Coach Caldwell Presser today

[madtownvol]

In the era when you can buy a team you can change it all around very fast. Certainly not to the Championship level right away, but evidently the media fell for it as well as we were pre-season number 7 ranked. If they rank you that high your a contender for the National title. Like any other coach you hire I think you get four seasons. You do expect them to move the program upwards a little every season. Still time to get that done.

The Portal/NIL combo is a game changer. It did not take Mulkey five seasons to bring LSU back from the dead.

Yes, she is a legend coach but by her 2nd season she had purchased a whole new team and then figured how to make all the talent work.

NIL has shortened (and raised) expectations for well resourced programs. The "it took Dawn and Geno X number of years" argument refers to the world before the portal and instant transfer eligibility.

I think 5 years has probably become 3 years in terms of coaching lifecycle timelines.

 

[chuckiepoo]

but evidently the media fell for it as well as we were pre-season number 7 ranked. If they rank you that high your a contender for the National title.

Old news. Fake even. Why, honestly, use this as a point of reference? That #7 ranking presupposed a seasoned four year senior leading the team. Just a request to keep it real and centered.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Yes, she is a legend coach but by her 2nd season she had purchased a whole new team and then figured how to make all the talent work.

So now we’re comparing the demands for NIL funding that Mulkey made prior to signing up at LSU to the funds available to Kim at UT? There is an inequity there, and if you don’t understand it, no amount of ‘splaining is going to help.

 

[volsagain]

The Portal/NIL combo is a game changer. It did not take Mulkey five seasons to bring LSU back from the dead.

Yes, she is a legend coach but by her 2nd season she had purchased a whole new team and then figured how to make all the talent work.

NIL has shortened (and raised) expectations for well resourced programs. The "it took Dawn and Geno X number of years" argument refers to the world before the portal and instant transfer eligibility.

I think 5 years has probably become 3 years in terms of coaching lifecycle timelines.

One thing I forget about is the fact that CKC never had any relationships with major power 4 players. So she never had time to really evaluate this players for a n ample amount of time. Hopefully this class out of the portal will be better.

 

[madtownvol]

So now we’re comparing the demands for NIL funding that Mulkey made prior to signing up at LSU to the funds available to Kim at UT? There is an inequity there, and if you don’t understand it, no amount of ‘splaining is going to help.

Hey Chuckiepo, I did not mean to raise your ire.

My comment was not so much about CKC per se but the idea that expectations and standards are different in the NIL era whereas before, a fan base might reasonably expect a coach to take 3 to 5 years to re-build a program whereas now it can happen almost over night.

Many on here insist that Kellie's situation significantly was not significantly impacted by her NIL shortfalls, she just "could not get it done." I personally don't buy that argument but head coaches are judged on their results and not the mediating factors that might explain failure.

CKC took the job (I presume) knowing the NIL situation and thereby also accepted the expectations that came with the job.

This is a slippery slope. Yes, having less NIL $ is a potential handicap but, unless an AD comes out and says, Hey, you can't expect our coach to win cause we ain't giving em enough $, a coach has to live with the "expectations" (i.e., the perpetual hope of returning to greatness) and right or wrong, that becomes the lens for judging their performance.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Hey Chuckiepo, I did not mean to raise your ire.

My comment was not so much about CKC per se but the idea that expectations and standards are different in the NIL era whereas before, a fan base might reasonably expect a coach to take 3 to 5 years to re-build a program whereas now it can happen almost over night.

Many on here insist that Kellie's situation significantly was not significantly impacted by her NIL shortfalls, she just "could not get it done." I personally don't buy that argument but head coaches are judged on their results and not the mediating factors that might explain failure.

CKC took the job (I presume) knowing the NIL situation and thereby also accepted the expectations that came with the job.

This is a slippery slope. Yes, having less NIL $ is a potential handicap but, unless an AD comes out and says, Hey, you can't expect our coach to win cause we ain't giving em enough $, a coach has to live with the "expectations" (i.e., the perpetual hope of returning to greatness) and right or wrong, that becomes the lens for judging their performance.

Thank you for your patience. I am kinda irritable for some reason. It may be a certain reality setting in on my fandom.

 

[Volfan2012]

Old news. Fake even. Why, honestly, use this as a point of reference? That #7 ranking presupposed a seasoned four year senior leading the team. Just a request to keep it real and centered.

Regardless of that point and where they had us ranked. We can throw that out, but the entire idea of hiring a new coach was to elevate to another level of excellence. Why did we fire a coach that was doing the same well actually better than we are now. I think the position we were in with the former coach and this coach may be a reality if there is no way to get more of the better players. If were out of the bidding then were definitely stuck at this level now and in the future. NIL is going to become the biggest factor if it is not already.

