Bad basketball

#32
#32
1reVOLver said:
True dat, and SEC level competition has not been a presence previously in Kim's career.
That heretofore inexperienced competition includes both players and highly accomplished coaches.
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Nope. Go back and look at post #43 in the Third Quarter Swoon thread. Wasn't a problem last year. Or apparently at Marshall or Glenville State. This is, like so many other things we are seeing, a singular phenomenon in Kim's career.

As I've said before, she's going to have to make decisions in the off season which will have to account for a one-time deviation in her results AND the fact she was going through the SEC for the second time AND this particular group of players plus Ruby's dismissal AND that it was her first year coaching as a new mom and likely her mother's lessened availability to help establish the family atmosphere she has talked about. Lots of variables. Her system is a big one, but not the only one.

I'm going to be watching for two things: 1. Will she be able to get any more quality players either as '26 recruits or through the portal? How much has this season undercut her sales pitch? and 2. What hints will we get through the summer about changes in approach and how will they pan out next year? Last summer we got statements indicating she was worried about 3 point shooting (proved to be appropriate), that the freshmen were leading the way in effort in the drills (seems portentous in retrospect), that she wasn't trying to put in as much of her system before the start of the season (???), and... seems like there was something else, but I'm going blank. Anyway, my point is that Kim doesn't say a lot -- she keeps her cards hidden for the most part -- but what she does say generally seems to be an honest and incisive statement about where she sees her team and the coming year. So, what will we get this summer?
 
#34
#34
Okie said:
Players are still getting paid their NIL and probably several are just going through the motions before the portal opens up.
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lvocd said:
Fact: Money often changes people.
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For sure money can change people, usually in that they want more of it. Which is why I can't understand the argument that players waiting for the portal causes them to not gaf If they play poorly.

If they're going in the portal looking for the next bag, or to go to the W, the last thing they want to do is play poorly and be called out by their coach as quitters and losers. The most motivated players on the court should be those looking for money. Other teams don't look to hire slackers.

The money is an easy and convenient thing to point to. But I think the culture problems on this team go much deeper.
 
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#35
#35
As a Coach used to say, "offense sells tickets, Defense wins CHAMPIONSHIPS"!!!! JMO, but some of the players don't seem to be dialed in on defense. It seems that the over dribbling, the one on one, I'm gonna get mine, type of play is hurting the flow of the game. when I saw Barker step back and allow the player to drive right to the basket, I knew then, that the game was over. When a player is in a groove, shooting the ball, leave them in until they cool off. If the five on the floor is ripping it up on offense, leave them in. If the defense is giving up points every time on the court, try a zone or something they're not expecting. Why don't we back cut to the basket? The other teams do it and have easy lay ups. I've seen Hurst wide open in the corner and they won't even look at her. Sorry for the long post, JMO. Go Lady Vols!
 
#36
#36
007Racer said:
I saw Barker step back and allow the player to drive right to the basket,
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That was painfully reminiscent of the low point of the Holly years. During a game at Vandy, as one of their players was going for a breakaway layup, Renia Davis actually pushed the only Lady Vol who would have been able to make a play out of the way. Said it all, which is why it's imprinted on our brains. Video of course went viral.
 
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#37
#37
Getting rid of Barker & Spearman will help more than anything. Its funny they played almost a complete game against OU without Barker. She may score decent some games but her laziness, terrible defense, and awful attitude hurts more than any amount of points she'll ever score. Reason she's been on 3 teams in 3yrs. Seriously think UCLA would've let her walk if she helped any at all? They dont seem to be missing her at all.. Lol.. a team is only good as it's weakest link & its her. Much rather have Whitehorn.
 
#38
#38
VolXr1 said:
Seriously think UCLA would've let her walk if she helped any at all?
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can't say for sure If they would have let her go, but she was the B-10 6th Player of the Year last year.

Everything you said about JB was very well known when this staff recruited her. Obviously they thought they could overcome her history, and that's a good notion, but clearly that hasn't happened. Sad all the way around.
 
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#39
#39
VolXr1 said:
Getting rid of Barker & Spearman will help more than anything. Its funny they played almost a complete game against OU without Barker. She may score decent some games but her laziness, terrible defense, and awful attitude hurts more than any amount of points she'll ever score. Reason she's been on 3 teams in 3yrs. Seriously think UCLA would've let her walk if she helped any at all? They dont seem to be missing her at all.. Lol.. a team is only good as it's weakest link & its her. Much rather have Whitehorn.
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I agree. Ruby meant a lot to the chemistry and cohesiveness of the LVs. GBO.
 
