A Big hhhhhhhhole

[willford65]

HW is digging a hole for the LV program that will take years to undo if even then. If the coach's don't know what to do, then the players will not know either. Free throws could have won the game even after playing a sloppy game. My oh my how the mighty have fallen.:mf_surrender:

 

[37620VOL]

There is no hole if Holly leaves this year. I honestly believe the roster is loaded with talent, but if Holly stays another year, we'll be in huge trouble.

 

[Amb3096]

HW is digging a hole for the LV program that will take years to undo if even then. If the coach's don't know what to do, then the players will not know either. Free throws could have won the game even after playing a sloppy game. My oh my how the mighty have fallen.:mf_surrender:

They didn't even need the FTs to win; they just needed Andraya to keep her hands to her side with Tennessee up by 1 and 3 seconds on the clock.

That's worse than the tAMu player intentionally fouling in the closing seconds of regulation vs. SC. There's still a chance tAMu would have lost in overtime. Tennessee had this game in the bag.

 

[cwbytruckers]

Defense is not the issue. If they ran decent offensive sets this team could be very good.

 

[Hoya Saxa]

Defense is not the issue. If they ran decent offensive sets this team could be very good.

The defense looks good because the Vols play in the SEC which has no offensively-minded teams. Most games end with both teams in the 50s. That is from poor offense more than strong defense. How would the Vols' defense stand up against Ohio State, Maryland, or UConn?

 

[1985Vols]

Hit FT's and don't commit a very stupid foul ( Carter) and coaching wouldn't have even mattered. Choke city by the players IMO

 

[Hoya Saxa]

Hit FT's and don't commit a very stupid foul ( Carter) and coaching wouldn't have even mattered. Choke city by the players IMO

Coaching is what got the team in a close end-of-game situation against The Blind Sisters of the Poor. A well-coached team would have won by forty so free throws and fouls would not have been an issue.

 

[1985Vols]

Coaching is what got the team in a close end-of-game situation against The Blind Sisters of the Poor. A well-coached team would have won by forty so free throws and fouls would not have been an issue.

I totally agree, however, the players have to execute as well.

 

[CAVPUT]

I honestly believe the roster is loaded with talent.

Based on what exactly? HS rankings? Just asking what you've seen that leads you to the conclusion that it's a "loaded" roster?

 

[LargeOrange1]

I clicked thinking this topic was about Kim Kardashian. :thud:

 

[37620VOL]

Based on what exactly? HS rankings? Just asking what you've seen that leads you to the conclusion that it's a "loaded" roster?

Three things:
1 Skills displayed in summer competition.
2 Preseason ranking.
3 Watching them individually they have the raw skills needed to realize that preseason ranking, but they lack offensive cohesion. The offense is run in absolute confusion. One player doesn't know what the other player is doing. That leads to the absurd amount of turnovers and offensive ineffectiveness.

 

[CAVPUT]

Three things:
1 Skills displayed in summer competition.
2 Preseason ranking.
3 Watching them individually they have the raw skills needed to realize that preseason ranking, but they lack offensive cohesion. The offense is run in absolute confusion. One player doesn't know what the other player is doing. That leads to the absurd amount of turnovers and offensive ineffectiveness.

Haha....summer competition, preseason ranking and watching individually...that clears it up. Come on...they are what their record says they are. It's the old frogs/wings bit. Get real.

 

[armchair]

We are not loaded with talent. I have NEVER been a fan of HW as UT's head coach, but when you have a year like this it is more than just bad coaching. I mean, even with our coaching deficiencies we've had much better teams than this--and much better years. DD played well today, but I think she's been a big part of this debacle--poor play and a poor attitude. Plays when she feels like it--haven't seen her even slightly upbeat on the court all year. But then none of our players are.

Where exactly is the talent? Russell? Had high hopes from her but extremely overrated as a prospect, with emphasis on extremely. Soft and not a big factor at either end of the floor. Look at the waning second of today's game: She should have been in the paint to prevent the easy layup that brought LSU within 1. Where the hell was she? Somewhere other than where she should have been. Then on that same play she is fouled--and she misses BOTH free throws that, had she made them, would have won the game.

Cooper? Has shot poorly most of the year. Was 3-15 today. Why HW and the coaches played her 29 minutes is one of the many mysteries about every game this season.

Graves: Works hard but not that talented--there' a difference.

Carter: I've always liked her, but what does she do to help us win games? Not enough.

Reynolds? Another mystery. A week or week and a half ago she was playing very well and playing most of the game. For some reason she spent most of the today's game on the bench. Another indication that the coaches have NO idea who should be playing game to game. The KNS reporter should ask HW about this.

Nared: Long and athletic, but has had a disappointing year....

And so it goes. There's no doubt that better coaching could get a lot more out of our group, but the players have to make plays, too--make plays! I recall the South Carolina game: Somewhat late in the game: Carter has a followup off a missed shot, she's right at the rim--misses. We make stupid passes, we stand around, we miss shots, we make poor decisions...a total clusterf--k.