 

[Golfteacher]

You really ought to consider the term “talent”. Superiority? Have you been keeping up? Not sure if insanity or severe BVS.

Setting realistic expectations based on recent results would be a step in the right direction.

Undoubtedly, when comparing talent, Tennessee possesses a superior roster in contrast to Missouri. The critical question, however, is whether Coach Caldwell can harness this talent effectively to achieve optimal performance. While past results can provide insight into outcomes, they do not necessarily reflect the true potential of these players. It is essential to evaluate whether this particular group can execute within the framework expected at the highest levels of basketball.

Talent alone is only one part of the equation; one must also consider each player's ability, heart, drive, passion, and commitment to success. A coach’s role is to identify these traits in each individual and strategically position them to thrive. Only then can a team fully realize its potential and achieve greatness.

 

[glv98]

One thing I forget about is the fact that CKC never had any relationships with major power 4 players. So she never had time to really evaluate this players for a n ample amount of time. Hopefully this class out of the portal will be better.

Gabe and Roman both had a lot of relationships and experience evaluating players.That’s why she hired them. I think what actually happened in the portal was they just didn’t get the exact players they wanted, which almost every coach can say. There’s like half a dozen players in the portal that everyone wants so most schools end up going with Plan B.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Gabe and Roman both had a lot of relationships and experience evaluating players.That’s why she hired them. I think what actually happened in the portal was they just didn’t get the exact players they wanted, which almost every coach can say. There’s like half a dozen players in the portal that everyone wants so most schools end up going with Plan B.

Ugh. There ya go be reasonable again.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

They wanted Janiah Barker as one of their top options.
I also believe they wanted Nya Robertson.
I don’t know why but absolutely none of Nya Robertson highlights at SMU look like the same player currently at Tennessee.
Maybe she was injured and had to recover over the summer. Perhaps that’s something that we’ll never but it’s clearly a difference.
So saying a transfer portal class that was ranked #1 by ESPN was comprised of Plan B options don’t make much sense.
I think it’s deeper than that. The system doesn’t fit a lot of players and we’ve seen that across the board in 2 seasons.

 

[glv98]

They wanted Janiah Barker as one of their top options.
I also believe they wanted Nya Robertson.
I don’t know why but absolutely none of Nya Robertson highlights at SMU look like the same player currently at Tennessee.
Maybe she was injured and had to recover over the summer. Perhaps that’s something that we’ll never but it’s clearly a difference.
So saying a transfer portal class that was ranked #1 by ESPN was comprised of Plan B options don’t make much sense.
I think it’s deeper than that. The system doesn’t fit a lot of players and we’ve seen that across the board in 2 seasons.

I can see JB as a plan A. But if they wanted Nya over a real shooter like Kneepkins or something, that explains a lot.

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

The class was ranked #1 by ESPN. Ranting and throwing out hyperbole won’t change it.

I can see JB as a plan A. But if they wanted Nya over a real shooter like Kneepkins or something, that explains a lot.

 

[VA_VOLFAN]

The LVs must show maximum effort in this game to carry them through the remainder of this season. They must play their best and be able to take out a team of talent a few steps below theirs. There is still enough talent on this team to be competitive against any team in this country. Maybe not beat every team in this country, but to at least hang together for a full four quarters. With our talent, our superiority should be a full display against Missouri.

Yes! It seems they got it together today. i think it can carry over to Sunday vs Texas !

 

[volsagain]

The class was ranked #1 by ESPN. Ranting and throwing out hyperbole won’t change it.

So we proved ESPN wrong they get things wrong all the time. We got one player Barker...

 

[KnoxLikeUs]

.

So we proved ESPN wrong they get things wrong all the time. We got one player Barker...

 

[Golfteacher]

The Lady Vols got it done tonight against Missouri. They did what they needed to
do. We need to carry it forward, as I said before we have the talent to hang with the best talent in the country. Go Lady Vols and get it done.

 

[DeerPark12]

In the era when you can buy a team you can change it all around very fast. Certainly not to the Championship level right away, but evidently the media fell for it as well as we were pre-season number 7 ranked. If they rank you that high your a contender for the National title. Like any other coach you hire I think you get four seasons. You do expect them to move the program upwards a little every season. Still time to get that done.

Again, the preseason rankings, were based on having Ruby Whitehorn, who would have been at worst the second best player on this team. It’s not making excuses that you don’t have her, but, again, it is a reason they are not where they were projected.

 

[th2421]

Again, the preseason rankings, were based on having Ruby Whitehorn, who would have been at worst the second best player on this team. It’s not making excuses that you don’t have her, but, again, it is a reason they are not where they were projected.

I pretty much agree, but you'd put Whitehorn above both Cooper and Barker? In terms of leadership and experience in the system, I could see it.

