham hit their peak. Jersey Wolfbarger has started some games at Arkansas and LSU. Her numbers were about the same as Spearman numbers when she played at Miami before the big jump last season at Tennessee. Same for Latham her numbers as a true freshman starting at Syracuse were really solid before her sophomore season at Tennessee. I think Latham has a high ceiling just has to find her rhythm in the system. Between these four players in the post we will likely see each of them earning starts during the course of the season.

Latham has focused on her offense this off-season...she will be much improved

 

[chuckiepoo]

Latham has focused on her offense this off-season...she will be much improved

But can she defend without fouling? That seemed to me to be her largest issue last year.

 

[Coach Jumper]

But can she defend without fouling? That seemed to me to be her largest issue last year.

Not per my opinion... She was averaging four points a game and has considerably more potential than that

 

[stllvf]

Note: barely July and honestly no information other our own speculations which won't change for at least 60 days (practice info and rumors).

there is an old joke about inmates who after years of hearing the same jokes, each one was given a number. Thus when they were together one would loudly yell # 43 and laughter would result. A newly incarcerated individual finally got nerve and called out # 84. Nothing, silence until one old veteran responded "he's new and I don't think he will ever be able to tell a joke!" summary: many of you can refer to just one of thread numbers where you gave your finite roster.

thank you for reading #14282

 

[Coach Jumper]

Note: barely July and honestly no information other our own speculations which won't change for at least 60 days (practice info and rumors).

there is an old joke about inmates who after years of hearing the same jokes, each one was given a number. Thus when they were together one would loudly yell # 43 and laughter would result. A newly incarcerated individual finally got nerve and called out # 84. Nothing, silence until one old veteran responded "he's new and I don't think he will ever be able to tell a joke!" summary: many of you can refer to just one of thread numbers where you gave your finite roster.

thank you for reading #14282

 

[BruisedOrange]

Latham has focused on her offense this off-season...she will be much improved

But can she defend without fouling? That seemed to me to be her largest issue last year.

Admittedly based on viewing limited playing time, I still thought she showed the most improvement of anyone over the course of the season. Most of her early season fouls seemed to be from slow footwork or being out of position--as if the game was still moving too fast for her.

But later in the season she got a lot of calls for fouls that (from the camera's vantage, and with my orange-tinted specs aside) were not obvious. I'm just guessing those were "referee handbook" fouls--situations that get the whistle (more so from inexperienced or insecure refs) whether they actually see contact or not. If so, Latham can limit those if she approaches it as a kind of "third eye technique" to be developed.

LOL--I know at lower levels, for honest, by-the-rules players, it doesn't come natural to develop awareness of where the refs are positioned.

For SOME players, however...

 

[chuckiepoo]

Admittedly based on viewing limited playing time, I still thought she showed the most improvement of anyone over the course of the season. Most of her early season fouls seemed to be from slow footwork or being out of position--as if the game was still moving too fast for her.

But later in the season (with my orange-tinted specs aside) she got a lot of calls for fouls that (from the camera's vantage) were not obvious. I'm just guessing those were "referee handbook" fouls--situations that get the whistle (more so from inexperienced or insecure refs) whether they actually see contact or not. If so, Latham can limit those if she approaches it as a kind of "third eye technique" to be developed.

LOL--I know at lower levels, for honest, by-the-rules players, it doesn't come natural to develop awareness of where the refs are positioned.

For SOME players, however...

Ninja defense! I love it.

 

[GameTime]

It's going to be so great....

 

[Special Ed]

Wow. Impressive.

Hope Danny remembered to use his Food City ValuCard when he paid for that.

He's gonna get a BIG gas discount at the Food City pumps.

 

[BruisedOrange]

I think a toolbox or Swiss Army knife is going to be my organizing metaphor for assessing practice reports and watching games in the early season. I'm eager to see who are our best "blades" for rebounding, for generating turnovers, for shooting quick 3s, for shooting 3s out of the offensive set, for penetrating defenses and coming away with points.

When a team has all those capabilites spread among the roster, and can call on particular capabilities without having to sacrifice speed or size to put those abilities on the court... that's a game we've not seen before.

I hope, with time and experience, this roster can have the staff practicing Mix&Matchology in response to opposing lineups or game flow situations.

Regardless, I don't think it's hype to say we will be watching women's basketball history over the coming season, as no one has ever deployed this system of play using a roster of players of this calibre.