 

[LasVegasBill23]

Hit FT's and don't commit a very stupid foul ( Carter) and coaching wouldn't have even mattered. Choke city by the players IMO

LVs should not have been in such a tight game with the last place team in the SEC..... and out of the 4 coaches, wouldn't one have shouted...."If Mercedes misses the FT, NO FOULS!!!!"

 

[LasVegasBill23]

Based on what exactly? HS rankings? Just asking what you've seen that leads you to the conclusion that it's a "loaded" roster?

I agree that we ha ve a talented roster..... we just cannot coach.... Nell Fortner said on Miss broadcast that this is time of year when teams show how they have improved and Tenn has not done so

 

[orangeluvr]

You can't win playing sandlot basketball.

 

[Amb3096]

Reynolds? Another mystery. A week or week and a half ago she was playing very well and playing most of the game. For some reason she spent most of the today's game on the bench. Another indication that the coaches have NO idea who should be playing game to game. The KNS reporter should ask HW about this.

4 TOs in 10 minutes and 0 points should get you on the bench. I especially like her fumbling the touchdown away after the perfect pass from Middleton. She would have made things worse, not better. That was one personnel decision that Holly got right today.

 

[birdie74]

Other than the shooter (Russell) why would any Lady Vol be lined up on the lane? All four should be back on defense. Middle School coaches and players know this. Every single player and coach should have been reminding one another not to foul... Another of a long list of blunders.

 

[GameTime]

Ugly basketball....

 

[UCMiami]

We are not loaded with talent. I have NEVER been a fan of HW as UT's head coach, but when you have a year like this it is more than just bad coaching. I mean, even with our coaching deficiencies we've had much better teams than this--and much better years. DD played well today, but I think she's been a big part of this debacle--poor play and a poor attitude. Plays when she feels like it--haven't seen her even slightly upbeat on the court all year. But then none of our players are.

Where exactly is the talent? Russell? Had high hopes from her but extremely overrated as a prospect, with emphasis on extremely. Soft and not a big factor at either end of the floor. Look at the waning second of today's game: She should have been in the paint to prevent the easy layup that brought LSU within 1. Where the hell was she? Somewhere other than where she should have been. Then on that same play she is fouled--and she misses BOTH free throws that, had she made them, would have won the game.

Cooper? Has shot poorly most of the year. Was 3-15 today. Why HW and the coaches played her 29 minutes is one of the many mysteries about every game this season.

Graves: Works hard but not that talented--there' a difference.

Carter: I've always liked her, but what does she do to help us win games? Not enough.

Reynolds? Another mystery. A week or week and a half ago she was playing very well and playing most of the game. For some reason she spent most of the today's game on the bench. Another indication that the coaches have NO idea who should be playing game to game. The KNS reporter should ask HW about this.

Nared: Long and athletic, but has had a disappointing year....

And so it goes. There's no doubt that better coaching could get a lot more out of our group, but the players have to make plays, too--make plays! I recall the South Carolina game: Somewhat late in the game: Carter has a followup off a missed shot, she's right at the rim--misses. We make stupid passes, we stand around, we miss shots, we make poor decisions...a total clusterf--k.

I don't know about all the players, but Graves play for USA basketball the summer of her freshman years was brilliant - she was easily one of the best three or four players on the team. And Russell looked pretty good in her last USA basketball stint. And that is playing on pick up teams that have two weeks to work together. But ... those teams also have very good coaching staffs, run simple but clear offensive and defensive sets, and have great teammates and a single all encompassing goal - win a gold medal. Who scores, who gets what minutes doesn't matter - being on a winning team is the only thing that matters.

And talented players who have no clue what offense to run or when to pass or where to cut can look dreadful, which I honestly think is what is happening now at TN. A great shooter who starts think about whether they should be taking the shot they are taking will miss more often than they should.
Were some of your players overrated coming out of HS - probably. And some were probably under-rated as well. But I haven't seen anything from this coaching staff that suggests they have a clue how to develop players. I cannot think of a single player in maybe ten years at TN that showed progressive improvement during their four years. And that is not all on Holly, though she is the one that hires and fires her assistants. She doesn't appear to have a 'vision' for the program and she doesn't appear to have assistants that have a clue either.

[ NB. On the ten year thing - Parker was great, but she came in as a great players and made no 'leap' during her time in TN. She left older and more mature as a person, but did her game actually expand - was she able to do things as an upper classman that she hadn't been able to do as a freshman? As for players like Simmons and Massengale and now Russell ...]

Added on Edit - I just realized that i had forgotten Izzy - when she wasn't injured I think she showed clear signs of improvement year over year, but she is the only exception I can think of.

 

[cwbytruckers]

The defense looks good because the Vols play in the SEC which has no offensively-minded teams. Most games end with both teams in the 50s. That is from poor offense more than strong defense. How would the Vols' defense stand up against Ohio State, Maryland, or UConn?

Hey I was trying to be positive.