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#40
#40
Y’all remember the former football great Terrell Owen’s? He had all the physical talent in the world, but no coaching staff or group of teammates was ever able manage his egocentric approach to his career, and it eventually cost him that career. 😢
 
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#41
#41
glv98 said:
That was painfully reminiscent of the low point of the Holly years. During a game at Vandy, as one of their players was going for a breakaway layup, Renia Davis actually pushed the only Lady Vol who would have been able to make a play out of the way. Said it all, which is why it's imprinted on our brains. Video of course went viral.
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And Vandy missed the uncontested layup too. That whole sequence was a comedy of errors by both teams
 
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#42
#42
Deebowbear said:
Can’t say that when you got Barker and Spearman that can’t hit broad side of a barn, get out rebounded and to small guards that like to dribble to much
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Like it or not it’s always the coach’s responsibility to make the decisions, evaluate the players, and be competent to know how to do whatever is necessary to fix it pretty quickly. Top coaches set themselves apart by being accountable to themselves and being skilled enough to make the right moves to correct whatever situation arises. COACHING
 
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#43
#43
lvocd said:
Y’all remember the former football great Terrell Owen’s? He had all the physical talent in the world, but no coaching staff or group of teammates was ever able manage his egocentric approach to his career, and it eventually cost him that career. 😢
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TO played 15 NFL seasons. He had Crohn's disease and wasn't able to come back after shredding his knee at age 37. He was a difficult teammate, but I don't think that caused an early end to his career.
 
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#44
#44
37620VOL said:
TO played 15 NFL seasons. He had Crohn's disease and wasn't able to come back after shredding his knee at age 37. He was a difficult teammate, but I don't think that caused an early end to his career.
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Thanks for correcting me on that. I obviously misremembered it as he eventually couldn't get a team to sign him because he was so difficult.
 
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#45
#45
I sense that some assumptions were made by Caldwell when it came to her belief that she could mirror this system at the D1 level. At the heart of her “system” is mass substitutions. At the D1 level the difference between starters and role players is pretty noticeable. At the lower divisions…the difference is often not that appreciable. My point is her system often has the team's most skilled players sitting on the bench at crucial times of the game. Or reentering the game with any prior momentum having been interrupted. She beat UCONN last year and I think she misjudged that win. She had the team rolling early in the season, but it had little to do with her system and more to do with the level of competition. Lastly. regardless of your offensive philosophy some things just make sense. It’s absurd to have people who shoot 3s in the low 30th percentile or worse taking 3s! It’s as good as a turnover.
 
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#46
#46
glv98 said:
For sure money can change people, usually in that they want more of it. Which is why I can't understand the argument that players waiting for the portal causes them to not gaf If they play poorly.

If they're going in the portal looking for the next bag, or to go to the W, the last thing they want to do is play poorly and be called out by their coach as quitters and losers. The most motivated players on the court should be those looking for money. Other teams don't look to hire slackers.

The money is an easy and convenient thing to point to. But I think the culture problems on this team go much deeper.
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I propose that many of the players don't even have enough of a clue to think about how their performance would impact their next opportunity. They are in a situation where they are the best players on their current team (hence, why they are playing) and most likely have agents/family who are advising them to play just well enough to not get hurt (and hurt their value).

It makes no sense from a mature adult standpoint, but most of these kids don't come from mature adult mentorship backgrounds. Many of them have family and other hangers-on that are seeing them make more money in a year than many ever have earned. Money changes people in crazy ways. What seems like, and probably is, blowing a future opportunity is not their mindset.
 
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#49
#49
glv98 said:
I wouldn’t pretend to know their mindset.

Pretty dark mindset you got there. I give most people credit for more common sense
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I find it interesting how so many are coming up with complex rationalizations to avoid a fairly obvious conclusion about a coaching failure.

We can test this proposition with a simple thought experiment:

Why is it that only the Lady Vol team is getting stuck with all these greedy immature, bad apples who don't care about their level of play and have no responsible adult guidance in their lives and are clearly on the path to hell. Just bad luck? And are LSU, SC, Vandy, UCLA, UConn etc, who are playing the same NIL/portal game and have somehow dodged this problem, just super duper lucky or blessed by a higher power perhaps?

I mean Kim Mulkey built a championship team around Angel freakin' Reese who has to pay a surcharge for all the baggage she brings to a team and CKC can't somehow manage a Janiah Barker?
 
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#50
#50
madtownvol said:
I find it interesting how so many are coming up with complex rationalizations to avoid a fairly obvious conclusion about a coaching failure.

We can test this proposition with a simple thought experiment:

Why is it that only the Lady Vol team is getting stuck with all these greedy immature, bad apples who don't care about their level of play and have no responsible adult guidance in their lives and are clearly on the path to hell. Just bad luck? And are LSU, SC, Vandy, UCLA, UConn etc, who are playing the same NIL/portal game and have somehow dodged this problem, just super duper lucky or blessed by a higher power perhaps?

I mean Kim Mulkey built a championship team around Angel freakin' Reese who has to pay a surcharge for all the baggage she brings to a team....
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For the same reason that every ref in America is targeting the LadyVols with unfair foul calls. It can’t possibly be anything else.
 
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