Lessons will be learned for sure, and it might take another season or two to bring home that National Championship (luck always being a factor). But this season will be special in its own right.

 

[lvocd]

I think a toolbox or Swiss Army knife is going to be my organizing metaphor for assessing practice reports and watching games in the early season. I'm eager to see who are our best "blades" for rebounding, for generating turnovers, for shooting quick 3s, for shooting 3s out of the offensive set, for penetrating defenses and coming away with points.

When a team has all those capabilites spread among the roster, and can call on particular capabilities without having to sacrifice speed or size to put those abilities on the court... that's a game we've not seen before.

I hope, with time and experience, this roster can have the staff practicing Mix&Matchology in response to opposing lineups or game flow situations.

Regardless, I don't think it's hype to say we will be watching women's basketball history over the coming season, as no one has ever deployed this system of play using a roster of players of this calibre.

Lessons will be learned for sure, and it might take another season or two to bring home that National Championship (luck always being a factor). But this season will be special in its own right.

Yessssssss!!! All of it! Yes! I'm feeling it, too. (There are those on the board who are put off by too much enthusiasm, preferring themselves to under-feel/express optimism on the LVs, but I'm well behind it.)

We are fans expressing our hopes and dreams on a FAN(atics) FORUM. It really shouldn't be so alarming to some when they read our heartfelt hopes and dreams and predictions.

We are hurting no-one, affecting no-one, by sharing our positive, hopeful thoughts regarding the potential for this roster.

So all you people sitting there thinking we are being stupid, why doncha just wait until after this season to determine if we WERE stupid before making your judgements.

Love ya! Don't go changin!

 

[chuckiepoo]

Yessssssss!!! All of it! Yes! I'm feeling it, too. (There are those on the board who are put off by too much enthusiasm, preferring themselves to under-feel/express optimism on the LVs, but I'm well behind it.)

We are fans expressing our hopes and dreams on a FAN(atics) FORUM. It really shouldn't be so alarming to some when they read our heartfelt hopes and dreams and predictions.

We are hurting no-one, affecting no-one, by sharing our positive, hopeful thoughts regarding the potential for this roster.

So all you people sitting there thinking we are being stupid, why doncha just wait until after this season to determine if we WERE stupid before making your judgements.

Love ya! Don't go changin!

I’ll hold down the moderate, centered position! I don’t have a problem with fresh enthusiasm. I feel we’ve got the elements, head coach, staff, roster, fanbase to do something really special this year.

That being said, I get turned off by a liturgical regurgitation of “elitisms”.

Still need to prove it between the lines. Those games, that’s why they play them.

 

[lvocd]

I’ll hold down the moderate, centered position! I don’t have a problem with fresh enthusiasm. I feel we’ve got the elements, head coach, staff, roster, fanbase to do something really special this year.

That being said, I get turned off by a liturgical regurgitation of “elitisms”.

Still need to prove it between the lines. Those games, that’s why they play them.

Yeah, I think most of us can agree that the repetitive "elite" mantra has too often come off as forced advertising instead of genuine excitement, which is what caused some of us to give it some side-eye.

Hopefully all of that poster's wildest dreams about the players he hypes here will come true and we have us some natty-winning women on roster! Nothing would satisfy me more than to congratulate that poster who likes to talk about "elite" players for having been right after those elite players win a championship.

I will be SOOOOO happy to proclaim him to be THE most respectable and reliably knowledgable "expert" on all things LV Recruiting going forward if his predictions about some of these freshmen coming in actually do bring Tennessee the national championship(s) he has predicted they will.

I will personally try to arrange to fly to his town to meet him if that happens, and will gladly treat him to the best meal he can get in his town. Seriously, I want him to be right sooooo deeply!

 

[ttharp]

Yessssssss!!! All of it! Yes! I'm feeling it, too. (There are those on the board who are put off by too much enthusiasm, preferring themselves to under-feel/express optimism on the LVs, but I'm well behind it.)

We are fans expressing our hopes and dreams on a FAN(atics) FORUM. It really shouldn't be so alarming to some when they read our heartfelt hopes and dreams and predictions.

We are hurting no-one, affecting no-one, by sharing our positive, hopeful thoughts regarding the potential for this roster.

So all you people sitting there thinking we are being stupid, why doncha just wait until after this season to determine if we WERE stupid before making your judgements.

Love ya! Don't go changin!

Preach! Lol.