 

[DeerPark12]

I pretty much agree, but you'd put Whitehorn above both Cooper and Barker? In terms of leadership and experience in the system, I could see it.

I think Whitehorn was the perfect player for this system because she could score at all three levels, was a good rebounder, and a good defender. I think both Cooper and Barker do some things better than she does, but she did everything more consistently. I also think having her out there would make Cooper and Barker and several other players more effective because there would be another scoring and rebounding threat the teams had to count for. Ruby wasn’t necessarily the team leader, but she was a personality that people gravitated for and was a calming force. I think they miss that as well.

It’s a moot point, she’s not here and she did it to herself. I just think it’s important when people talk about preseason expectations to remember that there was a 15 point/8 rebound a game player who was also an elite defender that was a part of those preseason predictions that is not a part of things now.

 

[VOLINVONORE]

Undoubtedly, when comparing talent, Tennessee possesses a superior roster in contrast to Missouri. The critical question, however, is whether Coach Caldwell can harness this talent effectively to achieve optimal performance. While past results can provide insight into outcomes, they do not necessarily reflect the true potential of these players. It is essential to evaluate whether this particular group can execute within the framework expected at the highest levels of basketball.

Talent alone is only one part of the equation; one must also consider each player's ability, heart, drive, passion, and commitment to success. A coach’s role is to identify these traits in each individual and strategically position them to thrive. Only then can a team fully realize its potential and achieve greatness.

Attitude is the most important issue other than god given talent. We seem to have a problem with both and attitude is very difficult for a coach to change. Last night's game is an example. During the first half, the attitude of the players was as impressive as I have seen from the team this year. During the second half, they lost their aggressiveness and had more turnovers and missed opportunities than in the first half. I realize they were leading by 30 points or so, but the attitude was similar to what it was in the second half against South Carolina. Missouri just didn't have the players to launch a comeback. I also must mention we were playing without are leader at point guard last night.
Our bigs have shown they have problems competing in the lane. we miss way too many layups and shots in the lane. On defense we could on a majority of sets in the lane. The result is we are trying to move our offense to the corners and the top of the key which means we shoot and miss a lot of 3 point shots. When we hit we win, when we miss we lose. We get a lot of turnovers on the press, we usually win. When the opponents break the press, we give up a lot of uncontested layups. Looking forward, we are what we are this yer. We have two great recruits coming in next year who will greatly improve our inside game on both offense and defense. This will also open up our outside game. Our Freshmen will no longer be Freshmen. We will improve in every aspect of the game and will be more competitive in all aspects of the game. Our system will give us an increased advantage over our most talented opponents. I can't wait.

 

[StorrsCentral]

Geno says if the player doesn't have the right attitude or body language they will not get in the game. EVER

 

[madtownvol]

Again, the preseason rankings, were based on having Ruby Whitehorn, who would have been at worst the second best player on this team. It’s not making excuses that you don’t have her, but, again, it is a reason they are not where they were projected.

Missing Ruby is definitely a factor. Some overly exuberant posters were quick proclaim "no biggie" because of our "elite" freshmen but an experienced skilled player who fits the system is a BIG loss.

But, it is just not Ruby. Nya Roberts has been consistently subpar, particularly against ranked teams. We all know about Jersey who has effectively been a non-factor. Barker has been inconsistent. Great games mixed with less than stellar efforts. She needs to deliver every game for this team to make any kind of serious run. Same story for Coop and Zee.

Of the freshmen, only Mia has lived up to the hype. Civil and Prawl have great potential and have had some good moments this season but their respective games need some development. "Their time" is more likely to be next season.

The pre-season ranking assumed the transfer players would come in and immediately deliver at a high level; that returning players would make a step forward; and that the freshmen would also be immediate contributors.

That ranking was based on a lot of contingent outcomes. In other words, a high risk parlay bet.

 

[RetroVol]

That is a lot of contingent outcomes. In other words, a high risk parlay bet.

Good metaphor!

 

[GUNTERSVOL]

We will look back on this era someday and think fondly of a young KC that was just put in a spot where she was destined to be a short experiment. I really like her but just don't think what she wants to do will ever work against the highest level of coaches and athletes. Maybe she just needs 10 of the "right" players to make it work, but that's a tough ask in this day when rosters and player attitudes change like the weather in TN. When her time is up, this will be more about DW's gamble than it will be KC.

Or the freshmen will be joined by some more quality HS and transfers that will continue to strive to implement her systems, with limited adjustments. They do need to toughen up and not emulate the character of the NEGA elements in our fanbase when hit in the mouth. Some tests coming up, win or lose, will let everyone know if they CAN step up and fight back. Doubt any of them had experience in being jobbed and handled it poorly. We will find out if we have leaders and if the rest will follow when reactions are needed.