My Lady Vol fan PTSD brain causes me to occasionally expect the worst i.e. (a bad season opening loss on national TV and underachieving big time in the non-con)

Deep-down though, I feel like this season will be special. I haven't had this much confidence in a coach/staff/roster since Pat.

That being said, I still think we might have frustrating/painful moments in the season where it's clear we're not quite there yet. We're still behind (the SC's, UConn's etc) in terms of having a winning/championship culture. The staff is trying to reestablish that - and it takes time. We're still knocking on the door. I just hope we kick it down at some point in the season or postseason.

 

[BruisedOrange]

Yessssssss!!! All of it! Yes! I'm feeling it, too. (There are those on the board who are put off by too much enthusiasm, preferring themselves to under-feel/express optimism on the LVs, but I'm well behind it.)

We are fans expressing our hopes and dreams on a FAN(atics) FORUM. It really shouldn't be so alarming to some when they read our heartfelt hopes and dreams and predictions.

We are hurting no-one, affecting no-one, by sharing our positive, hopeful thoughts regarding the potential for this roster.

So all you people sitting there thinking we are being stupid, why doncha just wait until after this season to determine if we WERE stupid before making your judgements.

Love ya! Don't go changin!

Well, ironically, I am (just from my counseling background) one of those voices here who's always trying to urge fellow VFLs to slow their ride on preseason expectations. I just want my compadres to realize that pumping the preseason orange juice is actually pumping dopamine in the brain. It literally is a self-medicated high, with an inevitable downside.

For their own well being, I want them to understand that a dopamine high necessarily shuts down at the first news that contradicts or threatens their preseason expectations. Worse, when dopamine is cut off, your brain doesn't just settle back down to normal levels of satisfaction. It slides into a negative slump far worse than your normal feelings. [see: any Football Forum gameday thread] If you remember your first time being in love, and the roller-coaster ride of emotions that put you through every day... that's dopamine at work.
-----
That confessed, I do believe exactly what I posted, not as a prediction, but just logically from an analytical vantage. I don't anticipate it happening this year, if only because special freshmen are still freshmen. The trend lately is that older players win championships.

And obviously, the next three years could prove me to be terribly ignorant!
But maybe by then everyone will have forgotten.

 

[Special Ed]

It gives me a sort of warm and fuzzy feeling to know that Kim Caldwell has a national championship on her resume'.
"Past is prologue", as the Bard once wrote.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Well, ironically, I am (just from my counseling background) one of those voices here who's always trying to urge fellow VFLs to slow their ride on preseason expectations. I just want my compadres to realize that pumping the preseason orange juice is actually pumping dopamine in the brain. It literally is a self-medicated high, with an inevitable downside.

For their own well being, I want them to understand that a dopamine high necessarily shuts down at the first news that contradicts or threatens their preseason pumping. Worse, when dopamine is cut off, your brain doesn't just settle back down to normal levels of satisfaction. It slides into a negative slump far worse than your normal feelings. [see: any Football Forum gameday thread] If you remember your first time being in love, and the roller-coaster ride of emotions that put your through every day... that's dopamine at work.
-----
That confessed, I do believe exactly what I posted, not as a prediction, but just logically from an analytical vantage. I don't anticipate it happening this year, if only because special freshmen are still freshmen. The trend lately is that older players win championships.

And obviously, the next three years could prove me to be terribly ignorant!
But maybe by then everyone will have forgotten.

Wisdom indeed. Thanks for sharing! We’ve got a great mix of talent. Six seniors or graduates plus Cooper and Latham as juniors.

Why not now?

 

[volsagain]

Wisdom indeed. Thanks for sharing! We’ve got a great mix of talent. Six seniors or graduates plus Cooper and Latham as juniors.

Why not now?

If everyone plays close to their ability there's a chance ! Just hope when we loose a game early in the season the negas don't have to much fun. And hopefully all the sunshine pumpers don't jump off a cliff. I believe the floor is the final 4 and unlimited sealing.

 

[Coach Jumper]

don't know if anyone has posted it yet, but here goes
full schedule is now complete

2025-26 Women's Basketball Schedule - University of Tennessee Athletics

The official 2025-26 Women's Basketball schedule for the University of Tennessee Volunteers

utsports.com

 

[VolBall09]

As Freak said. If you have actual news to share create a new thread. Do not use one thread for lady vol news. Makes it impossible to keep up.